Gift Yourself Good Gut Health This Festive Season
                     Gift Yourself Good Gut Health This Festive Season
1. Drink Water, Stay Hydrated
      We all know that we should be 
drinking at least eight glasses of 
water every day. However, the 
natural choice during the festive 
season is a juice or a cold drink. 
Such drinks add empty calories 
to the diet, slows digestion and 
makes one feel heavy and 
bloated. Drinking water and 
keeping hydrated keeps your 
digestive system well lubricated 
and prevents constipation. In 
case it is tough to drink plain 
water, squeeze a lemon, add 
some berries or a piece of 
cucumber in the water for that 
extra flavour
2. Make Time for Exercise
      Although heavy snacking and 
late nights can make you 
lethargic and sluggish, the 
festive season should not be an 
excuse to avoid your daily 
exercise.
      You must make an effort to do 
some form of physical activity 
during the day. It could be 
walking, dancing, yoga or 
hitting the gym which will keep 
your gut moving and improve 
digestion. Not only that, regular 
exercise will also help burn the 
extra calories that you have 
gained because of over eating 
and keep you feeling active, 
agile and happy.
3. The Good Gut Probiotic Bacteria
Give probiotic foods a try this festive season. Our gut health has been shown 
to benefit from them in several ways. Probiotics encourage the growth of good 
bacteria and decrease the growth of bad bacteria in the intestine. They keep 
your digestion regular so you will be more comfortable to enjoy the shopping 
trips and parties. Not only that, probiotics are vital for breaking down the 
delicious heavy foods that we eat during the festive season and prevent acid 
reflux and indigestion.
4. Boost your immunity
Most of the festivals are 
celebrated during the winter 
months and a common cold 
or flu is inevitable. Keeping 
the gut healthy will also 
boost immunity since about 
70% of the immune cells of 
the body are found there. 
Increasing the good bacteria 
in the intestine will help 
activate the immune cells for 
better immunity and 
reduced risk of infections.
5. Smaller Portion Size
One way to avoid over eating 
during the festive season is 
by being watchful about the 
portion size. Small portion 
sizes will prevent 
overloading your digestive 
system with too much food 
which slows digestion. Eating 
from a smaller plate helps.
6. Eat Slowly
Experts have a lot to say about chewing. The good old saying that chew your food 
32 times before swallowing is so that it becomes easier to digest. Simply slowing 
down meals and chewing food well will help you get closer to a healthier gut.
7. Manage stress
Managing stress can be hard during 
the festive season with all the 
shopping, travel and late nights. 
However, stress has a negative effect 
on the digestive system. The stress 
hormone Cortisol can cause bloating 
and stomach pain. Stress can also 
create conditions for the growth of 
harmful bacteria in the intestine and 
inhibit the good bacteria. Excessive 
stress can affect the movement of 
food through the gut and result in 
constipation or diarrhoea. A walk in 
the park, reading a book or listening 
to your favourite music can be 
relaxing and help the digestive 
system to function smoothly.
8. Get Some Good Sleep
Come festivals and one thing 
that you cannot get enough of 
is sleep. You have to struggle 
to get the much needed eight 
hours of good quality sleep. 
Lack of sleep results in poor 
gut health which is linked 
directly to the brain. When 
the sleepy gut fails to work 
properly we get cranky, 
depressed and experience 
bloating, gas and flatulence. 
Trying to catch a nap in the 
afternoon or wake up late on 
holidays to make up for some 
of the lost sleep during the 
festive season.
9. Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in the intestine which affects both 
digestion and immunity. Take an antibiotic only if it is absolutely necessary.
Festivals are to be celebrated and be merry – keeping these simple tips in mind 
will keep your Gut healthy this festive season and a Happy Gut is a Happy You.