Step into your yoga pants, it’s Christmas time!

As a woman, you know how uncomfortable bloating can be (ahem, thanks aunt flow). But digestive bloating can feel even worse.

It can feel like intense pressure or pain that requires you to pop open the top button of your pants and pray you remember to do it back up before leaving the dinner table.

It can make you squirm and shift in your seat as you think through all the excuses you can give so you can get out of there and get into the fetal position, STAT.

It can embarrass you as your friends and family ask if you’re expecting a baby, when all you want to do is cry like one. Hey, yeah, thanks bloating.

So, bloating sucks. There are many things that can cause it but what’s most important for you to understand is that it can be prevented.

While I don’t know your specifics in order to give you precise and clear steps you can take to prevent it, I can most definitely give you some great tips for reducing it once it shows up. Buh-bye, yoga pants!

3 Tips to Reduce Bloating

1. Take digestive bitters. A droppersful of bitters can go a long way in reducing bloat by helping to stimulate your stomach acid in order to help break down whatever food your body is clearly struggling to digest.
2. Go for a walk. Digestion works from top to bottom. If something is causing bloating, it helps to get that sucker out because clearly your body isn’t digesting it. Instead of sitting for the evening, take a 20 minute walk after dinner to keep things moving. This can help digestion move along and reduce bloat.
3. Reach for some water, lay off the wine. While not the most popular thing I’ve ever said, if bloating has got you wishing you could pop your stomach like a balloon for relief, I’d say you’d do anything. While wine can be a causative factor in bloating, water is really helpful in flushing toxins out of the system. If your body is struggling, water can help but wine will not.

The goal this holiday season is to trade in your yoga pants for whatever pants you want to wear, and to enjoy the food and celebrations without pain. And I get it!

I’m dairy intolerant and have to be careful what I eat, so I’m bringing these Mint Chocolate Truffles to share but also to ensure I can make some happy memories this Christmas season (and to wear whatever I want!).