What you can do Several key things about food change over the silly season. They are: • Portion size and type: Fat slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so rich dishes stay with you longer. You are not imagining that heavy feeling after the cheese board. • Spacing: Grazing across five or six hours means the next round of food arrives before the last one has been processed. • Routine: Late nights, late meals, more eating while standing around and talking; stress slows stomach emptying, too. • Variety: You are asking your body – specifically, your enzymes – to handle carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre and lactose, all together, repeatedly, and at hours your body is not used to eating. It is not just one difficult-to-digest food, but a broad and unpredictable range. While feeling overly full, bloated or uncomfortable over the silly season is common, it does usually settle on its own. Ensure you chew properly - it is the only part of digestion you consciously control. Sit down for the main plate(s), even just for 10 minutes. Keep drinking water right through the event. Where
Enzymes are what make food able to be digested and nutrients to be absorbed by the body
Which enzyme works on what? Amylase - starch: Bread, potato, rice, stuffing Protease - protein: Ham, turkey, prawns, nuts Lipase - fat: Cream, oils, cheese, roast potatoes Lactase - milk sugars: Custard, ice cream, soft cheeses Cellulase - plant fibre: Salads, coleslaw, roast veggies.
possible, stand, stretch or walk between courses, rather than after all of them. And prioritise events, rather than go to everything - let the gap between big grazing-style occasions be a decent length. Note: If digestive symptoms are persistent or severe, or if there is ongoing pain, unexplained weight loss or a clear change in your bowel habits, see your health professional.
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Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist talk to your health professional
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ISSUE 78 • 2026 Available at Go Vita
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