By Jennifer Lynn-Pullman MA, RDN, CSOWM, LDN
We are less than a week away from Christmas. Does all the holiday eating leave you feeling bloated? Changes in eating patterns, even short-term, can affect your GI tract. Bloating, gas, heartburn, and water retention can all be symptoms of eating too many foods that are high in sugar, fat, and/or salt. Of course eating too much in volume can make us feel not so great too.
This is also the time of year when you hear about different cleanses and detoxes that will help rid your body of toxins acquired during holiday indulging. Don’t waste your time or money. Your body is well equipped to rid itself of waste and toxins without assistance. Scientific evidence is extremely lacking in this area. Most evidence that suggests that cleanses or detoxes are beneficial is anecdotal. Your body will get itself back on track in time.
Drink 
lots of water: water will help your body filter out any waste and toxins in your body, so drink up. There are varying recommendations regarding just how much fluid to consume. A good rule of thumb is to look to your body for signs. Your urine should be pale yellow or clear when you are well hydrated.
If you dislike water, flavor water with fresh fruit such as lemons, strawberries, oranges, limes, and berries.
Strawberry Citrus Infused Water
Eat more fiber: fibrous foods help eliminate waste from our GI tract. Colon cleanses may be tempting, but we don’t need to do something like this. Eating fruit, vegetables, and whole grains will help clean you out safely and naturally.
Exercise: working up a good sweat during exercise will help eliminate waste through your skin.
Eat more fruits and vegetables: not only are these foods excellent sources of fiber, they also contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that help protect our bodies from damage caused by toxins in our food and environment.
Pre and Probiotics: Our large intestine is filled with good bacteria, which has several jobs including digestion, immunity, and protection from bad bacteria. Prebiotics and probiotics are both found in food that helps maintain the health of our intestinal bacteria. Prebiotics, which are carbohydrates, feed our bacteria. Probiotics found in fermented foods like sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, and kimchi.
Jennifer Pullman MA, RDN, CSOWM, LDN has been a practicing dietitian since 2001. Since 2007 Jen has solely worked with patients undergoing weight loss surgery including Roux Y gastric bypass, lap-bands, and sleeve gastrectomy. In addition to her work as a bariatric dietitian Jen runs two blogs: www.nourishedsimply.com a general nutrition and recipe blog and www.bariatricbits.com a website dedicated to providing nutrition information for weight loss surgery patients.
