Have yourself a gut-friendly Christmas
Q Big meals and rich foods seem to upset my stomach, so I often spend Christmas Day feeling uncomfortable and bloated. Are there any foods I should definitely avoid?
A Christmas is the time of the year when sensible eating rules often go out of the window. Whether you’re prone to bloating, heartburn or indigestion, there’s a festive combination that will put you at risk.
If bloating is your most common concern, try serving sourdough spelt bread, rather than traditional wheat bread, with starters. Avoid eating onions and garlic, and limit Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and kale. Also limit your intake of alcohol, avoid fizzy drinks and eat slowly, chewing food thoroughly.
If you’re lactose intolerant, rich desserts may bring on wind and bloating, so avoid custards and cream as well as milk: and be aware that both artificial sweeteners and fructose (used as a sweetener in many processed foods) can cause bloating.
Heartburn or acid reflux is caused by acid from the stomach refluxing backwards into the oesophagus. The main symptom is burning pain behind the breastbone, along with nausea and wind, but if the acid gets as far as your throat, it can lead to a bitter taste in the mouth or sometimes persistent coughing, especially at night. It affects about 1 in 3 adults and is made worse by large meals, eating too late at night and tight belts/trousers/girdles. Chocolate, peppermint, coffee and alcohol also lead to reflux in some people, making Christmas excess a recipe for heartburn.
Indigestion is a blanket term for pain in the upper tummy, bloating, wind, nausea and feeling full quickly. It’s largely due to excess stomach acid which, in severe cases, can lead to inflammation of the stomach lining or even ulcers in the stomach or duodenum (the part of the gut that leads from the stomach).
Reduce your risk by spacing out your meals, opting for floaty, rather than skintight glamour, limiting caffeine, and resisting that late-night turkey sandwich (try to avoid eating for at least three hours before bed). Keeping your alcohol intake down, avoiding smoking and having antacids (or longer-lasting medicines from your pharmacist) to hand will help with heartburn and indigestion.