Jennifer's Q & A
Dear Jennifer,
Do you have any tips or remedies to aid digestion and bloating caused by the food overload I put my body through over the Christmas period? Food is a major part of our family celebration and I always end up feeling as stuffed as the turkey. It’s not only uncomfortable, but I feel 6 months pregnant!
Tennis member
There can be many reasons why we bloat including simply eating too much, but a good starting point is to ensure that your digestive system is working optimally. Food combining may be a simple regime to try initially in early December, where you do not eat concentrated carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, bread etc) and concentrated proteins (fish, meat, eggs etc) at the same meal. However, as Christmas day approaches and good intentions can weaken, a great tip (and the cheats version) is to eat the protein part of your meal, i.e. turkey, first so that the hydrochloric acid juices in the stomach get to work on the proteins efficiently. Follow this with your carbohydrates such as roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Remember to chew these and all carbohydrates well as they are first broken down by your teeth and then mixed with saliva which contains salivary amylase, an enzyme that digests starch. This practice alone will greatly strengthen digestion.
Now I am going to tell you about a product I have prescribed in clinic for years, one that I always keep in my fridge and in handbag. Similase is a plant-based digestive enzyme that helps digest food and contains various enzymes including amylase to aid digestion of starches; protease for protein digestion; lipase for digestion of fats and cellulase to break down plant fibres. If you know you are going to either eat a large meal or one that could cause bloating, simply take 1 or 2 capsules at the start of your meal. As it sounds as if your family is used to an extended Christmas lunch with several courses, you could take another capsule halfway through the meal. It works almost instantly and is a definite to use on Christmas day! Similase costs £10.25 for 42 capsules (larger sizes are available) mail order 01663 718850
The external application of essential oils either through massage or inhalation is highly beneficial to the digestive system and should help to alleviate your bloating. Make a simple aromatherapy blend by adding 3 drops of fennel essential oil, 3 drops of lemon essential oil and 3 drops of ginger oil to 30ml almond base oil. Fennel oil is excellent for reducing abdominal pain and trapped gas. Lemons contains the phytochemical limonene and lemon oil is thought to be beneficial because yellow is the colour of the earth element in Chinese medicine which is connected to our digestion. The stimulating ginger oil strengthens the digestive system overall. Massage the blend in a clockwise direction over your lower abdomen, following the natural direction of your colon, and store the remainder in a dark glass bottle. These essential oils can be obtained from Neal’s Yard (from £4.75; 01747 834634) who will also give you further information and support.
I would also suggest that you try drinking fresh ginger tea 30 minutes before each meal as this is traditionally known to aid digestion although is not a quick fix. The method is to grate a teaspoon of root ginger into a cup and add boiling water. Put a saucer over the cup to allow the tea to ‘infuse’ for ten minutes. You can re-use the ginger for another drink, or better still, boil in a pan with a cup of hot water and this will help release the beneficial compounds. When choosing a hot drink at Wentworth Tennis and Health Club, favour the delicious and surprisingly sweet liquorice and mint tea. Both herbs have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and peppermint is recognised to help ease digestive discomfort.
Another drink to try that is not quite so tasty as the latter, is 1 tbsp of apple-cider vinegar, mixed with honey and warm water. Drink on rising in the morning and this can help re-alkalises your system and can increase the amount of alkalising minerals you absorb from your diet. In an ideal world, your diet should be made up of about 70% alkaline-forming and 30% acid-forming foods as cells function more efficiently when they are predominantly alkaline. If the blood becomes too acidic, the body can start withdrawing alkalising minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, mainly from our bones. Red meat, coffee, fizzy drinks, alcohol and white flour are all acid-forming…lots of the foods that flow freely at Christmas parties. Conversely, honey, mango, melons, lemons, figs, cabbage, watercress, asparagus, spring greens, parsley, alfalfa, celery, broccoli and green beans are all excellent alkalisers, so ensure some of these are stocked in your fridge at home. However, just because a food is acid-forming does not necessarily make it unhealthy. As in all of life, it’s a question of finding a healthy balance.