Gastrointestinal problems can cause discomfort at any time of the year, but the holidays and the winter season can be especially hard on your digestive system. If you are aware of some of the challenges posed by the winter season and take a few steps to mitigate them, we’re confident that you can help keep your GI issues at bay this winter. Below, we take a closer look at some of the reasons why gastrointestinal problems can spike during the winter, and how you can prevent and treat these issues.
The Winter And Our Gut Health
Here’s a look at a number of ways that the cold winter season in Minnesota can be hard on our digestive health, and ways to keep these issues from causing you problems:
- Comfort Food – When the weather gets cold, oftentimes we like to turn to comfort foods to keep us warm and fed, but these dishes can be a little harder on our stomach. Carbohydrate-dense casseroles or take-out dishes can be pro-inflammatory on our sensitive small intestine, and they can lead to gas, bloating or general GI discomfort. Make sure that even though the Farmer’s Markets are closed for the season, you’re still getting plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits in your diet this winter.
- Sugary Holiday Snacks – If the stockings are stuffed with candy or the office break room is stacked with sugar cookies, it may be harder to avoid seasonal sweets. That said, sugar is very pro-inflammatory on our digestive system, and it can lead to a whole host of uncomfortable symptoms. That’s not to say that you can never indulge your sweet tooth, but you shouldn’t get in the habit of grabbing a piece every time you walk through the break room. Limit your sugar intake during the holidays to help keep your digestive system on track.
- Drinking Less Water – We tend to be less active during the cold winter months, and because of this, our water intake can also suffer. It’s harder for your digestive system to pass foods if you’re dehydrated, and dehydration can also affect things like our blood pressure and hormone production. Make sure you always have a water bottle nearby and that you drink plenty of water this winter.
- Sedentary Lifestyle – As we mentioned above, we tend to become more sedentary during the cold winter months, but exercise and activity aids in the digestive process, so it pays to remain active. Even if you’re not keen on going out in the cold, walk around your home, do a 20-minute exercise routine in the living room or do some yoga exercises to help keep blood pumping and to improve your digestive health.
- Stress – As we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, stress can have a significant impact on your gut health. For many people, the holiday season can be extremely stressful, as can the cold and dark months that follow. It’s imperative that you find healthy ways to manage this stress, be it with exercise or by throwing yourself into a healthy passion. Caring for your mental health will help improve your gastrointestinal health, so don’t let seasonal stress negatively impact your gut.
Stay active and be very cognizant of the foods and drinks you’re putting in your body this winter so that the cold season doesn’t cause flare up after flare up. And if you’re finding it hard to overcome a physical, mental or emotional issue that is causing problems for your gastrointestinal health, make sure you connect with a GI Specialist like Dr. Bhatti. We know how challenging the winter season can be on your digestive health, and we’re here to help any way we can. For more information, or to talk to a specialist about a specific issue you’re dealing with, give Dr. Bhatti and the team at Bhatti GI Consultants a call today at (952) 368-3800.
