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Feeling Lousy after Thanksgiving? Tips to Make you Feel Better

Feeling stuffed, gassy or bloated? Got acid reflux? A few tips from someone who suffered from upper GI problems for years:


  • Go for a walk. Don't strain yourself--a leisurely stroll is fine. If your blood sugar is up, a little exercise can help lower it, and walking helps your GI system get things moving. 
  • Take an antacid if you have a sour taste in your mouth. If your throat is burning, mix a half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it. (This is also an antacid.) If this happens to you often, you should probably cut back on the carbs. 
  • If you're gassy, it'll just have to wear off. Again, though, if this happens often, eat fewer carbohydrates. Dietary fat doesn't produce gas, protein produces a little or no gas, but carbohydrates can produce a lot of gas. 


Why do so many people feel lousy after Thanksgiving dinner? Partly, it's from eating too much. But as I've written before, Thanksgiving is a carbohydrate orgy. Not everyone is suited to eating a lot of carbohydrates--we evolved on a diet where meat (not grains) played an important part (see this and this). For some people, too many carbs cause GI problems and wonky blood sugar.

What to do if you don't want to feel lousy and gain weight through the rest of the holidays? Get a book on low-carb diets, read it through, and follow it to the letter. My favorite is still Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution from 1972; the latest edition, though, is The New Atkins for a New You. Why do you need a book if you just need to cut back on carbs? Low-carb diets don't work with standard low-fat, low-salt, low-calorie diet advice. You need fat and salt (among other things) on low-carb--and you don't have to count calories. A good book by someone who treats patients can also help you troubleshoot problems.

What would you eat at a holiday meal? Any kind of poultry with the skin. Any other kind of meat with the drippings. Buttered green beans, olives, pickles, and celery with cream cheese. Coffee with heavy cream for dessert. If the meal is a joint effort or you're hosting it, there are many recipes out there for low-carb desserts and rolls. I've now enjoyed five low-carb Thanksgivings without acid reflux, a stomach ache, needing a nap, or leaving the table hungry, and without the carbage. I don't feel like I'm missing anything. 
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Comments

Larcana said…
Lovely! I agree...I haven't any bloat today and I slept very well. I did have some wine but also, finished the evening with two large glasses of water.
Cheers!
November 28, 2014
Lori Miller said…
Some people say "Let yourself go" on holidays, but I feel so yucky afterwards that it's not worth it.
November 28, 2014
Galina L. said…
I feel grate after the duck with stewed cabbage, fermented vegetables and cranberry souse.
Today I met some ladies I know, they complained a lot. I didn't feel it would be appropriate to say something about different diet for holidays, - it looks like suffering is a part of some people celebration routine.
November 28, 2014
Lori Miller said…
If a person thinks it's worth feeling sick the next day, by all means, they should strap on the feed bags.
November 28, 2014
Val said…
Overall I'm giving myself a "B" for Thanksgiving - I enjoyed a modest plate of "a little bit of everything" at my aunt's, followed by a minor selection of desserts (it was interesting to note that my skinny cousin sat down next to me w/plate piled twice as high & cleaned it, although she migrated into the living room so I didn't get to observe her dessert choices). I could barely finish the Italian cream cake, it was so rich & cloyingly sweet (in yrs past I would have consumed 3X as much)
The amazing thing is how those carbs have sparked my APPETITE - I've gotten up these past couple of mornings absolutely FAMISHED & this is not typical of me - generally, I get up, get moving, but don't get hungry until an hour or more...
November 29, 2014
Lori Miller said…
When I was doing Body-for-Life, where you eat protein & carbs, I was hungry every few hours. But Atkins inductions, which is nearly no-carb, was a major appetite suppressant.

My tastes have changed, too: I had a few spoonfuls of cranberries, which were always too sour for me. (My stomach has healed enough that a little bit of fruit doesn't give me acid reflux anymore.)
November 29, 2014
tess said…
I went a little crazy with the champagne, but otherwise the menu was innocent. :-) the duck I roasted had NAFL -- well, I assume it was NA! -- but that just made the minute amount of pate it made very tasty!

I need to tweak a couple of the recipes before I post them on my page, but the French Silk Pie I made was converted from a conventional recipe using erythritol, and I think it's a winner, as-is. :-)

enjoy your leftovers!
November 29, 2014
Lori Miller said…
That was one pampered duck if it had AFL.

I just found several packages of chicken livers at Whole Foods. I need to start eating more liver--more on that in an upcoming post.
November 29, 2014
Lowcarb team member said…
"Go for a walk. Don't strain yourself--a leisurely stroll is fine."

This always happened in my family at 'holiday time' and it's such a good idea.

All the best Jan
November 30, 2014
Lori Miller said…
Works for me.
November 30, 2014
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