By Claire Bacon, ACN, CNC
Well, here we are once again! We’ve got three days left to get our Thanksgiving menu all figured out, and that includes getting our Holiday Digestion Emergency Pack ready! What’s that, you say? Your Emergency Pack is the set of digestion-related supplements you’ll need to take with you to all your holiday gatherings. You know your in-laws won’t remember your specific dietary concerns. And you don’t want to appear rude and not eat a little of everything that’s served.
Watching the Meal Prep
First off, as you’re watching the meal prep, you may get a little antsy that this meal may not go down so well. As you’re watching your family prepare the meal, watch out for processed foods that might set you off with a headache or stomachache. One of the biggest culprits is MSG – monosodium glutamate. This is one of our Top 10 Dealbreakers – when you see it on a label, just leave it in the store.
Unfortunately, you’re not going to see MSG on the label of what’s being used. Keep an eye out for tricky ingredients when you see someone pull out a store-bought sauce, soup, gravy, salad dressing, or spicy chips.
MSG: A Hidden Digestion Culprit
The big food companies try to fool us all the time. They can’t profit off an informed, educated public. MSG is often hidden on a label as:
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Autolyzed yeast
- Hydrolyzed yeast
- Yeast extract
- Soy extract
You’ll find ingredients like these on some very common holiday foods and ingredients:
- Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup
- Doritos, Cheetos, and other flavored chips
- Heinz Homestyle gravy and other sauce/gravy mixes
- Fried chicken (breading) common in the grocery deli or from KFC or Chick-Fil-A
- Blount’s chicken pot pies
- Boullion cubes
- Barbeque sauce and other condiments
Also be aware that many foods naturally contain glutamate, which can cause the same type of inflammation as processed MSG. Beware of too much parmesan cheese, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and processed meats like cured ham and salami.
Rather than hit the pharmacy or feel uncomfortable on Thanksgiving night, why not plan ahead and make sure your digestion will be ready for any scenario?
The Basics for Your Digestion
For any large meal, you’ll want a few basic supports on hand. These are our favorites:
- Zypan – to digest a couple helpings of meat
- A-F Betafood – beets with vitamin A to support your bile for the sauces, and
- Gluterase – because there might be gluten mixed into things you can’t avoid.
Are You a Vegetarian?
If you’ll be skipping the turkey, but having extra portions of green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and corn pudding, you’ll need some special enzymes on hand:
- Enzycore – a vegetarian blend of enzymes to break down all your vegetables
- Betafood – beets and Swiss chard for your liver function and dietary fats.
Missing a Gallbladder?
If you’re missing a gallbladder, you’ll need a little something extra to ramp up your bile production. We recommend:
- Cholacol – if you’re adding this in with one of our beet products above, or
- Beta-Plus – an all-in-one with beets and bile salts together.
If You Get Carried Away…
Do the holidays get the better of your impulse control? If you find it hard to resist extra cocktails, sweet snacks, or desserts, you’ll want Diaplex on your side. Diaplex can ease the effects of all that extra sugar on your system. It’s probably our best bet if you like to taste ALL the things and drink all the drinks, all night long! Plus, you could use a little LivCo to protect your liver from excess alcohol.
Where are the Tums?
Do you tend to get heartburn after a big meal? Then you’ll want one of these soothing relief vitamins to have on hand:
- Gastrex – contains chlorophyll and enzymes to calm down an upset stomach
- Hi-Pep – an herbal blend to soothe an irritated gut lining
- HCl-Ease – another combination of soothing herbs to heal chronic inflammation in the stomach.
Another tip: You can also get good relief by having a cup of a relaxing herbal tea. Certain calming teas can balance out the excess excitatory neurotransmitters caused by MSG (glutamate) and can promote your own peaceful GABA production. Try a cup of Chamomile, Lemon balm, Passionflower, or Valerian teas. Ginger tea and Peppermint tea can also promote your digestion.
You might even like to have some fresh, organic blueberries for dessert. The high antioxidant content can help ease a headache, too.
After Dinner, Move for Good Digestion…
And don’t forget – a comfortable walk for 30 minutes after your big meal can be a major plus for your digestion!
Your family will appreciate the extra nudge to get outside. Take a lap (or two) around the neighborhood and feel the healthy benefits for your digestion!
Wishing you a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!
