Beat the Easter bloat
It has been suggested that the average adult ploughs through 6000 calories on Easter Sunday alone. Here are some helpful tips to beat the bulge:
THE Easter weekend has come and gone but there is no doubt that a few thousand calories have been left behind after indulging in family roasts and hundreds of chocolate eggs.
During this holiday, it has been suggested that the average adult ploughs through 6000 calories on Easter Sunday alone.
With regret slowly sinking in, here are a few ways to beat the bloat.
Eat little and often
As the body finds fat hard to digest, a large, fattening meal can remain in the stomach for up to two hours while the gastric juices try to break it down, causing an uncomfortable full feeling and bloating. Give your digestive process a rest by consuming smaller quantities over the course of the day rather than having one big blow out.
Don’t skip meals
If you’re prone to indigestion, don’t be tempted to skip meals to save on calories – the stomach is continually producing gastric acid and without food the acid levels rise. Eating helps ‘mop up’ some of that acid, so a healthy snack is better than nothing at all.
Take it sloooow
Many of us eat our food far too quickly, meaning that the saliva in the mouth doesn’t get a chance to start breaking down food in the vital first stage of digestion. If food isn’t adequately broken down, this can cause problems further down the line in the form of gas and bloating. Always take the time to chew each bite properly.
Take a good quality probiotic
A large quantity of sugary, fatty foods can upset the body’s balance of intestinal flora – promoting the growth of bad bacteria and making you more likely to suffer from unpleasant digestive symptoms. Taking a ‘live’ probiotic can help to readdress the balance of bacteria and leave you feeling more comfortable.
Watch what you drink
Alcohol is a common indigestion culprit as it can damage the protective mucus lining of the stomach, leading to inflammation. The bubbles and artificial sweeteners in fizzy drinks can also cause your stomach to balloon. Alternating each alcoholic or fizzy drink with a glass of water is a great way to help keep unpleasant symptoms at bay.
Healthier chocolate treats
We’re bound to continue eating Easter eggs for the next few days, so when it comes to deciding which one you want to devour, rather go for a small amount of dark chocolate, perhaps melted over strawberries or just on its own.
