The holidays are joyful, but for many women over 40, they can also bring bloating, sluggish digestion, and uncomfortable fullness that lasts for hours. As hormones shift during perimenopause and menopause, your digestive system becomes more sensitive to stress, heavier meals, sugar, and irregular eating.
The good news? Your digestion can absolutely feel better this season with a few simple, realistic habits.
Here are six gentle, hormone-friendly ways to beat holiday bloat and support your gut naturally.
Start Your Morning Warm
Digestion after 40 is slowe, and starting the day with something warm can gently wake it up.
Try:
• warm lemon water
• peppermint or ginger tea
• warm water with a splash of ACV (if tolerated)
Warm drinks stimulate stomach acid, support bowel movements, and help reduce morning bloating.
Don’t Skip Meals (It Often Makes Bloating Worse)
Holiday schedules get busy… and that often means skipping meals and eating one big feast later which causes more bloating. And when you skip meals, your stomach continues to produce digestive enzymes that may irritate the stomach lining when there’s no food to digest.
Also for women over 40, skipping meals leads to:
• blood sugar crashes
• slower digestion
• more gas and bloating
Instead, aim for balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber throughout the day. This keeps digestion steady and prevents overeating later.
Add a Little Bit of Bitter
Bitter foods naturally activate digestion by increasing enzymes and stomach acid. Easy options include:
• arugula
• lemon or 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar before meals
• ginger or fennel
• grapefruit
• Dandelion greens, dill, turmeric, and saffron (can find these in liquid tinctures, too)
Bitters can dramatically reduce post-meal heaviness.
Slow Down Your Eating
Most bloating comes from eating too fast, not from the food itself.
This holiday season, try this simple habit:
→ Take 3 deep breaths before your first bite. Take time to pray and thank God and that also helps you slow down.
→ Put your fork down between bites. Enjoy your food and the people you’re eating with.
→ Chew at least 10-15 times.
Your gut digests best when your nervous system feels safe and calm.
Skip the Bubbly Drinks
Carbonated drinks, sodas, sparkling water, champagne, beer, and seltzers add more gas into your digestive tract which makes bloating worse. Instead drink:
• infused water – add lemon, cucumber, or herbs for flavor
• teas such as ginger, peppermint, fennel, or dandelion
• ginger or peppermint tea
• And if you must have an alcoholic drink, stick to one glass of red wine
End the Day Warm
Digestion thrives on warmth, especially at night. Try these:
• peppermint or ginger tea
• warm broth
• a 10-minute easy walk
• a warm bath or shower
These support motility, reduce gas, and calm the gut-brain connection.
Bonus Strategy: Faith-Based Reminder that Peace Helps Digestion
Stress is one of the biggest causes of bloating for women over 40. Take a moment each day to pause, pray, and read a short devotional/Bible verse. There are many Advent/Christmas devotionals both online and in a hardbook format. Remember: a calm mind helps create a calm gut.
You Can Feel Good This Holiday Season
Choose one or two of these digestion-supporting habits this week and watch how your body responds. Small changes truly make a big difference, especially during the holiday rush.
If you want even more gut-friendly tools, grab your Holiday Digestion Guide and save it for the whole month! And if you’d like one-on-one health and wellness coaching, I’d love to help you. Click here to set up a free 20-minute consult.
Leah Cheshire is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and retired speech-language pathologist and homeschooler. After having numerous health issues herself, she embarked on a wellness journey using various nutrition and lifestyle modifications. She then decided to return to school to help others. Leah now works primarily with midlife women who have hormonal problems, weight and digestive issues, pain, brain fog, and fatigue by providing guidance and accountability to help them decrease symptoms and improve their overall health. If you need help from someone who, not only has helped clients but who also has been in your shoes, reach out today to set up a free 20-minute session. Click here to schedule.
