The holidays are a festive time, filled with friends, family, and food. Lots and lots of food, food that can make you break your diet and achieve that holiday bloat that everyone dreads once the festivities are over. While we are all guilty of indulging during the holidays, the aftermath can leave you feeling sluggish and bloated. Post-holiday bloat can make anyone feel like they put on a few extra pounds. While your first instinct may be to hit the gym, there are other methods to implement to beat post-holiday bloat.
After a season of indulging, it’s easy to feel like you’ve gained a few pounds. If you are feeling extra puffy from this holiday season, don’t just hit the gym. Try out these helpful ways to beat post-holiday bloat.
Drink Water– Stay away from dairy and carbonated beverages when you are feeling bloated, and drink water instead. Drinking water consistently throughout the day can help flush you out. If you aren’t a fan of water, drinking green tea or coconut water can be a good substitute. You can also add more fruits and vegetables that have a high water content to your diet.
Downward Dog Away Your Bloat– While sweating can help you detox, there is another piece to the puzzle. Doing exercises that focus on your abdomen can work your internal organs and help with digestion. Practicing yoga is a great way to strengthen your mind and body, keep you limber, and help stimulate digestion and relieve gas buildup.
Eat Fresh– Watching what you eat can help tremendously with feelings of sluggish and stomach bloat. Stay away from processed, prepackaged foods, and eat fresh ingredients instead. Processed foods are often full of sodium, which can make your body retain water, and that’s the last thing you want when you are trying to flush away the holiday bloat.
Eat Breakfast– Eating a balanced breakfast every day can set the tone for the rest of your day. It’s also an excellent step to take to get your diet back on track after the holiday season. Make sure your breakfast is balanced between fibrous foods and lean protein. Having enough fiber in your diet can help move things along and help relieve post-holiday bloat.
Watch Your Carb Intake– While eating carbohydrates is needed if you want to beat post-holiday bloat, you need to know how to distinguish between good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. Good carbs, or whole carbs, include whole grains, fruit, legumes, potatoes, and vegetables. Bad carbs include fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, white rice, white pasta, white bread, and more.
