As the festive season approaches, shifts in everyday routines can impact overall health. Changes in diet, seasonal travel, and the added stress of the season can disrupt the delicate balance of the gut microbiome, which can have an impact on a person's wellbeing. The gut is a complex system involved in digestion, immunity and even cognitive function (Ochoa-Repáraz & Kasper, 2016). Focusing on maintaining a healthy gut can lay the foundations to help support wellness during this busy time of the year. 

Below we explore some of the gut health challenges individuals face during the festive season and share practical tips for healthcare professionals to share with their patients.

• Lack of fibre - the festive season filled with Christmas parties, get togethers and treats can mean that individuals struggle to meet the daily requirements for fibre. Fibre is an important food source for gut microbes and a lack of fibre can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, such as constipation (Guts UK).

• High refined sugar - a time for celebration often means consuming more treats, which are often high in refined sugars. An excessive sugar intake over the course of a season can challenge the digestive system and disrupt the delicate balance of the gut microbiota (Satokari., 2020).

• Sedentary behaviour - whilst the festive season is a time to wind down and relax, it’s important not to neglect the things that promote wellness, such as physical activity. Regular activity can promote gastric motility and prevent issues such as constipation (Monda et al., 2017). Therefore, reminding your patients to keep up some activity whilst winding down can help promote wellbeing during this time.

• Navigating special diets – for individuals who follow special diets the festive season can be particularly challenging. Uncertainty around what to eat can lead to additional stresses, social pressures and even food avoidance which can all impact gut health.

Tips for the Festive Season

• Encourage mindful eating: Mindful eating is all about slowing down and savouring each meal. Reminding your patients to practice being mindful can help with portion control and allows the digestive system time to properly process food.

• Promote prebiotic and probiotic foods: Probiotic foods like live, active cultured yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut and seasonal, festive prebiotic foods such as Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips can support a balanced gut microbiota. These options can support levels of beneficial bacteria that may be disrupted by dietary changes during the festive season (Gibson et al., 2017). 

• Adequate hydration: Hydration is essential for supporting the digestive process and promoting gastric motility. It can be easy for individuals to forget to consume plenty of hydrating fluids when consuming lots of holiday beverages.

• Be mindful of high-sugar foods: While it’s tempting to indulge in excessive quantities of sugary holiday treats, encourage patients to think about their intake. Suggest they remember to continue eating foods such as fruits which contain naturally occurring sugars and fibre that promote digestion. Seasonal fruits like oranges, apples, and pears are perfect for satisfying sweet cravings without overloading the gut with refined sugars.

• Emphasize stress management: The festive season can bring lots of added stress, which can negatively affect digestion. Stress-reducing techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation or physical activity can be beneficial to the gut and mental well-being (Gao et al., 2018). Even a short walk after a meal can help support digestion and manage stress.

The holiday season offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on the importance of maintaining a healthy gut. With festivities comes the potential for gut health challenges and digestive disruptions, therefore offering practical tips to your patients to support their wellness during this time can help to minimise stress and promote an enjoyable festive season.

Reference

BDA (2024) How to achieve a healthier weight, British Dietetic Association (BDA). Available at:https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/weight-loss.html (Accessed: 18 November 2024).

Gao, X. et al. (2018) ‘Chronic stress promotes colitis by disturbing the gut microbiota and triggering immune system response’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(13). doi:10.1073/pnas.1720696115.

Gibson, G.R. et al. (2017)‘Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics’, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 14(8), pp. 491–502. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2017.75.

Guts UK (n.d.). Fibre: for everyone? [online] Guts UK. Available at:https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/health-and-lifestyle/fibre/fibre-for-everyone/.

Ma, X. et al. (2022)‘Excessive intake of sugar: An accomplice of inflammation’, Frontiers in Immunology, 13. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.988481.

Monda, V., Villano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., Viggiano, A., Cibelli, G., Chieffi, S., Monda, M. and Messina, G. (2017). Exercise modifies the gut microbiota with positive health effects. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, [online] 2017, pp.1–8. Available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5357536/.

Ochoa-Repáraz, J. and Kasper, L.H. (2016) ‘The second brain: Is the gut microbiota a link between obesity and central nervous system disorders?’, Current Obesity Reports, 5(1), pp. 51–64. doi:10.1007/s13679-016-0191-1.

Satokari, R. (2020) ‘High intake of sugar and the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory gut bacteria’, Nutrients, 12(5), p. 1348. doi:10.3390/nu12051348.

Subhadra, Dr.B. (2024) High sugar intake: Effects on your microbiome and health, Biom Probiotics. Available at:https://biomprobiotics.com/what-happens-to-our-microbiome-when-we-consume-high-sugar-levels/ (Accessed: 18 November 2024).