Holiday meals, romantic dinners or a simple family lunch, and suddenly you feel heavy, bursting out of your outfit, ready to pop. Digestion is a complex process that doesn’t always go smoothly — especially when you’ve indulged a little at the table. If you’re not sure what to do to ease your digestion, here are a few simple and effective tips to help you out!
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Tip no1: try self-massage
You might not have thought of massaging yourself to help digestion — and yet, self-massage is effective in many situations, including easing digestive discomfort! It’s very simple:
- Warm your hands before placing them on your abdomen.
- Perform a circular massage on your belly, moving clockwise, for 2 to 5 minutes.
- Then, using gentle pressure, make downward movements — as if you were helping food move down towards your intestines — for 2 to 3 minutes.
If your stomach and belly are sore, be gentle. The key is to relax the diaphragm as much as possible and thus “support” the digestive process. And if your hands don’t glide easily over your skin, you can always apply a few drops of one of our massage oils — Regenerating, Stimulating or Toning — onto your belly!
Tip no2: do some yoga
Who would have thought? Certain yoga poses — particularly those involving a twist of the upper body — help move things along in the stomach. They provide a gentle massage of the digestive organs while also loosening the waist and spine. Moreover, according to Buddhist philosophy, twisting poses release energy and encourage letting go. Perfect when your stomach feels congested. Need an example? Try the Jathara Parivartasana pose (the revolved abdomen pose):
- Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet close to your buttocks.
- Bring your knees towards your chest, then extend your arms out to either side of your body.
- Using your left arm, slide your knees together down to the floor on the left side. Place your left hand on your left knee. Turn your head to the right, towards your outstretched arm.
- Hold the pose for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure to breathe deeply.
- Gradually return to the starting position, then repeat the pose on the other side.
Tip no3: a little bicarbonate of soda, please!
Did you go a little overboard with dessert? Should you have skipped that second helping? Was that glass of champagne one too many? Don’t panic — there are some tried-and-true old-fashioned remedies to ease digestion. For instance, you can take advantage of the incredible properties of bicarbonate of soda. Before doing anything, make sure your bicarbonate is food-grade quality. If it is, dissolve half a teaspoon in a large glass of water. Stir… and drink! Bicarbonate neutralises stomach acidity and can therefore ease difficult digestion. It also freshens breath…
Tip no4: go for a walk!
It may seem obvious, but the virtues of the classic post-meal walk are no myth. Physical activity helps stimulate digestion and lower blood sugar levels. If you’re feeling heavy after a meal and tempted to doze off, lace up your trainers instead and go walking for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your schedule. Walking engages many muscles, starting with the core (for a toned and flat tummy!). Being upright also promotes digestion and transit. And finally, walking is a physical activity that helps burn the calories from a rich meal… So don’t hesitate to make the post-meal walk a habit, for a body that feels good.
Tip no5: think ginger and lemon
Some foods are particularly beneficial when digestion is sluggish, starting with ginger. This rhizome is an antiemetic — it soothes feelings of nausea — and helps protect the stomach lining. To ease digestion, it can be a great idea to cook with ginger, finish a meal with a piece of crystallised ginger, or, for those who don’t enjoy the taste, take two capsules of powdered ginger during meals. And if you’re more of a citrus fan, lemon is not to be overlooked: the citric acid naturally present in the fruit stimulates gastric juices and thus aids the digestion of rich meals. It also soothes feelings of nausea and that “too full” sensation, and helps limit bloating. You can add lemon to your dishes or finish your meal with a glass of warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice. A great way to digest well and detox your body !
Tip no6: drink herbal tea
If you’ve ever wondered why some people finish their meal with a herbal infusion, they’ve got it figured out! Water (and liquids in general) encourages the breakdown of food in the stomach. When warm, the effect is amplified, as the heat helps liquefy fats and promotes their digestion. What’s more, hydration is essential for supporting transit and reducing bloating. If the warm water is also infused with digestive herbs — such as liquorice, peppermint, artichoke, chamomile, mallow, fennel seeds, star anise, verbena… and so many more! — you’re sure to digest better! And if you’d like the easy option, a cup of our Slimming Tea at lunchtime and a cup of our Detox Infusion in the evening should greatly support your digestion, as they contain purifying and digestive plants…
Tip no7: the hot water bottle works wonders!
Another old-fashioned remedy that may seem a little outdated, but is incredibly effective for soothing stomach pain… the hot water bottle! We should all have one at home — it’s such a source of comfort! If you’re struggling with difficult digestion, stomach cramps or intestinal spasms, lie down and place a warm hot water bottle on your belly. The warmth will relax the abdominal muscles, ease the pain and encourage the gallbladder to do its job. You can go for the traditional version, filling a rubber hot water bottle with warm water (around 40oC). But there are now fabric versions filled with grains (oats, millet, cherry stones) that can be heated in the microwave and mould perfectly to the curves of the body. A must-have for easing digestion, as well as soothing sore muscles or period pain.
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Useful categories : Slimming Tips, Weight Management.