Ah, the festive season – filled with joy, laughter and, let’s be honest, a feast that can put your gut through the most. At VitaminMe, we understand the delicate dance your digestive system does during the holidays. That’s why we’ve put together a few of our top tips to ensure your gut not only survives, but truly thrives. Plus, we’ve included two delicious recipes to keep your gut happy and healthy!

5 Tips for a Gut-Happy Holiday

1. Eat probiotic foods

Incorporate foods that are rich in probiotics into your holiday meals. Yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi are excellent choices, promoting a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

2. Up your fibre

Boost your fibre intake with a variety of fruits, veggies and whole grains. Fibre supports digestion and keeps you feeling full for longer, plus it helps maintain a healthy gut.

3. Drink lots of water

Hydration is key to supporting optimal digestion. Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially during those wholesome festive meals.

4. Take Debloating + Digestion

Give your gut an extra boost with our Debloating + Digestion vitamins. Packed with natural ingredients, these supplements are designed to ease digestive discomfort, alleviate bloating and promote a happy gut.

5. Be Kind to Yourself

Give yourself the gift of self-compassion, embrace the moments of joy and cherish the present – because amidst the holiday sparkle, the most precious gift is the kindness you extend to yourself.

Gut-Happy Holiday Recipes

As the holidays unfold, we believe in celebrating not just the joy of the season, but also the delicious foods that give your gut a little festive hug. These recipes are designed with ingredients that boast high fibre content and gut-friendly goodness, where each bite is full of flavour and nourishment.

Fibre-Rich Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients:

• 5 large sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ⅔ cups almond milk
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh thyme leaves/chopped parsley, for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a baking sheet with foil.
   
   
2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them until very tender (about 60 minutes).
   
   
3. Scoop the cooked sweet potato flesh into a blender.
   
   
4. Add olive oil, almond milk, rosemary, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Blend until creamy or mash for a chunkier consistency.
   
   
5. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with thyme, and enjoy the gut-loving goodness.
   
   

Festive Berry Crumble

Ingredients for the crumble:

• ½ cup almond flour
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup natural almond butter
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
  
  

Ingredients for the filling:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (We highly recommend strawberries and blueberries)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
  
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20x20cm baking tin with baking paper.
   
   
2. Mix the berries, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla essence in a bowl, and then spread the mixture in the baking tin.
   
   
3. In the same bowl, mix the almond butter, maple syrup and salt.
   
   
4. Add the almond flour and oats, and fold into the wet mixture until thick.
   
   
5. Crumble the wet dough over the berry mixture, then bake for 30 – 32 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
   
   
6. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken, then serve warm and enjoy!

*Leftovers will last up to 4 days at room temperature or a week in the fridge.

Happy Gut, Happy Holiday, Happy You!

Bloating hits us all, but a digestive boost can work wonders. Formulated with fennel, milk thistle, and turmeric, our Debloating + Digestion vitamins nurture a healthy digestive system, easing bloating and digestive discomfort while promoting a radiant glow (A holiday glow too? Yes, please!).

These little gems are changing lives in our community, delivering transformative results that speak for themselves: