How to improve and restore your gut health to feel great over Christmas

The end of the year beckons a slower pace, with more family-centric time. It’s a much-awaited respite from work, meetings, and to-do lists. We spend our time in the company of family and friends, reflecting on the year and envisioning what will follow.

You can immerse yourself in all the charm and warmth, without throwing your health out of balance. Give yourself the gift of improving your gut health (without having to worry about that December bloat).

Don’t wait until the New Year. Follow an ‘eat for my gut’ approach, be conscious about your nutrition, and enjoy the season, guilt-free.

Gut health benefits

A healthy gut is more than just feeling good in Christmas outfits. A healthy gut is essential for a healthy body. Think of gut healing as a garden needing sun, watering, and attention.

The gut responds to a diverse range of fresh, unprocessed foods. This includes foods such as yogurt, bananas, asparagus, and oats. Polyphenols are also important for the gut, as they help to stimulate healthy bacterial growth. Red wine, green tea, dark chocolate, olive oil and whole grains are good sources.

There are plenty of healthy food choices to enjoy a bloat-free holiday season (and prevent an unhealthy start to the year). It’s about swapping out certain foods for better options and feeding the gut microbiome, not just taste buds.   

How to improve your gut health, the must-haves & basics

The complex gut requires whole-body health. This includes getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, getting outside (even in the cold), and lowering stress levels. We crave junk food when we’re tired and it’s easy to feel lethargic in the winter. The darkness causes our bodies to produce more melatonin, and consequently, constant fatigue.

Add to this the societal ‘it’s Christmas’ excuse to eat what we like and it’s no surprise we’re overconsuming in the holidays. Prioritize healthy lifestyle habits throughout the year, especially in the cooler months. Follow the 80/20 rule – wholefoods 80% of the time and indulge the remaining 20%.

Gut healing diet plan

To prevent that post-Christmas gut bloat (and napping), load up on nutrient-rich foods.

The goal is to avoid your spiking blood sugar levels. There are a few pillars to promote the growth of bacteria that’s beneficial to your gut health. This includes opting for high-fiber foods such as legumes, oats, apples, carrots, berries, and asparagus. Garlic and onion are also known to be helpful for the gut, as are fermented foods – yogurt, tempeh, miso, and kombucha, for example.

Gut health is directly linked to the well-being of your whole body. Focus on restoring and maintaining your gut health over Christmas with strategic food choices, a good sleep schedule, and daily movement. Small tweaks and a dash of creativity during the holidays can make all the difference.

How to get rid of the holiday bloat this year

The best way to enjoy a bloat-free Christmas is to adhere to a daily gut health routine.
ZinoBiotic+ is a gut-balancing nutritional supplement. It’s blend of eight natural dietary fibers that metabolize in the large intestine, supporting healthy bacteria growth. This vegan food supplement reduces blood sugar spikes post-meal¹, balances cholesterol², promotes healthy bowel functions³, and balances the microbiome, among other gut health benefits.

LeanShake is another pre-holiday supplement that also balances the microbiota for gut health. It features the dietary fiber blend in ZinoBiotic+. LeanShake intuitively ‘feeds’ this microbiota to make up a higher percentage of the population. The strength of LeanShake (and ZinoBiotic+) is the way it stimulates the growth of “good” bacteria in the entire colon. The “good guys” help ferment fibers, produce vitamins, and educate the immune system.

Don’t let the silly season zap your digestive health. Feel good for yourself, look great in front of the family, and start the New Year already rocking your health goals.

^{* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.}