It’s a Thanksgiving tradition — the post-meal collapse. After denying yourself food all day in anticipation of the Thanksgiving meal, you load up your plate, wolf down the delicious food and then suddenly you’re unable to move. Your meal is sitting in your stomach and clouding your thoughts; the blood in your limbs has turned to lead. And if you’re really unlucky, you’ll get another reminder that you overate: heartburn. If you’re prone to heartburn anyway, holiday eating can make it worse. Holiday foods may make your taste buds go wild, but they can stimulate stomach acid production as well. Eating too much too fast compounds the effects of the foods themselves. Even the occasional heartburn sufferer may find that reflux thrives between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For some, reflux season may even begin at Halloween.
Our advice: deny yourself chocolate and beer.
Just kidding. We know no one wants to hear that. Luckily, there are ways that you can enjoy your meal and minimize heartburn as well. Avoiding foods that cause heartburn is, of course, one way to keep it from happening. Fats, sweets, spicy foods, citrus and alcohol can all trigger reflux episodes. But we know that Thanksgiving is not the day to observe every diet rule.
If there’s a food you love, but you know it will cause heartburn, try taking an antacid a few hours before the meal, and another after you eat. Surprisingly, you may want to avoid some foods that are believed to calm heartburn. Mints, for example, can hurt more than help. While milk can calm reflux initially, the calcium and protein may actually cause your stomach to produce more acid.
You can also adjust your dinner schedule. Eat earlier, so that you’re not lying on the couch, watching videos and ready for bed just a couple hours after dinner. Instead, eat in the mid-afternoon, and go for a walk afterward. Standing up will help keep your food out of the esophagus and in the stomach where it belongs. A walk can also help combat that post-Thanksgiving coma. A little exercise will get your blood flowing, and it may help you drink less coffee after the meal, thus skipping another potential trigger.
Make sure that you’re not too hungry when the meal begins. Don’t skip breakfast. You want to be able to eat a lot at Thanksgiving dinner, of course. But if you’re too hungry you’ll inhale the food so fast you won’t enjoy it as much, and research shows that fast eating increases reflux.
Don’t pile your plate with food right away. Try using a smaller plate, and taking small portions initially. That way, you’ll eat slowly, enjoy the meal and minimize reflux as well. Taking breaks between appetizers, the main course and dessert will also help slow you down.
Beverages like soda, citrus juices, alcohol and coffee can all aggravate heartburn. Avoid mixed drinks like screwdrivers; the combination of alcohol and fruit juice means double the potential acid. Drink a lot of water throughout the meal so that you’re not quenching your thirst with drinks that cause reflux. You don’t have to avoid those drinks completely, but do what you can to minimize your intake.
Everyone has different heartburn triggers. Maybe you can eat as much chocolate as you want, but one cup of coffee sends you over the edge. Listening to your body is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy and avoid heartburn. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy your meal!
