Gifting your gut microbiome this festive season

It’s officially the holiday season, filled with decadent treats and meals surrounded by people we love. But while we all gather together to celebrate, we can’t help but sometimes feel like we might be cancelling out all our hard work throughout the year in just one week. If you are someone who tends to experience acid reflux or abdominal discomfort from rich, high-fat, and high-sugar meals, this time of year may be especially difficult for you and your digestive system.

December also marks Constipation Awareness Month, which aims to normalise conversations around bowel health, highlighting that digestive discomfort is common and emphasising the importance of proactive gut support during a season filled with rich eating. The good news is that you don’t have to isolate yourself from food or be extremely restrictive to find digestive comfort.

The gut microbiome plays a central role in digestion, comfort, and resilience - and small, supportive habits can make a meaningful difference during the festive period.

Pillar 1: The Mechanical Secrets of Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but it is actually a powerful way of staying in control of digestive comfort without feeling cast out from those around you. Focusing on how you eat can reduce strain on the digestive system and help prevent common issues such as bloating and reflux.

Benefits of thorough chewing

Although it may seem simple, chewing is the first step in digestion. Some nutrients, such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D, can begin absorption in the mouth. Saliva also contains digestive enzymes that help reduce stress on the oesophagus and stomach, allowing food to be metabolised more efficiently.

Taking your time while chewing allows you to savour flavours and textures while supporting satiety cues. It can take around 20 minutes for the stomach to signal fullness to the brain, so conscious pacing helps reduce overeating and that “stuffed” feeling after meals.

A helpful habit to incorporate into your dining experience is putting your fork or spoon down between bites. This pause allows you to check in with hunger levels and ensures each mouthful is properly pre-digested.

Activating the ‘rest and digest’ system

When you are rushed or stressed - often a holiday staple - the body enters a ‘fight-or-flight’ (sympathetic) state, diverting blood flow away from the gut. To support digestion, it helps to intentionally activate the ‘rest and digest’ (parasympathetic) response.

Practising diaphragmatic breathing for 60 seconds before eating can help. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. This simple practice relaxes the body and mind, supporting digestion both chemically and neurologically.

Pillar 2: Fueling your inner garden

Building a resilient gut means supporting the millions of microbes that live in the digestive tract. These microbes thrive on variety. The more diverse the microbial community, the better it can handle temporary changes associated with rich festive foods.

The 30-plant challenge

The single most impactful thing you can add to your diet is variety. Gastroenterologists recommend aiming for 30 different types of plant foods each week. The Stride Microbiome test includes a checklist template to help you track your 30-plant intake in a week, along with guidelines and tips on how to improve your plant intake so I recommend using that as a quick guide.

• What Counts: This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. These foods are rich in the fiber and polyphenols that beneficial gut microbes rely on for fuel.
• The Strategy: Even in the lead-up to big holiday meals, commit to adding one new type of plant food each day, like a new herb in your dressing, a different type of nut in your cookie recipe, or a new variety of squash.

The fibre and fermentation duo

To handle rich meals, you need strong internal infrastructure. Fiber provides the structure, and fermented foods provide the workforce.

• Strategic Fiber: Fiber is essential for regularity, but not all fiber is the same.
• Soluble Fiber (oats, barley, beans, apples) turns into a gel, slowing digestion and adding necessary bulk to stool.
• Insoluble Fiber (whole grains, green beans, Brussels sprouts) acts like a broom, speeding up transit and preventing stagnation.
• The Habit to Add: Look for ways to include both. Use whole wheat bread for stuffing, add roasted seasonal vegetables (like Brussels sprouts or butternut squash) to your side dishes, and use beans or nuts in festive salads. Aim for 20-30 grams total daily.
• Probiotics and Prebiotics: Strengthen your gut barrier by incorporating beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and the food that feeds them (prebiotics).
• Probiotic Boost: Use kefir to make fizzy, non-alcoholic festive sodas, serve a small side of tangy sauerkraut or kimchi, or use high-quality yogurt in dips.
• Prebiotic Fuel: Prebiotic foods like garlic, onions, and leeks are powerful microbe fuel. Use them generously in your savory sides and marinades-your microbes will thank you for the feast.

Pillar 3: Immediate comfort and flow

 When you feel heavy or bloated, you need tools that promote immediate relief and physical flow.

Hydration is your digestive partner

If you increase fiber intake without increasing water, you can actually worsen constipation. Water is mandatory for breaking down food and supporting nutrient absorption.

The habit to add: Aim for at least eight 8-ounce (240-250ml) glasses of water daily. Have one glass before your meal to prepare your stomach and sip water continuously throughout the day. This simple practice also helps manage acid reflux by diluting stomach acid .

Move it to move it

The most powerful prokinetic agent (substance that stimulates motility) is simple, gentle movement. Lying down too soon after a big meal facilitates acid reflux and stagnation.

The habit to add: Take a brisk 20-minute walk after your meal. This activity stimulates your entire digestive process, helping to expel gas, reduce bloating, and encourage food transit. If a walk isn't feasible, try a few gentle yoga stretches 30 minutes after eating:

• Child’s Pose: A forward fold that gently massages the abdominal organs and promotes relaxation.

• Cat-Cow Stretch: A rhythmic movement that stimulates gut motility and relieves trapped gas.

Your herbal aid kit

 For immediate post-meal heaviness, specific herbs (chamomile, ginger, and peppermint) and spices (cinnamon, cloves) act as gentle, functional non-alcoholic digestifs. So you can add these to boiling water and create a warm herbal tea to be enjoyed after your meal.

Conclusion: A blueprint for enduring joy

This holiday season, think of the gut not as a system to restrict, but as an integral part of wellbeing to be supported.

Focusing on the above gentle, additive habits: chewing thoroughly, nourishing your microbiome with diverse plants, prioritizing water, moving your body, and using functional herbs; you are building true digestive resilience. This blueprint ensures that you can savor every bite, enjoy every celebration, and greet the new year feeling comfortable, vibrant, and full of festive joy.