WHAT IF I EAT TOO MUCH OVER THE HOLIDAYS?

Eating too much in one sitting (especially during the holidays) may be initially rewarding to our taste buds but can eventually lead to fatigue, bloating, and gastric discomforts.  According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy, we may tend to overeat during the holidays due to the cold, dark, and inactive winter season.  This impacts our energetic digestive “fire” – the fire that helps to break down and assimilate food naturally and effectively. These digestive complaints are not limited to overeating, but may be due to improper diet and an unhealthy digestive system.   The delicious yet heavy and rich foods can further aggravate a person’s weak digestion.

What can one do?

Holiday Herb Highlight

The following are four key herbs one can take to help promote digestion.

• Ginger.  Ginger is a great digestive herb commonly used for nausea and for settling an upset stomach.  It is spicy, dispersing, aromatic and warm and contains digestive enzymes, anti-inflammatory and circulation enhancing properties.  It can help move the Qi along a stagnant digestion with symptoms of bloating, gas, bad breath, and hiccups. It is a warming herb and more suitable for people who feel cold and not for those who feel hot or have a fever.

• Peppermint. This herb is great for gastric acidity, indigestion, and digestive related headache.  Peppermint oil can also be used.  Additionally it is also good for acute digestive disorders, tension, and anxiety.

• Fennel.  This medicinal herb helps to dispel gas and promote digestion.  It is commonly known to help infants with colic who are distressed due to gas and other digestive discomforts.  Fennel is a strong anti-spasmodic herb.

• Dried Orange Peel.  Also known as “chen pi,” in Chinese pinyin, it is a commonly used medicinal herb in Chinese medicine.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this herb is used to “transform” phlegm in our respiratory and digestive system.  In other words, dried orange peel helps to ignite our metabolism and promote digestion.

How To Prevent Or Recover From The Holiday Feast!

• Portion and Control.  Try your best to eat only one serving.  Having one serving is just enough for the body to digest and assimilate the nutrients from the food.  Good rule is to stop before you get full.

• Eat Slowly and Chew!   Bringing intention into what you are eating.  This can help facilitate digestion.  Chewing helps to prepare your stomach to produce digestive enzymes to break down and assimilate food efficiently while obtain the nutrients and produce more energy or “Qi” and blood necessary for the body.

• Manage Stress to Avoid Emotional Eating.  Find an outlet to alleviate your stress.  High stress causes inflammation in the body—which can deplete your energy, affect your immunity, and affect the quality of your digestion. Yoga, meditation, prayer, deep breathing, stretching, brisk walking, cardiovascular exercise etc. can help manage stress.  These methods increase blood flow, which then delivers oxygen more rapidly and effectively to our body tissues, and facilitate the movement of “Qi” to improve digestive function.

• Drink plenty of water daily.  On average, drink at least 8 glasses (64 oz.) per day.  You can add some peppermint, slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber.  Hydration is key!

• Get Acupuncture For Prevention.  Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help build the immune system and improve digestive function.  Acupuncture builds the body’s defenses by strengthening the circulation of blood and energy while harmonizing and strengthening the digestive system.  This treatment is very effective for health prevention.

Holiday Hangover Soup

Celebrating over the holidays can be fun yet it can cause toxicity in the body.  This recipe is good for helping the body recover from a hangover or build up of toxins due to excessive drinking, smoking, or taking many prescription drugs. This is also good for the skin (i.e. acne).  This soup is cooling and can address toxic heat in the body.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried mung beans, rinsed
• 1 tbsp wakame seaweed (pre-cut)
• 4 cups water
• 2 tsp soy sauce or sodium reduced soy sauce or to taste

Directions:

1.  Combine mung beans, seaweed, and water in medium size pot of water.
2. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, then simmer, covered over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Add soy sauce to taste and serve.  (If you are trying to counteract fluid retention, lessen soy sauce and use sodium reduced soy sauce).

Source: Yuan Wang, Warren Sheir, and Mika Ono. Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life.