Tis the Season for Feasting — Not for Bloating

Every year around this time, the invitations begin, “come join us for the holiday buffet”, “bring a dish for our feast”, “dessert table starts at 7”. While feasting with friends and family can be joyful and nourishing, for many of us it also ushers in a familiar scenario: bloating, sluggish digestion, heartburn, brain-fog, and the feeling of being “off” for days afterwards.

What we eat is only part of the picture; how our bodies process what we eat matters just as much. This season, let’s unpack why digestive discomfort tends to show up now, and explore the tools to keep your system resilient, your energy high, and your recovery quick.

What Happens When We Feast

Overeating (or “feasting mode”) triggers a cascade of physiological responses:

• Large volume + mixed macronutrients: A holiday plate often includes dense protein, fat, starches and sugar, all in one setting. The digestive system must ramp up production of stomach acid, bile, pancreatic enzymes and motility.

• Disrupted routine: Late-night snacks, alcohol, different food combinations, less sleep, and more social eating create what I call a “physiologic stress test” on the gut.

• Microbial & immune load: The gut microbiome becomes challenged when unfamiliar foods, higher sugar, or higher fat portions are introduced. Inflammation may be triggered, and the “digestive immune system” can become overactivated.

• Reduced clearance and motility: With heavier meals and less movement (yes, watching the game counts), transit slows down — meaning food sits longer in the gut, fermentation increases, gas and bloating happen, and metabolic load increases.

When digestion is slowed or overloaded, more than just GI discomfort occurs: we see increases in systemic inflammation, impaired detoxification, cognitive drag, and hormonal shifts.

Common Patterns & What to Watch For

Here are some scenarios you may encounter, along with the underlying functional-medicine “levers” at play:

• Post-meal fatigue or “food coma”: The body diverts energy to digestion; large meals drive insulin spikes, then drops; slower digestion may shift into sympathetic-dominance (fight/flight) instead of rest/digest.

• Bloating, gas, distension: Often a sign of slowed transit, altered gut microbiome fermentation, or low stomach acid/enzyme support.

• Heartburn, reflux or upper-GI discomfort: Contrary to older thinking that “too much acid” is always the culprit, we now know that impaired motility, hiatal hernias, and weak lower-esophageal sphincter (LES) tone can play bigger roles — all influenced by stress, large volume intake, and dietary shifts.

• Brain-fog, irritability, or poor sleep afterwards: The gut–brain axis is alive and well. When digestion is disrupted, inflammatory cytokines and microbial metabolites may cross into systemic circulation and influence brain function.

Functional-Medicine Tools for the Season

While we don’t want to lose the joy of holidays, we do want to maintain balance.

Here are tried-and-true strategies:

1. Pre-load your system before the big meal:

• Ensure protein at breakfast and lunch so you’re not ravenous at dinner (which drives overeating).

• Consider a small pre-meal vegetable salad with healthy fat (olive oil/avocado) to stimulate bile flow and set the tone.

• Hydrate well (dehydration slows motility).

2. Aid digestion

• After the meal, a short ~10-minute walk supports motility (vs immediate reclining).

• Avoid going straight to dessert; allow 30-45 minutes to let the stomach empty somewhat.

• Use chewing, smaller bites, and put utensils down between bites. These activate the vagus nerve (rest/digest).

• A bit of bitters or digestive-supportive herbs may be useful.

3. Choose your “feast triggers” wisely

• Limit ultra-dense desserts (heavy sugar + fat) and ultra-rich sauces if you know your system struggles.

• Alcohol, especially on top of large meals, can exacerbate gut-leak and slow motility.

• If you suspect underlying bacterial overgrowth or SIBO-pattern, be cautious with very fermentable foods during the feast.

4. After-party reset

• Prioritize sleep; poor sleep impairs gut healing and increases gut permeability.

• In the following days, lean in on anti-inflammatory foods (e.g., leafy greens, omega-3-rich fish, colorful vegetables), and avoid heavy ultra-processed meals to give your system a break.

• Move your body, even gently: yoga, walking, stretching. Movement helps lymphatic clearance and supports digestive-flush.

• Functional-medicine check-in: if you repeatedly experience phasic digestive distress (bloating, distension, brain-fog) after holiday meals, consider digestive enzyme support, bile-acid optimization, motility support, and microbiome review with your clinician.

Why This Matters for Whole-Body Health

Digestive discomfort is not just “an annoyance." It signals that the core processing system of your body (the gut) is under stress.

When the gut is overloaded:

• Detoxification pathways (liver, lymph, gut) may become compromised, allowing more systemic burden.

• Hormonal regulation (insulin, cortisol, gut hormones, thyroid conversion) may shift unfavourably.

• Cognitive clarity, mood regulation, and energy are impacted because gut health intimately ties with brain health and autonomic balance.

In short, the gut is the foundation for resilience, and holiday feasting is a potential stress-test for that foundation.

Practical Tips for This Holiday Week

• On the day of your “big meal”, consider spacing out smaller balanced meals rather than one giant one.

• Keep water and perhaps herbal tea (ginger, peppermint) on hand — not all beverages should be high-sugar or carbonated.

• If you know you’ll eat late, support a “mini-digestive pause” after the meal rather than collapsing straight into the couch or bed.

• Follow up with a lighter next day: include broth-based soups, steamed vegetables, fermented veggies (if tolerated) and enough protein.

• And finally: gentle nutritional self-compassion is part of the plan. One feast does not derail your functional-medicine progress — but repeated nights of “going off” without reset add up.

When changing habits isn't enough...

Two supplements can be highly helpful during the holidays when you are eating out and not in total control of the ingredients in the food.

Gluten Awareness and Management

Gluten, a common protein found in many foods, can be nearly impossible to avoid. Unexpected sources of gluten include prescription medications, cosmetics, and certain gourmet meats. Furthermore, gluten can be present in seemingly gluten-free foods due to cross-contamination or trace ingredients. Even foods labeled gluten-free, especially gluten-free pizzas and pastas, contain small amounts of gluten. Eating a lot of gluten-free products can inadvertently lead to the consumption of more gluten than your body can tolerate.

I highly recommend taking Wheat Rescue before you eat out. If you're gluten sensitive or Celiac, you absolutely need to avoid gluten but you can take this if uncertain about the ingredients in your meal.

Wheat Rescue

• Powerful digestive enzymes and probiotics that supports gluten and casein digestion

• Supports the breakdown of glutenin and gliadin proteins as well as gut microbial diversity

• Supports healthy gut barrier function.

Click here to order.

FODMAPs

FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates such as cabbage and beans that resist digestion. For many these foods can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Compliance with a low FODMAP diet can be particularly difficult during the holiday season. Consider the following supplement if avoiding FODMAPs is difficult.

FODMATE

• An effective digestive enzyme blend to support the breakdown of potentially troublesome FODMAPs.

• Helps overcome occasional digestive issues without the need for a complicated, restrictive diet

• Supports the efficacy of a low FODMAP diet when greater restrictions are necessary

• Maintains continued consumption of nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich, plant-based foods

• Supports restrictive diet compliance while reducing confusion, frustration, and other challenges to quality of life

Click here to order.

Note: This enzyme blend is intended for short-term use while still consuming a diversified diet. It is not intended to be used long-term but instead as temporary help while a root cause resolution is being sought. As it is designed to break down fermentable (i.e., prebiotic) fibers, it should not be taken alongside prebiotic supplements.

To learn more about optimizing your health at the Johnson Center, click here. If you have any more questions about your path to optimal health, email our office at thejohnsoncenter@gmail.com or call 276-235-3205.

The Johnson Center for Health services patients in person in our Blacksburg and Virginia Beach locations. We also offer telemedicine for residents of Virginia and North Carolina!