If you’re blessed with a large circle of friends and/or family, chances are there’s at least one wedding on your calendar this season. You may also be invited to a shower or two!
While the day is all about the happy couple, you may wonder how to remain comfortable through the festivities if you often experience intestinal gas and bloating. Here are some tips to keep you smiling from the processional through the bouquet toss!
RSVP
Entree selection
Consider the poultry or fish option, even if you’re a red meat-loving carnivore. You can’t be certain of whether or not a particular cut was processed or request it to be prepared without a sauce. Poultry and seafood options are often prepared more simply.
Be aware, however, that one of the side dishes may cause intestinal gas. You probably aware that certain vegetables, fruits (especially those containing sorbitol), starchy foods or milk and other dairy products can create discomfort.
If asked, do specify your dietary restrictions. Your hosts include this option on the response card because they want you to be as comfortable and fully enjoy the celebration.
Advance planning
It may be a good idea to visit the venue’s website to view the banquet menu and see how the dishes are prepared. Your range of options will vary from reception to reception, so it’s advisable to know ahead of time if you’ll have any issues.
Sometimes, however, this isn’t an option. If the banquet menu isn’t available online, it might be a good idea to either eat a light meal ahead of time or stash a protein bar in your purse.
Cocktail hour
Beverage suggestions
Avoid all carbonated beverages, including club soda and other soft drinks, and beer. The sugar content in many mixed drinks is another potential source of digestive upset. If you choose to drink alcohol, whiskey and other hard liquor is a viable option. You may also tolerate one or two glasses of a dry wine.
Food suggestions
You may frequently choose salad or fresh fruit when faced with high-calorie foods or dishes that don’t suit your taste, but learn to choose wisely.
Fried foods “stay in your digestive tract too long, causing you to feel full and bloated.” Grapes, a buffet staple, are high in sugar and can cause gas. Also avoid anything wrapped in bacon; it is often one of the most highly processed foods. Other highly processed meats include certain cold cuts and cocktail franks.
Tips
Regardless of what you drink, how you sip can cause you to swallow air. Minimize this by drinking from the lip of your glass rather than sipping your drink through a straw.
If you’re especially troubled by intestinal gas, opt for breath mints instead of gum. Chewing gum can also cause you to swallow air.
Dinner hour
Beverage suggestions
You’re probably not going to want to pass on the champagne toast, but 4 ounces of bubbly shouldn’t cause a problem; especially if you sip slowly. It may also help to alternate between sips of wine and water.
Remaining comfortable
Take advantage of every opportunity to get up and move around. Stand rather than sit during the cocktail hour. Leave your seat and take a walk or dance as often as possible, especially after the meal. If your mobility is impaired, at least put your fork down between bites and sip your water.
“I hate Spanx because even though they look so good under your clothes, sometimes mid-wedding I’ll be like, ‘I feel so nauseous,’”
actress Jennifer Coolidge once said. “They’re so tight, who knows what you’re cutting off?”
Try to avoid wearing shapewear (such as compression undergarments or hosiery). As Dr. Karen Erickson explains, the intestines have to contract to move food along, but they can’t function if they’re compressed in shaping undergarments. Another concern is that wearers tend to avoid using the bathroom.
Keep these tips in mind, tuck CharcoCaps in your evening bag, and you’ll have the best possible time at all the weddings you attend this season.
CharcoCaps® dietary supplement relieves gas and bloating FAST!* Enjoy your favorite foods without worry!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Sources
http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/foods-that-cause-excessive-g…
http://www.livestrong.com/article/353529-vegetables-fruits-that-cause-gas/
https://charcocaps.wpengine.com/blog/2015/12/14/general/a-new-twist-on-holiday-co…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/20/spanx-shapewear_n_4616907.html