Beat the Holiday Bloat with These 5 Nutritionist Tips
Holiday meals bring a lot of good things. Cozy traditions, favorite recipes, and time with the people we love. They can also bring something a little less welcome: that familiar post-meal bloating. Even when it is normal, it can still feel uncomfortable.
To help us understand why it happens and what actually helps, we turned to Naniel Scott from our Cymbiotika Scientific Affairs team. Naniel holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science and a master’s in Personalized Nutrition from the University of Connecticut. With a background in clinical nutrition research and hands-on patient care, she blends scientific rigor with practical, supportive guidance. At Cymbiotika, she focuses on translating nutrition science into everyday education, making her the perfect person to walk us through this topic.
Below, Naniel shares five simple strategies to ease bloating so you can enjoy the season and feel your best.
Eat Slower So You Can Notice When You Are Full
For some people, feeling bloated after eating is completely normal. For others, it can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerances, or functional gastrointestinal disorders. But for those who experience non-disease-related bloating, it often comes from the gastrointestinal tract expanding as it holds and breaks down food.
Even though bloating is a normal physiological response, it can still feel uncomfortable. Think fullness, tightness, or swelling in the abdomen. With plenty of holiday meals ahead, it helps to understand how simply slowing down can support digestion.
Eating more slowly helps in two key ways. First, it allows you to recognize fullness earlier and avoid overeating. As your stomach expands, stretch receptors signal your brain to decrease ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and increase satiety. This takes time, so slowing down gives your body a chance to communicate before discomfort sets in.
Second, you swallow less excess air. Eating too quickly increases the amount of air taken in, which contributes to bloating. Slowing down reduces that air intake and lets you savor your food.
Dive deeper
