Thoughts on life & what matters – December edition
December for a lot of us is a month where we often eat a bit more than usual. A bit more of the good stuff (and there is a lot of good stuff to eat). In our little family planning good food (& drinks) around the holidays is a must. Merging our different cultures and traditions, French and Swedish, and our personal preferences means that there will be lots (!) of everything LOL.
Often this is also a time when our digestive system (and our bellies) might not be happy happy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are some simple things we can do to keep the belly happy while we still allow ourselves to indulge.
One of the biggest reasons our bellies (our digestive system) does not fully enjoy this time of the year is that we are changing our habits. The digestive system is actually quite sensitive, and prefer things to be like usual.
We might find routine boring, but OUR BELLIES LOVE ROUTINE. Especially of course, if/when we have a routine that is good for the system. So for the sake of this email, let’s say that your normal routine is good, and that your belly most days is happy and functions well.
If you struggle with your digestive system, and/or find it interesting to learn more about that amazing body of yours, consider joining me for the Better Digestion-course that will start on February2nd.
Digestive issues, such as regularly being constipated, having lots of gas, being bloated, pain or cramps ‘for no reason’, not managing to lose/put on weight, not going to the toilet daily, are way more common then we think. Issues such as these we often prefer not to talk about with our friends, so we tend to think that we are alone having problems. A lot of issues can be helped by understanding what the system needs, and where we ourselves can create more balance in the system.
Here are SIX SIMPLE THINGS to focus on, especially during this month when we often ‘give into temptation’ more often then the rest of the year (or perhaps that is just me??!)
Drink enough water
We still need about 2 liters of water every day, even in December. So despite you drinking some other stuff like gluhwine, champagne, beers and sodas, you still need your water. Start your day with 1-2 glasses of water. Have another in the late morning/around lunch, before your dinner, and a glass of water before bed.
raw vegetables at least one meal a day
Preferably vegetables that you actually need to chew, they are the ones containing fibers which gives your intestines something to work with. Super simple is to have a carrot. Needs very little preparation. Other suggestions can be to make a coleslaw using some (red) cabbage. Or, if you haven’t tried it, sweet potato. Yep, you can eat it raw (peel it though).
Chew your food properly
Good digestion starts already in your mouth, as you chew your food. You want the stuff you swallow to not be in pieces, but more the texture of a ‘thick soup’. A bonus is that this often takes a little bit longer time ‘than usual’ which gives the brain more time to register that we’ve actually had enough.
Continue to move
The human body is designed for movement, so do your body a favor and continue to move it. Take it for daily walks (brilliant way to be able to release gas without too much embarrassment). Maybe do some gentle movements to wake up the body & your digestive system in the morning. Don’t make it crazy complicated.
Obey when ‘nature calls’
One common reason for people to have problems with their digestion is that they don’t go to the toilet when they need to. Or never allow themselves to fart. That can become a vicious cycle. Suppressing the signals from the body in the long term is not beneficial. So obey your body when it tells you to go to the toilet to empty the intestines.
Take your time
When I was young(er) it was common that you had magazines and such in the toilet to provide with some easy reading while ‘waiting’. Stressing and rushing things to happen (to come out) is not helpful for a happy belly and well-functioning digestive system.
I hope you find these tips useful.
Wishing you & your belly a happy December
/Camilla