Holiday Tummy Blues

The Holiday season is right around the corner, with all the delicious temptations leading to overindulging. If you have a healthy eating plan in place before the holidays, this can help when you’re faced with high fat and sugar-laden choices.

Don’t skip meals rationalizing that once you get to the party you’ve “saved calories” so that “I can eat more at the party!” Eat your regular meals, and if you’re hungry before the party try having a handful of nuts or another small, healthy snack to avoid the temptation of too many appetizers.

The Medical Center’s Dr. Carlos Smith advises the following strategy during the Holidays: “Focus on foods that are high in protein and fiber and lower in added sugars. This can help to improve satiety and reduce overeating.”

Skip napping after the Thanksgiving meal and instead go for a short walk to help get your digestion moving. If you are a diabetic, be even more diligent about checking your blood sugar this time of year.

Fun Facts

The brain delivers a signal, by either sight or smell, to the stomach telling it to prepare for food.

The average human stomach can hold about one liter before that feeling of fullness kicks in, but some stomachs can stretch to hold as much as 2-4 liters.

After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and then elimination. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon.

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