Ursula Schmidt is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist as well as a nationally certified Diplomate of Acupuncture.

Tips to Aid Digestion During Thanksgiving

Regardless of the family traditions every Thanksgiving involves eating a lot of food. These easy tips can help prevent gas, bloating and other digestive issues.

Start the Day with Lemon Water.
Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning will flush and detoxify your system. Lemon water also stimulates the production of stomach acid, necessary for good digestion. It can also be sipped during the day before eating. Avoid drinking ice water, it slows down digestion.
Eat a Breakfast High in Fiber.
Fiber is filling and also helps with bowel movement. Being constipated during Thanksgiving is not a good thing.
A high fiber breakfast could be.
Peanut butter and banana smoothie.
Apple flax muffins.
Avocado toast with eggs.
Chia seed pudding.
Overnight oats.
insanelygoodrecipes.com/high-fiber-breakfast-recipes/
Going Light on the Appetizers.
Before sitting down with a drink in front of the appetizer tray plan on choosing the ones that will not fill you up before the meal. It’s very easy to get distracted with the conversations and get full with snacks.

Include Probiotics.
Probiotics are very important to promote gut health. Adding some sauerkraut, kimchi or other fermented vegetables to the meal can help with bloating; a very common side effect of Thanksgiving. If you don’t like fermented foods a probiotic pill will also work.
Include Some Ginger After the Meal.
If you ate a lot of food and feel really full after the meal, some ginger can help relieve that discomfort. Ginger can increase the ability of the body to empty the stomach. It also helps with acid reflux. Ginger tea is an excellent aid to digestion even if you haven’t overeaten. Ginger also comes in capsules, chewables and fresh to make your own tea adding hot water.