Starting from Thanksgiving and into the New Year, millions of Americans are splurging on food. Elastic waistbands seem like the best option for the next few months. With the constant food comes the constant belly bloat. Mary Ann O'Dell is a registered dietitian at Akins Natural Foods and recommends making smart choices as your enjoying your holiday meals. "From Thanksgiving through the end of the year, one thing is constant. FOOD. And for the more than 60 million Americans who suffer from some sort of digestive disorder, be it indigestion, heartburn, gas or bloating, enjoying a big holiday meal can be uncomfortable," O'Dell said. "Now hopefully we’re all still making good choices for the holidays, like organic turkey or even a vegan tofurky, but even with that we might still eat too much."
"When talking about digestion, the best place to start is an enzyme supplement, and Akin’s has a large selection to choose from, from liquid to capsule to chewable," she said. "Enzymes are what the body produces to help break down the food we eat. Unfortunately, as we age, we don’t produce as many enzymes, which is why digestive difficulties often increase as we age." Look for ingredients including papain from papaya, bromelain from pineapple, as well as ingredients like pancreatic enzymes that really help digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats, she said. O'Dell also recommends AcidNeutralX for indigestion and heartburn. "It’s a chewable blend of minerals that neutralize excess acid, but this goes beyond just the calcium carbonate that is found in a lot of antacids," she said.
And for the embarrassing bloat, O'Dell recommends something with peppermint, ginger, and fennel. "And believe it or not, charcoal is one of the most effective remedies of gas and bloating. Now this is not just eating a piece of charcoal, but using a purified activated carbon, which helps absorb that excess gas and reduces symptoms," she said.
Akin's Holiday Open House is 11 am to 2 pm on December 8 at all locations. Sample holiday favorites and see great gift ideas from Akin’s.
Akin’s Natural Foods Market with 3 locations in the Tulsa area:
31st & Harvard
51st & Memorial
121st & Memorial in Bixby
www.akins.com
