Year-end parties, New Year's Eve celebrations, work parties, family reunions take place one after another, causing many people to fall into an uncontrolled eating vortex. The consequence is that the stomach has to work too hard, leading to bloating, indigestion, heartburn, and even outbreaks of stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers in people with underlying diseases. According to digestive experts, just a few small adjustments in living habits can help the stomach "breathe easier" during this peak period.
Eating with a strategy to reduce the digestive burden
The most common mistake in year-end parties is eating too quickly, too much and focusing on fatty foods. When a large amount of food pours into the stomach for a short time, the secretion of acid and digestive enzymes is disrupted, causing a feeling of bloating and nausea.
Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist and clinical lecturer at Harvard Medical School (USA), said: "The stomach is not designed to handle excessive and prolonged meals. Eating slowly, dividing portions into smaller portions, and prioritizing easily digestible foods significantly reduces the risk of digestive overload.
According to this expert, in parties, you should start with green vegetables, low-salt salads or light soups to create a feeling of fullness early, thereby limiting the intake of too many fried and red meats. Chewing thoroughly also helps the food to be ground smaller, reducing pressure on the stomach and small intestines.
Besides, it is necessary to limit alcohol and beer when hungry. Alcohol stimulates the stomach lining, increases acid secretion and can cause acute inflammation. If you have to drink, you should drink slowly, with food and interspersed with filtered water to reduce the negative impact on the digestive tract.
Maintaining rhythmic activities helps stomach recovery
Not only eating and drinking, living habits in the last days of the year also directly affect the stomach. Staying up late, stress, and lack of exercise slow down intestinal movement, making bloating and constipation easily appear.
Professor Peter Whorwell, a digestive expert, former Director of the Center for Research on irritable bowel syndrome at the University of Manchester (UK), emphasized: "The digestive system works at a very clear biological rhythm. When you eat erratically, sleep late and are stressed for a long time, the stomach and intestines will react with uncomfortable symptoms.
Experts recommend maintaining a relatively stable eating time, even during holidays. After meals, walking lightly for 10-15 minutes helps stimulate digestion and limit gastroesophageal reflux. Conversely, lying down immediately after eating or sitting in one place for too long causes food to stay in the stomach longer, easily causing heartburn.
In addition, drink enough water, eat fruits rich in soluble fiber such as apples, pears, ripe bananas to help intestinal movements work smoothly. For people with a history of stomach inflammation, it is necessary to avoid abusing pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during parties, because these are groups of drugs that easily damage the stomach lining.
The time of transition between 2 years is the time to enjoy the joy of reunion, not to trade for digestive health. When you know how to listen to your body and adjust it reasonably, your stomach will no longer be "overloaded", helping you enter the new year with a lighter and healthier state.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
