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How to Get Your Gut Back on Track After the Holidays

The holidays are either over or coming to an end.

You’re getting ready to make your New Year’s resolution and taking care of your body is at the top of everyone’s list.

You currently look like Santa because you totally overdid it on the sweets and foods you weren’t supposed to eat.

You feel sluggish, tired, a little irritable, and your gut is probably feeling it too.

Some constipation here, some diarrhea there, and generally bloated most of the time.

(It’s okay, we all did it too.)

Good news for you, though! We’ve prepared our post-holiday binge-eating guide on how to get your gut back on track and your body ready for the new year.

Why Your Gut is a Mess in the First Place

It’s no surprise that you got off your normal eating, exercising, and bathroom schedule. You were with your family, you were traveling, you visited old friends, and your emotions were all over the place.

You fell into a different routine.

You fell back into being a different version of you, and so did your gut.

Traveling and stress have been proven in numerous studies to create an imbalance in your microbiome. On top of that unhealthy, over processed foods are the kicker.

You’re also likely not sticking to your daily exercise or meditation routines to deal with stress and help promote digestion. You weren’t taking care of your body, so your body stopped taking care of you.

Luckily we have some easy tips to get your gut and body back in high gear. Your routine will normalize and so will your bowel movements.

Fasting

Fasting is a great way to reset your body. It’s difficult, but it’s well worth it.

Fasting is like rebooting your computer. You do it when it’s malfunctioning to get it working at it’s prime again.

Some benefits you can get from fasting include:

Resetting your circadian rhythm
Reducing inflammation throughout your body
Improving insulin resistance
Modulation of the gut microbiota
Better cognitive performance and memory

To figure out which type of fasting is right for you, check out our article on Types of Fasting.

Broaden Your Diet Based on the Season

Different plants grow best at different times throughout the year. Conveniently, our bodies need the different nutrients provided by these plants at the time they are growing.

By eating a diverse range of fruits, veggies, and starches we are providing our bodies and microbiomes with everything they need to function at their best.

Studies were done on the microbiomes of the Hadza (a hunter-gatherer community in Tasmania) and Italians. The Hadza don’t grow crops and just eat what grows seasonally.

Their microbiome diversity was substantially greater than that of the Italians due to their diet variety.

Increase Your Dietary Fiber Intake

We talk about the importance of fiber here a lot, at Atrantil. But it really is extremely important to keep your gut healthy and on track.

Dietary fiber is important because it isn’t easily digestible by your stomach enzymes.

Most foods are broken down by the enzymes and used from there.

Dietary fiber is different because it takes fermentation to break it down which results in byproducts that help to repair your gut.

Studies have found that increased dietary fiber intake reduced Trimeythlamine (TMA) levels by regulating the gut microbiota.

This is important because TMA can be turned into other harmful byproducts like Trimethylamine N-Oxide which has been linked to cardiovascular problems.

When your gut is in good health your body is sure to follow.

This is why letting your food be your medicine is so important.

Take Your Polyphenols

Polyphenols are like magical little molecules we get from plants that help to repair our bodies and fight invaders. We’ve heard how great they are for our brains, heart, and skin.

But did you know, they’re great for your tummy too?

Polyphenols help support gut health by feeding the good bacteria and allowing them to fight off bacteria that can be problematic.

Polyphenols are prebiotics in this way.

Atrantil’s ingredients all contain polyphenols that are targeted at helping support your gut health.

Rather than adding more bacteria to your gut — as probiotics do — prebiotics help to nurture the growth of bacteria already there which can help to avoid conditions like SIBO.

Deal With Your Stress

Having the craziness of the holidays wrap you up like a present can happen easily and quickly.

Don’t let what happened over the holidays keep you wound up after they’re over.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Did you fight with a family member?

Let it go.

Did someone get you a gift and you didn’t get them one? No big deal.

Manage your stress so you don’t ruin your gut.

Eating healthy is actually able to help you maintain your stress levels and decrease anxiety and depression.

Learning breathing techniques and yoga can help to tone your vagal nerve which is crucial to the health of your gut-brain axis and how capable you are of managing your stress.

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Low-sugar alternatives might sound like a good idea, however, they’ve been proven to cause a lot of issues in your body.

Although the claims of them causing cancer are skewed, they have been shown to alter your gut microbiota.

The alterations in your gut microbes lead to increased appetite causing overeating, diabetes, and obesity.

Some Other Ways to Get Your Gut Back On Track

These simple changes will help you immensely to kick your gut back in shape. Some other tips that can help in conjunction with these include:

Exercise
Purge your cabinets and refrigerator of all unhealthy foods.
Plan your meals/snacks and prepare them ahead of time so you have healthy choices available to you when you want them.
Set goals for yourself and keep yourself accountable with rewards.
Keep hydrated
Avoid antibiotics and hand sanitizer unless absolutely necessary.
Drink herbal teas
Eat fermented foods (natural probiotics)