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It is common for doctors to get patients with stomach troubles after Christmas dinner. But why is that so?
The traditional Christmas dinner generally includes stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, and veggies. Some families prepare duck or goose instead of turkey. Drinks mostly include alcoholic beverages and cocktails.
So, it is no wonder that people overeat and overdrink, and then complain of stomach issues and other malaises. The good thing is that you have family physicians that provide urgent care in Pentagon. Just drop by into the clinic and ask for a physician.
The common Christmas trend
People tend to gorge on carb-laden foods during the festivals. Many get drunk. This often leads to severe hangovers, which may give rise to headaches and loss of appetite. The rich stuffings and heavy desserts can give your stomach a hard time digesting all the goodies you feed it.
Importance of green veggies
According to doctors, it is important to add green veggies in your Christmas dinner plate. Veggies like kale, broccoli, and spinach are rich in fiber, which aid in digestion. You may also add fermented foods like yogurt.
Importance of hydration
Alcohol is dehydrating. It is important to drink a lot of water to counteract the dehydrating effect of alcoholic beverages. Many times, people get a headache after a night of partying and drinking. This is usually due to dehydration, say doctors. Although you can walk in the Arlington clinic for urgent care by doctors, it is good to be careful about your gut health during this season.
Combating that starch
Eat resistant starch, advise doctors. This type of starch is not digested and it goes to the large intestine and feeds the bacteria present there. Firm bananas, whole grains, beans, and lentils contain such starch. When you serve potatoes, pasta, and rice cold, it increases their resistant starch.
So, if you wish to gorge on a potato dish, eat it cold. Or have a cold pasta salad.
Love that steak or sausage? Combine it with cold potato salad.
Resistant starch is found to reduce the damage that red meat usually does to the body, as per a research.
Why so much commotion about stomach or gut health?
Gut is an inevitable part of the body’s immune system. As per medical research, 70 per cent of the entire immune system revolves around the gut. Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue – GALT – features immune cells inside the gut.
According to family physicians at urgent care clinic in Pentagon, our stomach features a host of microbes, which includes bacteria and fungi, besides other tiny microbes. We also have certain viruses living inside us! All of them help in breaking down the food and in maintaining the function of the digestive system.
An imbalance in these microbes leads to stomach troubles. Most of the time, the imbalance happens due to the food we eat and excessive mental stress. At other times, it can happen due to some medications or illness.
Ill health of gut can affect the functioning of other vital organs, say doctors. It can even affect your mood. So, beware!
Don’t let festivities take a toll on your stomach health. That doesn’t mean you must not enjoy the traditional rich Christmas dinner. The trick is to eat in moderation and include healthier options that help to keep a balance in the meal. And of course, drink plenty of water.
In Arlington, you can receive urgent care through doctors at the nearby clinic, in case your stomach does not agree with the Christmas food. You can visit the clinic without appointment any day of the week. The clinic is open on holidays too.
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