5 Easy Ways To Deal With Post-Thanksgiving Bloating

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Your Thanksgiving feast felt incredible in the moment, but now you’re struggling with the aftermath of that insane sodium and sugar overload. Woof. While post-Thanksgiving bloating can last for a few days — especially if you keep digging into those leftovers — there are easy things you can do to alleviate your discomfort and feel more like yourself pretty quickly. So give these five strategies a try if bloating is the bane of your holiday season existence.

1. Resume a normal, healthy diet ASAP.

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One of the best things you can do for yourself is fall back into your standard eating routine (assuming it’s relatively healthy). Take a break from your holiday foods and focus on prepping smaller, nutritious meals since bigger portions require more time to digest and can leave your stomach feeling distended. It also helps to avoid excess salt, simple carbohydrates and sugar alcohols since they are all major causes of bloating. Don’t try to shortcut the process by fasting or starving yourself — just eat clean and you’ll feel the benefits surprisingly quickly.

2. Pick your fruits and veggies wisely.

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And while you’re focusing on clean eating, know which fruits and veggies, while nutritious, can be big contributors to bloating as well. When it comes to fruits, cherries, peaches, grapes and mangoes could make your bloating woes worse. And in the veggie category, you want to temporarily stay away from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. But don’t hesitate to add them back into your meals when you’re feeling better!

3. Stick to LISS workouts.

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Low-intensity, steady-state cardio, otherwise known as LISS, is definitely your friend when you’re dealing with the bloat monster. Taking a long, brisk walk helps you get your heart rate up without causing extra discomfort that would come along with crunches, plyometrics or sprints. (There’s nothing worse than forcing super tough ab workout on yourself when you feel twice your normal size.) Plus, the consistent movement helps speed up your digestive processes just enough to relieve any residual icky feelings you’re experiencing.

4. Try some de-bloating yoga moves.

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Yoga is definitely a close second when it comes to exercise that can relieve your bloating symptoms. Postures like bow pose, wide-legged forward folds, triangle pose and wind-relieving pose provide just enough lengthening, stretching, twisting and compression to encourage your digestive system to get things moving without overdoing it. Start with gentle versions of each posture and increase the intensity as you see fit. There’s no need to go all out when you aren’t feeling 100 percent.

5. Sip some happy-gut tea.

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Ah, tea, the magical elixir of life. Brew a steaming pot of peppermint, lemon and ginger, or hibiscus tea to give your stomach a little TLC. These options not only soothe indigestion but also have natural (and gentle) diuretic effects, which can really help at a time like this. And when you aren’t drinking tea, stick to water only. Your body needs proper hydration to find its equilibrium again. And carbonated drinks are definitely a no-no, so just don’t even go there.