Three of the best tried & tested natural digestive remedies to ease bloating and make you feel good this festive season. 

The festive season can be a super fun time of year. A great time to get together with friends, family and colleagues to celebrate with parties, indulgent dinners, chocolatey treats, mulled wine, and champagne.   

The downside of all this social fun and seasonal ‘make merry’ can be a great challenge for those who suffer from sensitive digestive systems, making December feel like one long month of bloated, gassy guts and expanding waistlines. 

Wellness writer Charlotte Dormon spent many years struggling through the festive season feeling bloated and flatlined the next day after being overstuffed with indulgent party food. She has shared her top three favourite tried and tested natural remedies for helping you get through the season feeling good. 

Good/friendly bacteria
Why: To ease bloating, gas and overall gut & immune wellness

For overall good health, vitality and a well-functioning digestive system, it’s super important to have the right balance of good (AKA friendly) bacteria in your gut. Good bacteria will not only aid your overall digestion of foods and the nutrients you absorb from them but can greatly reduce bloating and IBS-like symptoms – sluggish/overactive bowel – as well as support your immune system, skin health and mental well-being. Excess alcohol, stress, certain medications, sugary foods, poor immunity, and travel can all cause unrest in your delicate balance of bacteria, often depleting the good guys so the bad guys (AKA bad bacteria) can take over. This can leave you feeling gassy, tired and uncomfortable in your gut, so it’s helpful to try and top up with a supplement to maintain a healthy balance of the good guys throughout the festive season.

I like the Link Nutrition Synbiotic 7 capsules (£19.95 for 30 capsules). They don’t need to be refrigerated and contain a scientifically backed blend of good bacteria to take care of your gut.  I take one in the morning each day with my breakfast. 

Triphala
Why: It’s India’s most famous ayurvedic digestive tonics to ease sluggish digestion. 

Triphala translates to ‘three fruits’, and the formula combines the Amalaki, Bibhitaki and Haritaki fruits. Triphala has traditionally been recommended by countless Ayurvedic gurus for centuries as an effective and non-habit-forming natural remedy to reduce bloating, constipation, and clear stagnation in the colon to ensure waste is eliminated effectively.. An added bonus is that Triphala is an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals in the body caused by excess sugar and alcohol consumption. So, you can see why Triphala is one of my favourite go-to natural remedies to take throughout the festive season! Pukka Herb’s Triphala Plus capsules are organic and sustainably cultivated and also include psyllium husks and linseeds to promote overall bowel health with added plant fibre.

I take two capsules of Pukka Herbs Triphala Plus Capsules (£19.95 for 60 capsules) with some water before I go to bed, or first thing in the morning. 

Apple Cider Vinegar, Artichoke, Dandelion & Choline
Why: Provides extra support to digest rich, heavy and fatty foods and gives the liver a helping hand. 

Over the festive season, the impact of drinking alcohol and indulging in fatty, sugary and heavy-to-digest foods can leave us feeling weary, gassy and sluggish and make it more likely for us to gain extra padding around the waistline.  Our livers tend to get a real overload of waste, and because it’s winter and our bodies naturally want to go into hibernation mode as it’s dark and cold outside, our metabolism and energy slow down, which makes it harder for us to feel energised, get warm and be more effective at shifting the extra calories we have consumed.  Apple cider vinegar, artichoke, dandelion and choline (a b vitamin), have all been shown to aid digestion and support the function of the liver, so you can break down the fat in foods and balance blood sugar more effectively. 

I take two tablets of New Nordic Apple Cider Vinegar, artichoke and choline capsules (£17.99 for 60 tablets) in the morning with a mug of warm water. 

words by Charlotte Dormon