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3 Tips to Soothe Your Belly This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many assume we have to live with the heartburn, gas and bloat the day brings, right? Check out a few simple tips to help support your belly during Thanksgiving from Nourish Your Mind's Nutritional Therapist, Kristi Perry Brown, NTP. 
3-Tips-to-soothe-Your-Belly-on-Thanksgiiving

3 Tips to soothe Your Belly on ThanksgiivingA few simple tips to help support your belly during Thanksgiving from Nourish Your Mind’s Nutritional Therapist, Kristi Perry Brown, NTP.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many assume we have to live with the heartburn, gas and bloat the day brings, right? Maybe you even worry about this day ahead of time, knowing full well that whatever symptoms you may be ‘managing’ right now, Thanksgiving is going to blow them out of the water.

Instead of staying present and getting to enjoy your Thanksgiving, you spend the day wondering how to stave off the inevitable discomfort coming your way. This leaves you consumed with worry even before the day begins.

Time and again, the following strategies have worked for my clients to resolve their digestive symptoms, stop having to worry about what is going on in their gut and get back to enjoying their life. Even on Thanksgiving.

3 Steps to Having a Happy Belly on Thanksgiving:

Pre-Meal Prep: Aloe Vera Juice

Before sitting down to the dinner, drink 1-2 ounces of aloe vera juice as a quick shot or in a small glass of water. (I like the Lily of the Desert brand, in brown glass bottles.)

Aloe vera juice contains compounds that are very soothing to the digestive tract and support healthy mucous membranes. Aloe vera can tone down inflammation and set the stage for a much more enjoyable meal.

Think of aloe vera as a coating for the esophagus that helps protect it during your meal.

Aloe Vera juice also offers these benefits:

  • Eases gastric irritation
  • Promotes good gut bacteria
  • Improves bowel regularity
  • Improves nutrient absorption
  • Reduces systemic inflammation

During Your Meal: Eat Slowly and Deliberately

Digestion is a function in the body that happens when the body is in a parasympathetic state. AKA, relaxed state. Considering this day can often bring together a mix of dynamics and opinions, it is fair to say we don’t always sit down relaxed at this meal.

Before beginning the meal take a few deep breaths and take part in that around-the-table (sometimes eye-rolling) gratitude exercise. It really does make a difference.

Laugh and talk with your family and friends.

Take in the colors and delicious smells on your plate. Imagine what it will taste like even before that first bite. Really up the anticipation of this meal.

Slow down, chew and taste each bite for what it is. Put your fork down between bites. Make this meal last!

Post-Meal: Drink a Soothing Tea

Here are my top 3 choices for a tea post-Thanksgiving Meal

  • Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is one of my favorite after-dinner teas and I’m not alone. Ginger has a well-earned reputation for its stomach soothing properties. Ginger also helps keep your dinner moving along the digestive tract, something you really want with such a full meal that can feel sluggish!

  • Licorice Tea

Licorice has a very soothing effect on the esophageal tissue, a welcome result after a big meal. Licorice is found in many GI healing supplements due to its ability to reduce inflammation and is used to help heal IBS, ulcers, and leaky gut. Not only that, but it also supports your adrenals, those stress glands that might just be a little taxed on Thanksgiving.

  • Fennel Tea

Fennel tea was something I drank often when my son was a newborn. It’s carminative properties to alleviate gas worked wonders for him. This is precisely why this can be a useful spice to have in your cabinet on Thanksgiving. If you find the usual discomfort of gas and bloat creeping in, make a small cup of fennel tea, steeped in about 8 ounces of hot water. Steep for about 10 minutes and sip and enjoy!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I so appreciate you and hope it has helped you.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday with friends and family!

Kristi Perry Brown, NTP

You can check out more of Kristi’s tips and writings at KPBBalancedWellness.com

 

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BIO

Cameryn (Cam) received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marist College. Prior to joining Nourish Your Mind, she worked in private practice, primarily serving children, teens, and their families. During this time, she developed a passion for helping clients navigate their unique challenges through the transformative power of play and expressive arts therapy. Cam believes that every individual deserves a safe, nurturing space where they can authentically express themselves. She is dedicated to empowering her clients by identifying and utilizing their inherent strengths to help them achieve their personal goals.

In her therapeutic approach, Cam integrates a holistic wellness model with strengths- and mindfulness-based methods. She employs a variety of evidence-based techniques, including DBT and Nondirective Play Therapy, and she recognizes the importance of tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of each individual and family.

When she’s not in the office, Cam enjoys reading, traveling, weight-lifting, and immersing herself in music and films. She also values spending quality time with friends, family, and her cats.

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  • Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, Marist College
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, SUNY Geneseo
  • Member of the American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Brianna earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Siena College and her Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University. Throughout her education and early career, she worked with at-risk adolescents experiencing trauma and maladaptive coping as both a clinician and crisis interventionist. She later spent several years in emergency services, specializing in trauma-informed care for adolescents and adults. Brianna has extensive experience working with individuals struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, mood dysregulation, self-esteem, and relationship challenges.

Brianna takes a strength-based, integrative approach to therapy, empowering clients to discover their own path toward healing and self-acceptance. She believes that while we cannot change the past, we can change our relationship with it. She is passionate about helping clients develop effective coping skills, reconnect with their inner resilience, and build lives that extend beyond surviving trauma.

Brianna believes healing is not only a journey of the mind, but a whole-body experience. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and thoughtfully incorporates mind-body practices into therapy to support nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and emotional awareness. She is also certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based trauma treatment that helps clients process distressing experiences, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), offering a holistic approach for individuals seeking deeper healing from trauma, depression, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. By integrating traditional psychotherapy with somatic approaches and specialized trauma treatments, Brianna helps clients create lasting, meaningful change.

Above all, Brianna is dedicated to creating a safe, compassionate, and authentic therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, supported, and empowered to reconnect with their truest selves.

Brianna resides in Orange County with her two rescue huskies. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time in nature, painting, practicing yoga, and cooking while surrounded by music, friends, and family.

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New York
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University RYT-200
  • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Certified, Journey Clinical
  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy Trained, Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Ashley received her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY New Paltz. While attending her graduate program, Ashley worked as a supervisor at a Crisis Intervention Program and interned at an Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, gaining valuable skills in crisis management and group therapy. Before joining Nourish Counseling, she spent several years working in a long-term outpatient care clinic specializing in children, adolescents and their families. Ashley has expertise in partnering with those suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, and personality disorders.

Ashley believes that each client is their own expert. She provides an integrative approach that focuses on both the thoughts and behaviors her clients may be struggling with in order to help them find balance and build resiliency. She works with clients in a person-centered and skill building approach to help determine and reach their own individual goals. Following a Dialectical Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, she encourages and supports clients to reach their full potential.

Ashley lives in Middletown, NY with her husband and a very loved dog. She enjoys family time, cooking, and trying new things whenever possible.

  • American Counseling Association
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Amanda is a Certified Clinicial Trauma Professional with a deep commitment to guiding clients through their healing and discovery. She believes that you are the expert of your own life, and she is dedicated to building a safe, collaborative space where you feel both validated and motivated for change. 

Amanda specializes in treating those with Complex Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety and Depression, Chronic Illness, Infertility, Infant/Pregnancy Loss, Women’s Health and Neurodivergent Disorders. She works with individuals aged 5 and up. 

Amanda’s unique, holistic approach to psychothreapy is rooted in evidence-based practices and tailored to fit your specific clinical needs. She seamlessly integrates practices like mindfulness and meditation with powerful theraputic modalities, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. 

After gaining experience in Baltimore – including intensive work in Residential Foster Care and as a Medical Social Worker – Amanda has been settled back in her home, the Hudson Valley. She enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and two young daughters. She has journeyed with cleints for nearly 5 years at Nourish and is now ready to partner with you!

  • Cornwall Office
  • Middletown Office