Nourishing Your Gut Health During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching, a time filled with gatherings, good food, travel, and the joyful (and sometimes stressful) whirlwind that comes with it. Between celebrations, year-end deadlines, and shifting routines, it’s easy to let self-care slip. Yet this festive time is also an important opportunity to support your digestive well-being. Prioritizing gut health now can help you feel your best, manage stress, and stay balanced amid the holiday hustle.

The human gut is a complex organ. There are more bacteria in the gut than cells in the human body. These bacteria communicate with the rest of the body to help you digest your food, prevent sickness, and regulate your mood. However, too much stress can negatively impact the health of our gut. Fortunately, there are diet-related strategies to support your gut health. Here are four nutrition-focused ways to promote your gut health when stressed.

Protein  

Protein-rich foods may help with gut health during times of stress. Proteins in your daily diet come from building blocks called amino acids. Amino acids help send messages throughout the body. These signals have roles in the brain to regulate your emotional state. When you eat a variety of protein-containing foods throughout the day, you help your body produce the necessary signals to support your mood. In other words, inadequate protein consumption can negatively impact your mood. These messages also connect your brain to your gut. While these two organs are far apart in the body, they carry messages to each other. So ultimately, stress on the body impacts the health of our gut.  

For adults, aim to fill ¼ of your plate with protein-rich food. Protein foods include animal foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, eggs, cheeses, and plant foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy foods. In addition to consuming proteins during mealtime, try to include protein-rich foods in your snacks. Greek yogurt, nut butter with fruit, roasted chickpeas, and hummus with veggies can be delicious, convenient, and easy protein-rich snacks to have on hand.  

Probiotic-rich foods 

In addition to protein, probiotics also affect the signals sent throughout the body. Probiotics are live microorganisms within foods that have health benefits when consumed. Probiotic-rich foods contain these live microorganisms. The microorganisms help the good bacteria in your gut and send signals to the brain. These signals influence your mood and how you respond to stress. The gut-brain axis refers to the connection between your gut and brain. 

Active probiotics sold in supplement form are common, but food items readily contain probiotics too. Foods that have probiotics include fermented and cultured foods. Cooking or canning probiotic-rich foods can destroy the live microorganisms. This means they no longer contain live cultures. To find live cultures in the grocery store, check in the refrigerator section for “contains live cultures” on the label. Probiotic-containing foods include yogurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha. 

Fiber 

Another way to reduce the effects stress has on your gut is by including fiber in your diet. Fiber is a part of plant-based foods that the human body is unable to break down. Our bodies benefit from fiber because it helps the good bacteria in our gut thrive by decreasing inflammation. Inflammation in the gut can affect brain function, promoting anxiety, depression, and stress.

Some high-fiber food options include: 

• Beans and Lentils: beluga lentils, black beans, chickpeas, edamame, and split peas 

• Fruits: apples, avocados, pears, kiwis, mangos, plums, and raspberries 

• Nuts and Seeds: almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds,  

• Vegetables: artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, eggplant, kale, and Swiss chard  

• Whole Grains: barley, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, and whole wheat pasta and bread 

Prebiotics 

Prebiotics can promote gut health when you are stressed. Prebiotics, like fiber, are part of food our bodies cannot break down. However, the microbes within your gut can digest and utilize them. Digestion of the prebiotics helps stimulate the activity of the healthy bacteria within your gut. Prebiotics can also decrease inflammation in the gut. There is a link between reduced inflammation in the gut and lower rates of anxiety, depression, and stress. So, by including prebiotic food components in our diet, we can help our gut health and minimize the effects of stress on the body. 

Foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables naturally contain prebiotics. High prebiotics-containing foods include dandelion greens, garlic, chicory root, onions, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, whole oats, and apples. However, if you eat a diet full of a variety of plants, you are likely getting enough prebiotics.  

While a bit of stress is normal, especially during the holidays, too much can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria. By including protein, probiotics, prebiotics, and fiber in your meals, you can help protect your gut health and support a more joyful, balanced season.

Want to learn more about how naturopathic and nutritional care can support your health?
Visit Bastyr University Clinics to explore our services and schedule an appointment today.

About the Author
Nicolette Schnettgoecke is a Bastyr University alumna and advocate for integrative and functional health models. When she’s not sharing her passion for nutrition, she enjoys spending time outdoors riding her bike, hiking, and rock climbing.