You’re not happy about the souvenirs you’ve lugged back, namely feeling like a whale and an overwhelming sense of guilt from over-eating. What can you do after squeezing past the airport gates? And why do the experts say “no” to detox programmes?
What do I want most after returning from a holiday? No, not delousing (I haven’t been to France recently) or hiring help to unpack my luggage and do the laundry (although that is very tempting). It is the unloading of a different kind, the gastrointestinal kind.
You know how it is. You are excited to try new foods in a new place. And before you know it, you’ve grazed through the entire street. But why do many of us get into this situation when ordinarily at home, we know when to stop saying, “can I get one of these, please?”
“The excitement of a holiday is often accompanied by a wave of indulgence and for many of us, that means one thing: Overeating,” said Dr Alexander Yip, the head of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Alexandra Hospital. “There’s a curious tendency to throw caution to the wind when we’re away from home.”
I suspect another thinking is at play here: Many assume they can easily remedy the over-eating with a touch of abstinence or detox. From colon cleansing, juicing to simply eating lighter or skipping the next meal, that’s all it takes for anyone who has gone a little overboard overseas to disgorge the caloric guilt accumulated, doesn’t it?
I haven’t tried colon cleansing (I don’t have FOMO for the potential risk of tearing up my rectum). I haven’t subsisted on watered-down fruit and vegetable pulp for days (I consider that torture), or done any wellness programme that contains the word “detox” in it.
I also scroll past online “experts” who advocate the need to eliminate toxins from your system, and just nod politely when people tell me, “oh, I feel so much lighter and better after eating less or drinking nothing but juice!”.
Well, of course you would because your digestive tract isn’t as full as when you’re eating solid foods, said Dr Robynne Chutkan, an integrative gastroenterologist and author of Gutbliss With Dr Robynne Chutkan: Feel Light, Tight & Bright The Healthy Way. Another contributing factor to the “lightness” could be that the blood and energy used for digestion are now available for use elsewhere, she said.
But a more worrying explanation could be an undiagnosed food allergy that you never knew you had. Subsisting on juices for a day or two means you’ve eliminated many major sources of food allergens such as eggs, nuts, wheat and dairy, so you feel less bloated within 48 hours, said Dr Chutkan. It is worth checking for food allergies if the bloated feeling returns when you resume your regular diet.
I – Word Understanding
Lugged – to carry or drag (something heavy) with great effort.
Indulgence – the attitude of allowing yourself or someone else to have something enjoyable, or the act of having something enjoyable.
Abstinence – the fact or practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something.
Disgorge – cause to pour out.
II – Have Your Say
1, What is the fastest way to get rid of bloating?
a, Eat slowly, and consume smaller, more frequent meals.
b, Chew your foods well.
c., Drink beverages at room temperature.
d, Have your dentures checked for a good fit.
e, Increase physical activity during the day.
f, Sit up straight after eating.
g, Take a stroll after eating.
