December 11, 2025 • 34 mins
If the holidays always feel like the hardest time of year for your gut with the bloating, the constipation, the fatigue, the heaviness after meals then this episode will feel like a deep breath.
The truth is… the holidays aren’t the problem.
Restriction, stress, poor digestion, and an unsupported gut foundation are.
In today’s episode, Dr. Heather breaks down exactly how to support your gut through the holidays without eliminating foods, micromanaging your plate, or white-knuckling your way to January.
You’ll learn what your symptoms are really trying to tell you and the simple things you can do right now to feel more grounded, nourished, and supported.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why minerals are your holiday superpower
- Digestion habits that actually move the need
- What your bloating timing reveals
- Sticky stool and bile support
- Travel-friendly gut support
- Why December is actually the best time for testing
Ready to stop guessing and start supporting your gut for real?
For December only, when you apply to gutTogether® this week, you’ll receive 3 extra weeks inside the program so that you can tart January with answers and not another quick fix that doesn't work
Apply for 1:1 support inside gutTogether®
Join me for the Bloat Free Blueprint on January 11th at 3:00pm CST!
When you join live you will also get my Bloat Troubleshooting Guide and a Q&A!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Heather Finley (00:41):
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(01:03):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(01:25):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Welcome back to the next episodeof the Love Your Gut podcast.
I'm so excited to be here withyou today in the middle of
December, probably with yourunning errands and.
(01:45):
Amidst the holiday hustle andbustle.
So appreciate you tuning in whenI know it is one of the crazier
times of the year and you'relikely tuning in because of
that, and maybe you're worriedabout your GI symptoms or just
how your body is gonna hold upover the holidays.
I know in the past I used tohave a lot of fear around the
holidays and just.
(02:06):
The chaos and the busyness andthe different food and all the
things and how my gut wouldrespond, which is why I wanted
to record this episode because Ihave been there and I totally
get it.
So before we really get started,what I wanna share with you
today is that you do not have todread the holidays because of
your gut.
(02:27):
You don't have to mentallyprepare for bloating or
exhaustion or feeling off forliterally six straight weeks,
which we're kind of in themiddle of right now.
You don't have to miss out onfoods.
Or pretend that you're fine.
When your insides feel likethey've been blown up with a
balloon, there is a way toactually move through this
season, feeling a lot moregrounded, nourished, and
(02:49):
supported without restricting orobsessing over every single
bite.
And that's what I wanna talkabout today.
The holidays are not theproblem.
The way that you are managingyour GI issues is restriction
and stress and these eliminationdiets and how you're supporting
your digestion or not supportingyour digestion.
(03:11):
Are the problem.
Your bloating didn't suddenlyappear because you ate one
Christmas cookie.
It's because of the state thatyour gut is in when you actually
eat it.
So I wanna start off by sharingthis story.
Last year I was at a favoritethings party, which by the way,
if you haven't had a favoritethings party with your friends.
Highly recommend because notonly do you get a lot of ideas
of some new favorite things, butyou also leave with some of your
(03:34):
best friend's.
Favorite things.
But I watched several people atthis party skip like half the
table and talk about why theycouldn't eat all the different
foods that were on the table.
I can't eat dairy.
It does this.
I can't, oh, I can't have sugar.
It does this.
I can't have gluten, this, that,and the other.
(03:55):
And so several people at thisparty were literally avoiding
every single food that theythought might upset them and
also just feeding off of eachother's energy of like, oh yeah,
this food, oh, is that the foodthat causes you problems?
Maybe I should avoid that too.
And I didn't intervene becauseit was not the time and the
place, but later on I actuallyheard from one of the women that
(04:17):
was at this party just saying Istill feel so awful, and I don't
know what it is.
And that is exactly why I wantedto record this episode because.
It's really if you havesymptoms, regardless of what you
eat or regardless of what youdo, it is not the food.
It is the foundation that yourgut is operating from, and there
is a way to fix this, which is.
(04:39):
The exciting part.
So I want this episode to reallyfeel like a deep breath,
supportive and calm, and just areminder that you can enjoy the
holidays and support your gut atthe same time.
You are maybe a little morefragile than you have been in
the past, but.
You don't have to spend thisseason tiptoeing around every
(05:01):
meal or white knuckling your waythrough January.
This is not another avoid sugaror avoid dairy episode.
This is about how to supportyour physiology and your gut so
that you can feel good whileliving your life, and I want you
to hear that it is possible.
Because I think that so manypeople wait till January to go
(05:23):
on this really restrictive dietor do something extreme thinking
that that is gonna be, whathelps them reset and finally
feel better.
But you've likely been doingthat for years and years and
years, and yet you're endinganother year feeling the same
way you did when you started theyear.
And I don't say that to beharsh.
I say that to be real because Iwas in that cycle for so many
(05:43):
years as well.
So really before we get intosome of the practical tips, we
really do have to talk aboutmindset because what you believe
about the holidays directlyaffects how you're gonna feel
during them.
So if you go into the seasonthinking this is gonna be
chaotic, my gut always getsworse, I'll just.
Deal with it later.
Start over in January.
(06:04):
Your body hears that.
Your nervous system hears that,your digestion hears that, and
the irony is January doesn'tmagically feel any easier.
You don't suddenly wake up withperfect motivation or a brand
new gut.
You don't have to wait for adate on the calendar to feel
better.
You don't need to just getthrough the holidays.
You don't need to just punishyourself and fix it later.
(06:26):
You can support your gut rightnow in very small, gentle ways,
and then actually thrive throughthe holidays.
You can protect your peace.
You can say no when you need to.
You can make choices from agrounded place and not a
panicked one.
So don't walk into the nextcouple weeks, assuming that
you'll have to start over inJanuary, because that sets you
(06:48):
up for kind of this bingerestrict mindset of well, oh,
well, it's already gonna be badanyways.
And instead of approaching itfrom a place of what's gonna
help me feel the best?
How can I support my body, etcetera.
So let's talk about tip numberone.
Minerals are your holidaysuperpower because your body
(07:11):
needs raw materials to doeverything.
Digestion, hormones, energy,sleep, mood, not feeling snappy
with your kids, or Aunt Susan orwhoever.
When you support your minerals,your digestion calms down, your
cravings stabilize.
You feel grounded instead ofreactive.
Minerals are really thefoundation that actually makes
(07:34):
the holidays feel doable and notchaotic.
Holiday schedules come with theperfect storm of less sleep,
more stress, more social events,maybe more alcohol, more sugar,
less water.
It's also colder this time ofyear, so you might be just
naturally drinking less water,and that just speeds up mineral
loss because minerals nearlydrive every basic digestive
(07:58):
function.
Imbalances will show up veryloudly this time of year.
So, bloating, constipation,fatigue, cravings, irritability.
So instead of just randomlycutting out foods, you can
support the foundation.
So here are the big three onesthat you wanna focus on.
If you don't have specific dataor testing.
To know exactly what otherminerals to do.
(08:21):
I know so many of you tookadvantage of our Black Friday
HTMA sale.
We sold out very quickly asusual, and so I know several
people who are probablylistening to this are waiting
for their results to come backand getting even more specific
data there.
But if you don't have that kindof data on exactly what you
need.
Here are three minerals that youcan focus on to support your
(08:42):
body.
Number one is sodium.
Sodium helps you to stayhydrated.
It is required for stomach acidproduction.
Low sodium is going to affecthow your body absorbs magnesium.
Maybe if you have hard pebblystools, you might need a little
bit more sodium.
If you sweat a lot, if you havea little blood pressure, if you
(09:03):
drink a lot of coffee, whichthat's a whole nother
conversation, but.
Your body will deplete sodiumwhen you're drinking a lot of
coffee.
So some really real easyexamples.
You can add a pinch of mineralrich salt, like Celtic salt or
Redmond salt to your morningwater.
Just a little pinch.
You can use something like.
Redmond relight or any of themore sodium rich electrolyte
(09:27):
supplements.
If that is indicated, that mightbe too much for some people.
You can make sure you addmineral rich salt to your meals
just to taste or just add asmall, like salty snack
throughout the day.
Maybe some olives or pickles orbroth to support digestion.
A lot of our clients will saythat in the past, they have
(09:49):
skipped breakfast or they drinkcoffee first thing.
And when someone has low sodiumand low potassium and they're
combining caffeine with thispicture, it's just an instant
recipe for afternoon fatigue,noon bloat.
Once you support minerals,really simply you'll find that
you feel a lot better afterlunch and you also don't crash
(10:12):
in the afternoon.
The next one is potassium.
This is the mineral that youdeplete when you're stressed.
So especially this time of year,potassium is gonna help with
stress reduction, gut motility,blood sugar, stability, carb
tolerance, which definitelymatters during the holidays.
It's gonna help prevent that2:00 PM crash.
(10:32):
So there's some really easy waysthat you can get more potassium,
coconut water cream of tartar,which you probably have in your
baking cabinet.
Potassium rich foods at eachmeal.
So like potatoes even yogurt,bananas, avocados, leafy greens
can be helpful.
So if you're craving sweetssnonstop, I would, number one,
check your blood sugar.
(10:53):
Make sure you're number one,eating enough and getting enough
protein and fiber, but also.
Try to really support potassiumand see what happens.
And then lastly, I would supportmagnesium.
This is your stress buffermineral.
It's gonna help keep bowelmovements more regular.
It's gonna help with sleepdepending on the type of
magnesium that you're taking.
(11:14):
And you can s.
Supplement magnesium, likemagnesium glycinate, which can
help with sleep.
Or three inate, which can helpwith focus as well.
Magnesium rich foods likepumpkin seeds or almonds or dark
chocolate.
Epsom salt baths are anothergreat way to get magnesium.
Or you can take magnesiumcitrate if you need more
specific bowel support likemaking a magnesium mocktail at
(11:36):
night with some magnesiumpowder.
Whether it's glyconate orcitrate.
So some of the magnesiumproducts that I like are a mag
soothe, which is a jigsawproduct.
Gut personal also has amagnesium product that's great
as well.
So most people will burn throughmagnesium when their stress is
high, which is why holidaystress makes people more
constipated, makes people morestressed, their sleep harder to
(11:59):
come by, et cetera.
So if there's one thing that youprioritize this holiday season
from a nutrition perspective, Iwould really prioritize getting
in mineral rich foods,supporting your blood sugar this
way, not restricting and cuttinga bunch of things out.
When your minerals aresupported, you will feel more
(12:21):
resilient.
You will tolerate food better,your mood will stabilize, your
cravings will ease, and you'lljust enjoy the holidays instead
of surviving them.
Once your minerals are supportedfrom the foundation, the next
layer is actually.
How you eat, not what you eat.
How?
Because you don't need a perfectdiet during the holidays.
(12:41):
You need a gut that can digestwhat you're eating, and most
people skip right past thispart.
They cut out foods, theyrestrict, they stress, but they
haven't supported the basicmechanics of digestion.
This is the piece that lets youenjoy food without feeling
totally awful afterwards.
And it's where symptoms reallyshifts.
The most.
I know our clients in ourprogram of often say like, I was
(13:04):
really hesitant to try breathingbefore meals or some of the meal
hygiene habits that you talkabout, and I was shocked
actually how well it helped.
But our bodies were not designedto digest food while we are
watching TV or on a meeting or.
Doing other things, so it seemstoo simple, but it really is a
game changer.
(13:25):
You can hum or gargle before youeat.
You can take some deep breaths,you can pray.
Whatever you can do to get in acalm, relaxed state before
eating.
It's gonna help your brain andyour gut get on the same page.
So that you can process foodinstead of fighting it.
So I wanna, I want you to thinkabout the last time you ate
lunch or dinner or a mealstanding at the counter, or you
(13:47):
scarfed it down between holidayerrands.
And trust me when I say I'm notperfect at this either.
You barely took a breath, youswallowed, you half chewed your
food, and then within minutesyou felt bloated, gassy your
stomach hurt.
This is not a food sensitivity.
This is rushed digestion.
So simply take five deep breathsbefore eating.
(14:07):
Put your fork down in betweenbites, chew the food, and if
you're thinking like I don'thave time to eat, then that is a
bigger issue that you need toaddress.
Even if the meal isn't perfect,your body can process it.
I also would recommend notskipping breakfast.
When you skip breakfast, you aresending your stress hormones
soaring, which really inhibitsdigestion.
(14:31):
It can prevent overall digestionand just gut motility as well.
Breakfast does not have to becomplicated.
You can have some Greek yogurtwith fruit and some fiber
source.
You can have a smoothie.
You could have leftovers fromthe night before.
Forward.
It doesn't have to be sweet.
You can have eggs with someveggies and avocado or whatever
(14:51):
you might wanna have.
Cottage cheese can be anothergreat thing if you wait until
noon to eat.
Your digestion is already behindfor the day.
You need breakfast to turndigestion on.
Protein early in the day isreally helpful.
Fiber early in the day is reallyhelpful, and we want to make
sure that we are providing ourbody with the fuel we need to be
(15:13):
stress resilient through theholidays and to prevent that
feeling of like, I want to eatthe entire cookie table.
At the holiday party that night,you might think that by like
saving up or skipping meals, youmight help, but this actually
makes things worse.
So have protein at every meal.
This is the simplest way tostabilize blood sugar, pair
(15:36):
protein, and fiber together.
To reduce cravings and re justreduce the burden on digestion.
You can add protein to yoursmoothie.
You can add chia seeds to addsome fiber.
You want to pair your carbs withprotein to help stabilize blood
sugar.
So when your blood sugar isstable, your gut is gonna be
(15:56):
calmer.
You're gonna have less cravings,you're gonna think more clearly,
and then you're not fightingyour physiology all day.
We also want to hydrate beforewe caffeinate.
This is one of the harder thingsto do, but a dehydrated gut is
an instant recipe for bloating.
You can think of your stomachlike a sponge, so when it's dry,
(16:19):
it can't produce stomach acidproperly.
It can't help.
Bring water to your bowels,coffee's gonna hit your system,
and the system ramps up stresshormones.
The gut is already depleted, andthis is why so many people are
getting bloated throughout theday.
So try to drink six to eight to12 ounces of water or a mineral
drink before you drink coffee.
(16:39):
You'll feel so much better.
And then maybe think aboutadding in.
Some type of digestive support.
This is gonna be different foreverybody and it's where
personalization can be reallyhelpful.
You don't need a milliondifferent products or enzymes,
but you need to figure outwhat's gonna work best for you.
So that might be digestivebitters before meals or ginger
(17:00):
tea.
Warm fluids can be helpful.
Certain digestive enzymes,depending on what you're having
trouble digesting.
So pick one thing, not five.
You're not trying to micromanageevery single thing.
You're just giving a little bitof support here to help your
body digest.
One of the most empoweringthings that you can learn about
(17:21):
your gut is this.
When your bloating happens,usually tells us why it's
happening.
So your bloating isn't alwaysrandom.
It's information.
And once you know what yourtiming is trying to tell you,
you can support.
Why it's happening and not justtry to cover up the symptoms.
This is honestly one of theareas where our clients feel the
(17:42):
biggest light bulb momentsbecause they've never been
taught why they're havingsymptoms.
So let's just talk about thefour most common timing
patterns, and you might be ableto see if any of this resonates
with you.
So the first pattern would bebloating immediately after
eating.
Typically, this has more to dowith how you're digesting food
(18:04):
versus the food itself.
So if you take a few bites ordrink a little bit of water and
you instantly feel pressure,heaviness, bloating, that's a
sign that the food isn't beingbroken down at the top of your
digestion.
So this can happen from lowstomach acid, from rushed meals,
eating when you're stressed.
Drinking coffee and beingdehydrated.
(18:25):
Not enough minerals.
We have a client or many, manyclients that can relate to this,
but one client in particular,she would eat something super
simple like chicken and rice,and she was like, why am I so
bloated?
10 minutes after that, once weactually got her slowing down
and chewing her food andsupported her stomach acid
through.
(18:46):
Some targeted support, gotminerals on board, all that, all
of a sudden the instant bloat isgone.
So again, some deep breathsbefore eating.
Chew, chew, chew, chew your foodtill applesauce.
Consistency.
It's gonna make such a bigdifference.
Eat sitting down.
Try to just eat when you'reeating and if it keeps
(19:07):
happening, even with simplemeals, that's often when we need
to go a bit deeper and see whatelse is going on.
The next pattern would bebloating, one to two hours after
eating.
This usually has more to do withbile or pancreatic enzyme issues
if you're fine at first, butthen 60 to 90 minutes later,
that's when food is moving intothe small intestine and enzymes
(19:30):
and bile should be breakingthings down.
So this can happen with sluggishbile flow.
Maybe you have stones or sludgeor no gallbladder.
Maybe you have not enoughdigestive enzymes.
Maybe you have mineralimbalances, maybe you have low
stomach acid as well.
That's also impacting.
Digestive enzyme output aroundthe holidays.
(19:52):
We tend to see this patternconstantly where people are
grazing more, they're eatingheavier meals, they're drinking
more alcohol, and then suddenlythey're really puffy and
uncomfortable 90 minutes aftereating.
So supporting digestion gentlycan be very helpful.
Adding in bitter foods tryingwarm tea after meals, maybe
(20:13):
trying some targeted enzymes.
Adding in some motility supportor bile flow support can be
helpful.
This is also where markers onthe GI map or some type of stool
testing can be helpful becauseif you're stuck in this pattern,
we can look at the data and knowexactly why that's off.
The next pattern would be end ofthe day bloating, where you're
(20:37):
thinking, I'm fine, I'm fine,I'm fine.
And then I look pregnant by 5:00PM Typically, this happens more
to do with bacterial imbalancesor grazing throughout the day
instead of structured meals.
Stress hormones are high allday, incomplete digestion, just
building up over time.
So we really want to space outmeals.
(20:58):
We want to look at how we cansupport bacteria in your gut.
We want to make sure that you'regetting enough potassium to help
with motility.
We want to make sure that your,there's not other triggers going
on there.
If this pattern happens to youconsistently, we would want to
dig deeper into your gut terrainand see what might need deeper
(21:21):
support.
And then the last pattern,although there are more, the
last pattern that I'll talkabout is waking uploaded.
If you feel like you never havea break from your bloat, it.
Often is a sign that thingsaren't clearing overnight, so
this can happen from slowmotility.
Maybe this was caused by foodpoisoning or sluggish migrating
(21:42):
motor complex stress or nervoussystem dysregulation,
constipation, et cetera.
So adding in more potassium canbe helpful.
This is like the electricity foryour gut muscles or any muscle,
and we wanna make sure thatwe're supporting motility,
whether that's through ginger orother pro kinetics making sure
that maybe you might need somemagnesium or other minerals.
(22:04):
When you're waking up, bloated,and this is constantly
happening, this is where we wantto look at not only stool
testing, but also mineraltesting to see why are your
bowels not clearing what's goingon?
On a deeper level and how can wesupport that?
So if you hear yourself in oneof these patterns, that's a clue
that your gut is trying tocommunicate something.
(22:25):
And the beauty is that theearlier you understand your
pattern, the sooner you cansupport it.
So with our clients, we can thenmap out, okay, this is what your
symptoms mean.
This is why they're happening.
This is how we're actually gonnasupport your gut, not just
taking random things.
The next thing that we often seeflare more during holiday times
(22:47):
is stickier stool.
If your poop sticks like peanutbutter or leaves skid marks, or
you feel like you have to wipe alot.
And it's flaring this time ofyear.
Usually it has a lot to do withwhat you're eating as well as
like how your body is digestingfat and maybe you're having
higher fat meals during thistime of the year.
(23:09):
Bile is one of the MVPs ofdigestion.
It helps to emulsify fats sothat you can absorb them.
It also helps you to absorb fatsoluble vitamins.
So this is really interestingand critical when it comes to
vitamin D.
Bile also helps you clear outexcess estrogen.
It helps to kill off pathogensor bacteria.
(23:31):
And then it also promotes gutmotility.
So the holidays will challengebile flow because we're eating
richer fattier meals.
So we have a higher bile demand,more snacking, so your
gallbladder and migrating motorcomplex can be more sluggish,
more alcohol.
So this can really put a strainon bile production in the liver.
More stress, which will impactgallbladder contractions, less
(23:55):
water is gonna lead todehydration, which will affect
bile.
And then just more sugar isgoing to impact liver
processing.
So if that's you, we wanna makesure that we're supporting your
fat digestion either by Okay,being aware of what.
A level of fat.
Can your body tolerate or do weneed some digestive support
(24:16):
here?
You might also see nausea orfloating stools or strong
smelling gas after fattier mealsand maybe diarrhea after meals,
or maybe you have a lot of, alot more acne or PMS around this
time of year.
Some just simple things that youcan do would be bitters before
meals.
Even bitter foods like lemon orarugula or dandelion apple cider
(24:40):
vinegar short walks can behelpful.
Even just five to 10 minutes canstimulate bile to release and
just get rid of that like heavybrick feeling.
Warm fluids can help specificenzymes or bile support, which
you definitely would want towork with somebody to figure out
exactly what would work for youand.
Just monitor how you're doing.
(25:01):
If this is kind of coming out ofnowhere, looking at, okay, do I
need to decrease my alcoholintake?
Do I need to drink more water?
What's going on here?
So let's talk about if you aretraveling.
I know travel is very commonthis time of year.
You really don't need a suitcasefull of supplements to survive
holiday travel.
(25:21):
You need a few foundationalsupports that you know are gonna
help keep your gut morepredictable no matter where you
are.
Travel definitely throws yoursystem off.
Even people without GI issuesget affected by travel.
You have different food,different schedules, maybe less
water, more stress, disruptedsleep.
So let's talk about some simplethings that you can do if you
(25:43):
are traveling.
Number one is bringing mineralswith you.
So not to be repetitive fromwhat I was talking about
earlier, but bring minerals withyou, whether that is a sticks of
adrenal cocktail or.
Potassium cocktail or othermineral support that is on the
go.
Even like LM t packets orwhatever your favorite thing is,
(26:05):
bring that with you.
You can also make sure thatyou're bringing fiber with you.
Fiber intake is already hard.
For many people, but especiallywhen you travel.
So bring a bag of chia seeds toput on things.
Bring apples or pears or driedapples or dried fruits.
Bring chia bars.
Bring any kind of stick pack offiber, like regular girl or sun
(26:28):
fiber, that's easy and on thego.
And then any kind of electivestool support.
And what I mean by this is,especially if you get
constipated while travel.
Traveling, maybe some magnesiumcitrate, or you might need some
ginger or prokinetic support.
You might need whatever you taketo help empty your bowels.
(26:51):
Another thing that I wouldreally emphasize is avoid
skipping meals, especially whenyou're traveling, because your
routine is already off, and thiscan mess with your blood sugar.
So make sure that you are eatingmeals, bringing snacks with you
to help kind of bridge betweenmeals if needed.
If travel always flares yoursymptoms, whether you're having
(27:13):
constipation or diarrhea orreflux, that's usually a sign
that your gut is operating on avery fragile foundation.
So especially if you get homefrom a trip and it just takes
you weeks to get back on track,it might be worth digging deeper
and looking at, okay, what isgoing on under the surface?
(27:34):
What can I do so that I don'thave to dread travel?
And I can actually enjoy it.
I wanna talk about testing for amoment, not from a place of
like, you have to do this, butjust from a place of clarity.
Because when your gut feelsreally unpredictable or you've
already tried a lot, data is oneof the most grounding gifts that
(27:56):
you can give yourself.
I know this was the case for me.
This is the case for so many ofour clients.
Testing won't help you fixeverything overnight.
I wanna be truthful about that,but it will help you understand
why your body is having thesymptoms that it's having.
We can guess and just keepthrowing spaghetti at the wall
and see what happens, but we'renot gonna get the clarity.
(28:20):
December might seem like theworst time to complete a stool
test or do a mineral test, butthis is one of the best times in
my opinion because if you'rewanting to start something in
January or you're wanting tomake changes in the new year,
you can start the testing nowand already have the clarity.
(28:42):
By the first week of January,this is one of the quietest
times, the least pressuredwindows of the entire year when
maybe your life slows down theweek between Christmas and New
Year's, and you'd have a littletime to do these really easy
at-home tests to help you haveclarity Going into the new year,
it's.
(29:02):
Really easy to keep puttingthings off or think, oh, I'll
just try another eliminationdiet, or I will try to do this
supplement plan, but honestly,you need answers to why you're
having symptoms.
So many women reach out to me inJanuary feeling so exhausted, so
overwhelmed, trying to get backon track.
(29:25):
And when you enter the year withclarity, you're not gonna feel
that.
You are gonna start January withanswers instead of pressure.
So we've been conditioned tothink that January is just the
time to overhaul everything, butnothing changes on January 1st.
And I think that's one of themore empowering things to
believe about thisphysiologically, emotionally.
(29:49):
January can be one of the worsttimes to make huge changes
because there's so muchpressure.
Everybody's doing something.
Extreme restriction iseverywhere.
This cra, this triggers morecravings and stress and you try
to do this crazy sprint.
Yeah, without actually knowingwhat's wrong.
(30:09):
I know, I think it's January11th is like National Quitter's
day.
Um, it's like the second Fridayof January or around there when
they say that most peopleabandon their resolutions
because they were neversustainable in the first place.
Not because you lack willpower,but because you didn't.
No, if you don't have a reasonwhy you're doing something
(30:31):
besides, you just think it'sgonna help you not be bloated or
lose weight or whatever yourresolution is.
It's just pressure with notactual like deep meaning.
So I want you to just think backto January, 2025.
So the beginning of this year,did you, now that we're in
December, did you make any ofthe changes that you intended
(30:52):
to?
And if not, why did you feeloverwhelmed?
Did you not know where to start?
Did you try to change everythingat once?
Did you burn out by February?
Did you end up just cyclingthrough the same symptoms again
and again and again?
This isn't for shame, it's justfor insight.
Patterns can be really, reallypowerful teachers, and if last
(31:14):
January feels the same as now,you're not alone.
Most of our clients tell us thesame thing.
They've tried, they've pushed,they've restricted, they still
didn't get answers.
The empowering truth here isthat you don't need.
A restrictive plan.
You need clarity on why you'rehaving symptoms.
You don't need a reset.
(31:35):
You need information.
You don't need more discipline.
You're probably the mostdisciplined person that you
know.
You need a plan that's going tosupport your physiology and not
fight against it, not one thatmakes you feel restricted and
like you wanna revolt againstthat.
So you need a roadmap and I wantto end today with just something
(31:55):
really gentle that if you'reready for something different
and if you're ready for asustainable plan that will get
you through the year and end upnext holiday season, not feeling
like you have to white knuckleyour way through not feeling
like I am in the same place.
That I started the year then nowis a great time to get started
(32:17):
in one-on-one support and gottogether.
We created an amazing bonus forthe month of December knowing
that it's a busy time.
If you apply in December, you'llreceive extra weeks inside of
the program basically, so thatyou can use December as your
month to get onboarded and getyour testing done.
(32:38):
No rushing, no pressure, nofrantic timeline, just space to
start the year off with clarityand with knowing that you're
gonna have a plan.
So that gives you time to sendin your testing, get your
results back, and.
Really get going once the yearstarts.
So if you've been listeningtoday and you're thinking like,
I don't want another holidayseason to feel this hard, or I
(33:02):
really wanna know why my gutfeels the way that it does, no
matter what I do, we would loveto support you one-on-one inside
of gut together.
So maybe this is what you askfor for Christmas, or you have
HSA funds that are expiring.
You can use those for guttogether, so the link to apply
is in the show notes.
We would love to support you.
(33:23):
I'm happy to answer anyquestions that you have about
gut together, and I'm wishingyou a wonderful holiday season.
Get excited for the nextepisode.
I'm gonna walk through some ofmy.
Favorite gifts and gadgets of2025.
This was a really popularepisode.
I think it was two years ago Idid this, so I'm excited to
bring this back.
(33:43):
Just a little gift guide ofthings that I have loved in
2025, so get excited for that.
A little bit of a differentepisode, but thanks for tuning
in and I'll catch you on thenext episode.
Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Heather Finley, registereddietitian and gut health
specialist.
I understand the frustration ofdealing with GI issues because
I've been there and I spent overtwo decades searching for
answers for my own gut issues ofconstipation, bloating, and
stomach pain.
I've dedicated my life tounderstanding and solving my own
(01:03):
gut issues.
And now I'm here to guide you.
On this podcast, I'll help youidentify the true root causes of
your discomfort.
So you can finally ditch yoursymptoms for good.
My goal is to empower you withthe knowledge and tools you need
so that you can love your gutand it will love you right back.
So if you're ready to learn alot, gain a deeper understanding
(01:25):
of your gut and find lastingrelief.
You are in the right place.
Welcome to the love your gutpodcast.
Welcome back to the next episodeof the Love Your Gut podcast.
I'm so excited to be here withyou today in the middle of
December, probably with yourunning errands and.
(01:45):
Amidst the holiday hustle andbustle.
So appreciate you tuning in whenI know it is one of the crazier
times of the year and you'relikely tuning in because of
that, and maybe you're worriedabout your GI symptoms or just
how your body is gonna hold upover the holidays.
I know in the past I used tohave a lot of fear around the
holidays and just.
(02:06):
The chaos and the busyness andthe different food and all the
things and how my gut wouldrespond, which is why I wanted
to record this episode because Ihave been there and I totally
get it.
So before we really get started,what I wanna share with you
today is that you do not have todread the holidays because of
your gut.
(02:27):
You don't have to mentallyprepare for bloating or
exhaustion or feeling off forliterally six straight weeks,
which we're kind of in themiddle of right now.
You don't have to miss out onfoods.
Or pretend that you're fine.
When your insides feel likethey've been blown up with a
balloon, there is a way toactually move through this
season, feeling a lot moregrounded, nourished, and
(02:49):
supported without restricting orobsessing over every single
bite.
And that's what I wanna talkabout today.
The holidays are not theproblem.
The way that you are managingyour GI issues is restriction
and stress and these eliminationdiets and how you're supporting
your digestion or not supportingyour digestion.
(03:11):
Are the problem.
Your bloating didn't suddenlyappear because you ate one
Christmas cookie.
It's because of the state thatyour gut is in when you actually
eat it.
So I wanna start off by sharingthis story.
Last year I was at a favoritethings party, which by the way,
if you haven't had a favoritethings party with your friends.
Highly recommend because notonly do you get a lot of ideas
of some new favorite things, butyou also leave with some of your
(03:34):
best friend's.
Favorite things.
But I watched several people atthis party skip like half the
table and talk about why theycouldn't eat all the different
foods that were on the table.
I can't eat dairy.
It does this.
I can't, oh, I can't have sugar.
It does this.
I can't have gluten, this, that,and the other.
(03:55):
And so several people at thisparty were literally avoiding
every single food that theythought might upset them and
also just feeding off of eachother's energy of like, oh yeah,
this food, oh, is that the foodthat causes you problems?
Maybe I should avoid that too.
And I didn't intervene becauseit was not the time and the
place, but later on I actuallyheard from one of the women that
(04:17):
was at this party just saying Istill feel so awful, and I don't
know what it is.
And that is exactly why I wantedto record this episode because.
It's really if you havesymptoms, regardless of what you
eat or regardless of what youdo, it is not the food.
It is the foundation that yourgut is operating from, and there
is a way to fix this, which is.
(04:39):
The exciting part.
So I want this episode to reallyfeel like a deep breath,
supportive and calm, and just areminder that you can enjoy the
holidays and support your gut atthe same time.
You are maybe a little morefragile than you have been in
the past, but.
You don't have to spend thisseason tiptoeing around every
(05:01):
meal or white knuckling your waythrough January.
This is not another avoid sugaror avoid dairy episode.
This is about how to supportyour physiology and your gut so
that you can feel good whileliving your life, and I want you
to hear that it is possible.
Because I think that so manypeople wait till January to go
(05:23):
on this really restrictive dietor do something extreme thinking
that that is gonna be, whathelps them reset and finally
feel better.
But you've likely been doingthat for years and years and
years, and yet you're endinganother year feeling the same
way you did when you started theyear.
And I don't say that to beharsh.
I say that to be real because Iwas in that cycle for so many
(05:43):
years as well.
So really before we get intosome of the practical tips, we
really do have to talk aboutmindset because what you believe
about the holidays directlyaffects how you're gonna feel
during them.
So if you go into the seasonthinking this is gonna be
chaotic, my gut always getsworse, I'll just.
Deal with it later.
Start over in January.
(06:04):
Your body hears that.
Your nervous system hears that,your digestion hears that, and
the irony is January doesn'tmagically feel any easier.
You don't suddenly wake up withperfect motivation or a brand
new gut.
You don't have to wait for adate on the calendar to feel
better.
You don't need to just getthrough the holidays.
You don't need to just punishyourself and fix it later.
(06:26):
You can support your gut rightnow in very small, gentle ways,
and then actually thrive throughthe holidays.
You can protect your peace.
You can say no when you need to.
You can make choices from agrounded place and not a
panicked one.
So don't walk into the nextcouple weeks, assuming that
you'll have to start over inJanuary, because that sets you
(06:48):
up for kind of this bingerestrict mindset of well, oh,
well, it's already gonna be badanyways.
And instead of approaching itfrom a place of what's gonna
help me feel the best?
How can I support my body, etcetera.
So let's talk about tip numberone.
Minerals are your holidaysuperpower because your body
(07:11):
needs raw materials to doeverything.
Digestion, hormones, energy,sleep, mood, not feeling snappy
with your kids, or Aunt Susan orwhoever.
When you support your minerals,your digestion calms down, your
cravings stabilize.
You feel grounded instead ofreactive.
Minerals are really thefoundation that actually makes
(07:34):
the holidays feel doable and notchaotic.
Holiday schedules come with theperfect storm of less sleep,
more stress, more social events,maybe more alcohol, more sugar,
less water.
It's also colder this time ofyear, so you might be just
naturally drinking less water,and that just speeds up mineral
loss because minerals nearlydrive every basic digestive
(07:58):
function.
Imbalances will show up veryloudly this time of year.
So, bloating, constipation,fatigue, cravings, irritability.
So instead of just randomlycutting out foods, you can
support the foundation.
So here are the big three onesthat you wanna focus on.
If you don't have specific dataor testing.
To know exactly what otherminerals to do.
(08:21):
I know so many of you tookadvantage of our Black Friday
HTMA sale.
We sold out very quickly asusual, and so I know several
people who are probablylistening to this are waiting
for their results to come backand getting even more specific
data there.
But if you don't have that kindof data on exactly what you
need.
Here are three minerals that youcan focus on to support your
(08:42):
body.
Number one is sodium.
Sodium helps you to stayhydrated.
It is required for stomach acidproduction.
Low sodium is going to affecthow your body absorbs magnesium.
Maybe if you have hard pebblystools, you might need a little
bit more sodium.
If you sweat a lot, if you havea little blood pressure, if you
(09:03):
drink a lot of coffee, whichthat's a whole nother
conversation, but.
Your body will deplete sodiumwhen you're drinking a lot of
coffee.
So some really real easyexamples.
You can add a pinch of mineralrich salt, like Celtic salt or
Redmond salt to your morningwater.
Just a little pinch.
You can use something like.
Redmond relight or any of themore sodium rich electrolyte
(09:27):
supplements.
If that is indicated, that mightbe too much for some people.
You can make sure you addmineral rich salt to your meals
just to taste or just add asmall, like salty snack
throughout the day.
Maybe some olives or pickles orbroth to support digestion.
A lot of our clients will saythat in the past, they have
(09:49):
skipped breakfast or they drinkcoffee first thing.
And when someone has low sodiumand low potassium and they're
combining caffeine with thispicture, it's just an instant
recipe for afternoon fatigue,noon bloat.
Once you support minerals,really simply you'll find that
you feel a lot better afterlunch and you also don't crash
(10:12):
in the afternoon.
The next one is potassium.
This is the mineral that youdeplete when you're stressed.
So especially this time of year,potassium is gonna help with
stress reduction, gut motility,blood sugar, stability, carb
tolerance, which definitelymatters during the holidays.
It's gonna help prevent that2:00 PM crash.
(10:32):
So there's some really easy waysthat you can get more potassium,
coconut water cream of tartar,which you probably have in your
baking cabinet.
Potassium rich foods at eachmeal.
So like potatoes even yogurt,bananas, avocados, leafy greens
can be helpful.
So if you're craving sweetssnonstop, I would, number one,
check your blood sugar.
(10:53):
Make sure you're number one,eating enough and getting enough
protein and fiber, but also.
Try to really support potassiumand see what happens.
And then lastly, I would supportmagnesium.
This is your stress buffermineral.
It's gonna help keep bowelmovements more regular.
It's gonna help with sleepdepending on the type of
magnesium that you're taking.
(11:14):
And you can s.
Supplement magnesium, likemagnesium glycinate, which can
help with sleep.
Or three inate, which can helpwith focus as well.
Magnesium rich foods likepumpkin seeds or almonds or dark
chocolate.
Epsom salt baths are anothergreat way to get magnesium.
Or you can take magnesiumcitrate if you need more
specific bowel support likemaking a magnesium mocktail at
(11:36):
night with some magnesiumpowder.
Whether it's glyconate orcitrate.
So some of the magnesiumproducts that I like are a mag
soothe, which is a jigsawproduct.
Gut personal also has amagnesium product that's great
as well.
So most people will burn throughmagnesium when their stress is
high, which is why holidaystress makes people more
constipated, makes people morestressed, their sleep harder to
(11:59):
come by, et cetera.
So if there's one thing that youprioritize this holiday season
from a nutrition perspective, Iwould really prioritize getting
in mineral rich foods,supporting your blood sugar this
way, not restricting and cuttinga bunch of things out.
When your minerals aresupported, you will feel more
(12:21):
resilient.
You will tolerate food better,your mood will stabilize, your
cravings will ease, and you'lljust enjoy the holidays instead
of surviving them.
Once your minerals are supportedfrom the foundation, the next
layer is actually.
How you eat, not what you eat.
How?
Because you don't need a perfectdiet during the holidays.
(12:41):
You need a gut that can digestwhat you're eating, and most
people skip right past thispart.
They cut out foods, theyrestrict, they stress, but they
haven't supported the basicmechanics of digestion.
This is the piece that lets youenjoy food without feeling
totally awful afterwards.
And it's where symptoms reallyshifts.
The most.
I know our clients in ourprogram of often say like, I was
(13:04):
really hesitant to try breathingbefore meals or some of the meal
hygiene habits that you talkabout, and I was shocked
actually how well it helped.
But our bodies were not designedto digest food while we are
watching TV or on a meeting or.
Doing other things, so it seemstoo simple, but it really is a
game changer.
(13:25):
You can hum or gargle before youeat.
You can take some deep breaths,you can pray.
Whatever you can do to get in acalm, relaxed state before
eating.
It's gonna help your brain andyour gut get on the same page.
So that you can process foodinstead of fighting it.
So I wanna, I want you to thinkabout the last time you ate
lunch or dinner or a mealstanding at the counter, or you
(13:47):
scarfed it down between holidayerrands.
And trust me when I say I'm notperfect at this either.
You barely took a breath, youswallowed, you half chewed your
food, and then within minutesyou felt bloated, gassy your
stomach hurt.
This is not a food sensitivity.
This is rushed digestion.
So simply take five deep breathsbefore eating.
(14:07):
Put your fork down in betweenbites, chew the food, and if
you're thinking like I don'thave time to eat, then that is a
bigger issue that you need toaddress.
Even if the meal isn't perfect,your body can process it.
I also would recommend notskipping breakfast.
When you skip breakfast, you aresending your stress hormones
soaring, which really inhibitsdigestion.
(14:31):
It can prevent overall digestionand just gut motility as well.
Breakfast does not have to becomplicated.
You can have some Greek yogurtwith fruit and some fiber
source.
You can have a smoothie.
You could have leftovers fromthe night before.
Forward.
It doesn't have to be sweet.
You can have eggs with someveggies and avocado or whatever
(14:51):
you might wanna have.
Cottage cheese can be anothergreat thing if you wait until
noon to eat.
Your digestion is already behindfor the day.
You need breakfast to turndigestion on.
Protein early in the day isreally helpful.
Fiber early in the day is reallyhelpful, and we want to make
sure that we are providing ourbody with the fuel we need to be
(15:13):
stress resilient through theholidays and to prevent that
feeling of like, I want to eatthe entire cookie table.
At the holiday party that night,you might think that by like
saving up or skipping meals, youmight help, but this actually
makes things worse.
So have protein at every meal.
This is the simplest way tostabilize blood sugar, pair
(15:36):
protein, and fiber together.
To reduce cravings and re justreduce the burden on digestion.
You can add protein to yoursmoothie.
You can add chia seeds to addsome fiber.
You want to pair your carbs withprotein to help stabilize blood
sugar.
So when your blood sugar isstable, your gut is gonna be
(15:56):
calmer.
You're gonna have less cravings,you're gonna think more clearly,
and then you're not fightingyour physiology all day.
We also want to hydrate beforewe caffeinate.
This is one of the harder thingsto do, but a dehydrated gut is
an instant recipe for bloating.
You can think of your stomachlike a sponge, so when it's dry,
(16:19):
it can't produce stomach acidproperly.
It can't help.
Bring water to your bowels,coffee's gonna hit your system,
and the system ramps up stresshormones.
The gut is already depleted, andthis is why so many people are
getting bloated throughout theday.
So try to drink six to eight to12 ounces of water or a mineral
drink before you drink coffee.
(16:39):
You'll feel so much better.
And then maybe think aboutadding in.
Some type of digestive support.
This is gonna be different foreverybody and it's where
personalization can be reallyhelpful.
You don't need a milliondifferent products or enzymes,
but you need to figure outwhat's gonna work best for you.
So that might be digestivebitters before meals or ginger
(17:00):
tea.
Warm fluids can be helpful.
Certain digestive enzymes,depending on what you're having
trouble digesting.
So pick one thing, not five.
You're not trying to micromanageevery single thing.
You're just giving a little bitof support here to help your
body digest.
One of the most empoweringthings that you can learn about
(17:21):
your gut is this.
When your bloating happens,usually tells us why it's
happening.
So your bloating isn't alwaysrandom.
It's information.
And once you know what yourtiming is trying to tell you,
you can support.
Why it's happening and not justtry to cover up the symptoms.
This is honestly one of theareas where our clients feel the
(17:42):
biggest light bulb momentsbecause they've never been
taught why they're havingsymptoms.
So let's just talk about thefour most common timing
patterns, and you might be ableto see if any of this resonates
with you.
So the first pattern would bebloating immediately after
eating.
Typically, this has more to dowith how you're digesting food
(18:04):
versus the food itself.
So if you take a few bites ordrink a little bit of water and
you instantly feel pressure,heaviness, bloating, that's a
sign that the food isn't beingbroken down at the top of your
digestion.
So this can happen from lowstomach acid, from rushed meals,
eating when you're stressed.
Drinking coffee and beingdehydrated.
(18:25):
Not enough minerals.
We have a client or many, manyclients that can relate to this,
but one client in particular,she would eat something super
simple like chicken and rice,and she was like, why am I so
bloated?
10 minutes after that, once weactually got her slowing down
and chewing her food andsupported her stomach acid
through.
(18:46):
Some targeted support, gotminerals on board, all that, all
of a sudden the instant bloat isgone.
So again, some deep breathsbefore eating.
Chew, chew, chew, chew your foodtill applesauce.
Consistency.
It's gonna make such a bigdifference.
Eat sitting down.
Try to just eat when you'reeating and if it keeps
(19:07):
happening, even with simplemeals, that's often when we need
to go a bit deeper and see whatelse is going on.
The next pattern would bebloating, one to two hours after
eating.
This usually has more to do withbile or pancreatic enzyme issues
if you're fine at first, butthen 60 to 90 minutes later,
that's when food is moving intothe small intestine and enzymes
(19:30):
and bile should be breakingthings down.
So this can happen with sluggishbile flow.
Maybe you have stones or sludgeor no gallbladder.
Maybe you have not enoughdigestive enzymes.
Maybe you have mineralimbalances, maybe you have low
stomach acid as well.
That's also impacting.
Digestive enzyme output aroundthe holidays.
(19:52):
We tend to see this patternconstantly where people are
grazing more, they're eatingheavier meals, they're drinking
more alcohol, and then suddenlythey're really puffy and
uncomfortable 90 minutes aftereating.
So supporting digestion gentlycan be very helpful.
Adding in bitter foods tryingwarm tea after meals, maybe
(20:13):
trying some targeted enzymes.
Adding in some motility supportor bile flow support can be
helpful.
This is also where markers onthe GI map or some type of stool
testing can be helpful becauseif you're stuck in this pattern,
we can look at the data and knowexactly why that's off.
The next pattern would be end ofthe day bloating, where you're
(20:37):
thinking, I'm fine, I'm fine,I'm fine.
And then I look pregnant by 5:00PM Typically, this happens more
to do with bacterial imbalancesor grazing throughout the day
instead of structured meals.
Stress hormones are high allday, incomplete digestion, just
building up over time.
So we really want to space outmeals.
(20:58):
We want to look at how we cansupport bacteria in your gut.
We want to make sure that you'regetting enough potassium to help
with motility.
We want to make sure that your,there's not other triggers going
on there.
If this pattern happens to youconsistently, we would want to
dig deeper into your gut terrainand see what might need deeper
(21:21):
support.
And then the last pattern,although there are more, the
last pattern that I'll talkabout is waking uploaded.
If you feel like you never havea break from your bloat, it.
Often is a sign that thingsaren't clearing overnight, so
this can happen from slowmotility.
Maybe this was caused by foodpoisoning or sluggish migrating
(21:42):
motor complex stress or nervoussystem dysregulation,
constipation, et cetera.
So adding in more potassium canbe helpful.
This is like the electricity foryour gut muscles or any muscle,
and we wanna make sure thatwe're supporting motility,
whether that's through ginger orother pro kinetics making sure
that maybe you might need somemagnesium or other minerals.
(22:04):
When you're waking up, bloated,and this is constantly
happening, this is where we wantto look at not only stool
testing, but also mineraltesting to see why are your
bowels not clearing what's goingon?
On a deeper level and how can wesupport that?
So if you hear yourself in oneof these patterns, that's a clue
that your gut is trying tocommunicate something.
(22:25):
And the beauty is that theearlier you understand your
pattern, the sooner you cansupport it.
So with our clients, we can thenmap out, okay, this is what your
symptoms mean.
This is why they're happening.
This is how we're actually gonnasupport your gut, not just
taking random things.
The next thing that we often seeflare more during holiday times
(22:47):
is stickier stool.
If your poop sticks like peanutbutter or leaves skid marks, or
you feel like you have to wipe alot.
And it's flaring this time ofyear.
Usually it has a lot to do withwhat you're eating as well as
like how your body is digestingfat and maybe you're having
higher fat meals during thistime of the year.
(23:09):
Bile is one of the MVPs ofdigestion.
It helps to emulsify fats sothat you can absorb them.
It also helps you to absorb fatsoluble vitamins.
So this is really interestingand critical when it comes to
vitamin D.
Bile also helps you clear outexcess estrogen.
It helps to kill off pathogensor bacteria.
(23:31):
And then it also promotes gutmotility.
So the holidays will challengebile flow because we're eating
richer fattier meals.
So we have a higher bile demand,more snacking, so your
gallbladder and migrating motorcomplex can be more sluggish,
more alcohol.
So this can really put a strainon bile production in the liver.
More stress, which will impactgallbladder contractions, less
(23:55):
water is gonna lead todehydration, which will affect
bile.
And then just more sugar isgoing to impact liver
processing.
So if that's you, we wanna makesure that we're supporting your
fat digestion either by Okay,being aware of what.
A level of fat.
Can your body tolerate or do weneed some digestive support
(24:16):
here?
You might also see nausea orfloating stools or strong
smelling gas after fattier mealsand maybe diarrhea after meals,
or maybe you have a lot of, alot more acne or PMS around this
time of year.
Some just simple things that youcan do would be bitters before
meals.
Even bitter foods like lemon orarugula or dandelion apple cider
(24:40):
vinegar short walks can behelpful.
Even just five to 10 minutes canstimulate bile to release and
just get rid of that like heavybrick feeling.
Warm fluids can help specificenzymes or bile support, which
you definitely would want towork with somebody to figure out
exactly what would work for youand.
Just monitor how you're doing.
(25:01):
If this is kind of coming out ofnowhere, looking at, okay, do I
need to decrease my alcoholintake?
Do I need to drink more water?
What's going on here?
So let's talk about if you aretraveling.
I know travel is very commonthis time of year.
You really don't need a suitcasefull of supplements to survive
holiday travel.
(25:21):
You need a few foundationalsupports that you know are gonna
help keep your gut morepredictable no matter where you
are.
Travel definitely throws yoursystem off.
Even people without GI issuesget affected by travel.
You have different food,different schedules, maybe less
water, more stress, disruptedsleep.
So let's talk about some simplethings that you can do if you
(25:43):
are traveling.
Number one is bringing mineralswith you.
So not to be repetitive fromwhat I was talking about
earlier, but bring minerals withyou, whether that is a sticks of
adrenal cocktail or.
Potassium cocktail or othermineral support that is on the
go.
Even like LM t packets orwhatever your favorite thing is,
(26:05):
bring that with you.
You can also make sure thatyou're bringing fiber with you.
Fiber intake is already hard.
For many people, but especiallywhen you travel.
So bring a bag of chia seeds toput on things.
Bring apples or pears or driedapples or dried fruits.
Bring chia bars.
Bring any kind of stick pack offiber, like regular girl or sun
(26:28):
fiber, that's easy and on thego.
And then any kind of electivestool support.
And what I mean by this is,especially if you get
constipated while travel.
Traveling, maybe some magnesiumcitrate, or you might need some
ginger or prokinetic support.
You might need whatever you taketo help empty your bowels.
(26:51):
Another thing that I wouldreally emphasize is avoid
skipping meals, especially whenyou're traveling, because your
routine is already off, and thiscan mess with your blood sugar.
So make sure that you are eatingmeals, bringing snacks with you
to help kind of bridge betweenmeals if needed.
If travel always flares yoursymptoms, whether you're having
(27:13):
constipation or diarrhea orreflux, that's usually a sign
that your gut is operating on avery fragile foundation.
So especially if you get homefrom a trip and it just takes
you weeks to get back on track,it might be worth digging deeper
and looking at, okay, what isgoing on under the surface?
(27:34):
What can I do so that I don'thave to dread travel?
And I can actually enjoy it.
I wanna talk about testing for amoment, not from a place of
like, you have to do this, butjust from a place of clarity.
Because when your gut feelsreally unpredictable or you've
already tried a lot, data is oneof the most grounding gifts that
(27:56):
you can give yourself.
I know this was the case for me.
This is the case for so many ofour clients.
Testing won't help you fixeverything overnight.
I wanna be truthful about that,but it will help you understand
why your body is having thesymptoms that it's having.
We can guess and just keepthrowing spaghetti at the wall
and see what happens, but we'renot gonna get the clarity.
(28:20):
December might seem like theworst time to complete a stool
test or do a mineral test, butthis is one of the best times in
my opinion because if you'rewanting to start something in
January or you're wanting tomake changes in the new year,
you can start the testing nowand already have the clarity.
(28:42):
By the first week of January,this is one of the quietest
times, the least pressuredwindows of the entire year when
maybe your life slows down theweek between Christmas and New
Year's, and you'd have a littletime to do these really easy
at-home tests to help you haveclarity Going into the new year,
it's.
(29:02):
Really easy to keep puttingthings off or think, oh, I'll
just try another eliminationdiet, or I will try to do this
supplement plan, but honestly,you need answers to why you're
having symptoms.
So many women reach out to me inJanuary feeling so exhausted, so
overwhelmed, trying to get backon track.
(29:25):
And when you enter the year withclarity, you're not gonna feel
that.
You are gonna start January withanswers instead of pressure.
So we've been conditioned tothink that January is just the
time to overhaul everything, butnothing changes on January 1st.
And I think that's one of themore empowering things to
believe about thisphysiologically, emotionally.
(29:49):
January can be one of the worsttimes to make huge changes
because there's so muchpressure.
Everybody's doing something.
Extreme restriction iseverywhere.
This cra, this triggers morecravings and stress and you try
to do this crazy sprint.
Yeah, without actually knowingwhat's wrong.
(30:09):
I know, I think it's January11th is like National Quitter's
day.
Um, it's like the second Fridayof January or around there when
they say that most peopleabandon their resolutions
because they were neversustainable in the first place.
Not because you lack willpower,but because you didn't.
No, if you don't have a reasonwhy you're doing something
(30:31):
besides, you just think it'sgonna help you not be bloated or
lose weight or whatever yourresolution is.
It's just pressure with notactual like deep meaning.
So I want you to just think backto January, 2025.
So the beginning of this year,did you, now that we're in
December, did you make any ofthe changes that you intended
(30:52):
to?
And if not, why did you feeloverwhelmed?
Did you not know where to start?
Did you try to change everythingat once?
Did you burn out by February?
Did you end up just cyclingthrough the same symptoms again
and again and again?
This isn't for shame, it's justfor insight.
Patterns can be really, reallypowerful teachers, and if last
(31:14):
January feels the same as now,you're not alone.
Most of our clients tell us thesame thing.
They've tried, they've pushed,they've restricted, they still
didn't get answers.
The empowering truth here isthat you don't need.
A restrictive plan.
You need clarity on why you'rehaving symptoms.
You don't need a reset.
(31:35):
You need information.
You don't need more discipline.
You're probably the mostdisciplined person that you
know.
You need a plan that's going tosupport your physiology and not
fight against it, not one thatmakes you feel restricted and
like you wanna revolt againstthat.
So you need a roadmap and I wantto end today with just something
(31:55):
really gentle that if you'reready for something different
and if you're ready for asustainable plan that will get
you through the year and end upnext holiday season, not feeling
like you have to white knuckleyour way through not feeling
like I am in the same place.
That I started the year then nowis a great time to get started
(32:17):
in one-on-one support and gottogether.
We created an amazing bonus forthe month of December knowing
that it's a busy time.
If you apply in December, you'llreceive extra weeks inside of
the program basically, so thatyou can use December as your
month to get onboarded and getyour testing done.
(32:38):
No rushing, no pressure, nofrantic timeline, just space to
start the year off with clarityand with knowing that you're
gonna have a plan.
So that gives you time to sendin your testing, get your
results back, and.
Really get going once the yearstarts.
So if you've been listeningtoday and you're thinking like,
I don't want another holidayseason to feel this hard, or I
(33:02):
really wanna know why my gutfeels the way that it does, no
matter what I do, we would loveto support you one-on-one inside
of gut together.
So maybe this is what you askfor for Christmas, or you have
HSA funds that are expiring.
You can use those for guttogether, so the link to apply
is in the show notes.
We would love to support you.
(33:23):
I'm happy to answer anyquestions that you have about
gut together, and I'm wishingyou a wonderful holiday season.
Get excited for the nextepisode.
I'm gonna walk through some ofmy.
Favorite gifts and gadgets of2025.
This was a really popularepisode.
I think it was two years ago Idid this, so I'm excited to
bring this back.
(33:43):
Just a little gift guide ofthings that I have loved in
2025, so get excited for that.
A little bit of a differentepisode, but thanks for tuning
in and I'll catch you on thenext episode.
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