With the holidays and all of it's food flair on the horizon, our tummy's will be on overtime! :() This is why it's important to keep fiber close, make it your friend!!
Remember, food isn't the only culprit when living with holiday digestive issues' :o other factors like stress can also play into our digestive function. Often, we find ourselves either over eating or under eating when super busy or dealing with stress from the holidays.
Fiber-less beverages like nog alcohol, even sodas factor into our getting less proper hydration and more sugar heavy liquids that do little to nothing for our digestive systems!
I keep saying this; drink your water because its too easy to forget, especially in colder weather when we're not as thirsty, or sweaty LOL! All of those tasty and rich holiday beverages can leave little room for actual water, so pace yourself and have a glass of water for every beverage that you consume.
Bulk up with Soluble fiber rich foods! Both soluble and insoluble are types of fiber, and each work within the body differently. Soluble fiber is less likely to result in constipation because it holds water and stays soft and pliable. Insoluble fiber acts in the opposite way, and dries out and bulks up. It's really important to maintain a healthy balance of the two.
Examples of soluble fiber are: Whole grains, like quinoa, oats, barley, beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash, citrus fruits
Examples of insoluble fiber: Nuts, seeds, whole wheat, wheat bran, (if you're not gluten free!), popcorn, potatoes (white), green beans, cauliflower, lentils, avocado, apples, strawberries.
[ Yep every chance, we go there! ]
Getting in a variety of these fibers will result in healthy, happy bowels!
Remember to pace yourself with fiber. Trying to stuff in too much for any reason can backfire and leave you with a very unhappy tummy! :() It's recommended that you add no more than 4 to 5 grams of fiber every few days ( if you're working on adding in additional fiber) as this gives the body time to adjust to the extra bulk, and reduces the chances of bloating and gas.
[ Happy Guts are Healthy guts! ]
For those of us with digestive issues, keeping on track with proper amounts of fiber is paramount to prevent further suffering. But we all benefit when we're fiber fueled and moving 'smoothly'!! Remember a healthy digestive system dramatically effects our entire health system, including our brain. It's wise to keep atop a well balanced diet even through those treat filled holidays to keep our body running at optimal levels!!
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