Avoid indigestion and tummy troubles this holiday season

It’s the start of the holiday party season. Company parties, family dinners, and get-togethers with friends are wonderful occasions—but sometimes our stomachs feel stretched to their limits. As our stomachs cope with fat-laden hors d’oeuvres, high-calorie baked goods, eggnog, and bottomless wine glasses, how’s our digestive system to cope?

A small 2010 study showed that drinking alcohol slows down digestion after we eat a rich, high-calorie meal, but it doesn’t cause indigestion (such as heartburn, bloating, and belching). But other holiday overindulgences can lead to indigestion, for example

• eating too much
• eating too quickly
• eating high-fat foods
• eating when feeling stressed

Avoid these high-fat appies
When bellying up to the buffet table or ordering appies at a restaurant, there are a few appetizers you should take a pass on, including

• spinach artichoke dip  (it’s loaded with saturated fat and over 2,500 mg of sodium)
• fried calamari (a typical portion contains 900 calories, 54 g of fat, and 2,300 mg of sodium)
• chicken wings (loaded with fat, 60 g of fat, and over 2,000 mg of sodium)
• fried mozzarella sticks (46 g of fat and over 2,800 calories)
• sliders (they’re so cute, but three of these mini burgers contain 81 g of fat and 2,270 mg of sodium)

Tummy soothing tips
These tips are basic common sense, but they can help you avoid indigestion after that big party or meal.

• Eat slowly.
• Cut back on alcohol consumption (besides being high in calories, it can irritate the stomach lining).
• Wear loose-fitting garments to avoid compressing your stomach, sending food back into the esophagus.
• Don’t lie down right after you eat (especially on the dance floor!).
• Wait at least three hours after consuming a big meal before you go to bed.