1. Recognize Your Triggers
From eggnog to latkes and prime rib to pie, many of the most popular holiday foods (and drinks) deliver hefty doses of fat and sugar and can trigger gut problems, says Levi Teigen, PhD, RD, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition in the department of nutrition and food science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. If you consume them frequently, in large portions, or add alcohol to the mix, the potential for problems increases further.
Consider eggnog: A 4-ounce (oz) serving of one brand of this holiday drink contains 8 grams (g) of fat, including 5 g of saturated fat, and 13 g of added sugar. That’s about a quarter of the recommended daily saturated fat intake and a little more than a quarter of the daily sugar recommendation (based on a daily diet of 2,000 calories), according to the World Health Organization’s healthy diet guidelines.
And the alcohol in eggnog can relax the band of muscles between the esophagus and stomach, leading to heartburn. Alcohol can also alter the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut, triggering diarrhea, especially when combined with large meals that are high in fat.
Gut-friendly alternatives include low-fat eggnogs, plant-based varieties like those made with almond or cashew milk, or kefir eggnog, Dr. Teigen says. Fermented dairy products like kefir and yogurt contain microbes that help improve tolerance to these dairy-containing foods, he says, as compared with similar nonfermented versions (like milk), in people with lactose intolerance. Kefir with live, active cultures has also been shown to benefit the gut microbiome.
