Most people who go out to eat prepare themselves to go “all the way”. Appetizer, main course, and dessert and then another glass of this or that. You can make me incredibly happy with Sambuca, I know: the sweetest and stickiest drink that exists, but oh my, I find it so incredibly delicious. Often I take that instead of a dessert, because it’s actually already a kind of treat. Sure, we’ve all been stuffed after a dinner, whether it’s out or at home. You lean back, say: “Phew”, rub your belly and then say: “I really ate too much”. Now I don’t want to act like a saint because I’ve done it too, but it really is a bit of a shame. Most of the time you can’t even remember the taste of the appetizer anymore and to make it all a bit worse, you take another bite of cheesecake after you’ve just realized that you’re really so full. Recognizable? I’ll give you tips on how to prevent that and if it has come to that, how to get rid of that feeling as quickly as possible.

Here’s how to prevent a stuffed feeling:

• Drink plenty of water in between.
• Eat slowly, chew each bite about 20 times (yep, that’s a lot).
• Put your cutlery down occasionally for a mini break.
• Smart to leave the bread (if you’re eating in a restaurant) as much as possible. You can eat quite a bit of that and you get full quickly if you’re also served all your other courses.
• Listen very carefully to your body and if you feel “full”, you shouldn’t eat any more.

Here’s how to get rid of it:

• Take a walk. Stand up with the smokers to go outside (even if you don’t smoke). A little walk helps with the faster digestion of food. Don’t lie down: “Just relaxing or something.” That’s not a success.
• Drink green or peppermint tea. You should definitely drink a lot (no alcohol of course) if you have a bloated feeling. This helps to release gas. Sorry for this not-so-charming story, but let’s just be honest, right?
• Massage your belly a bit. Make circular movements, your intestines will appreciate that and such a massage gives you a quicker less full feeling and a greater chance that you can “just” go to the toilet faster.
• Oh yes, don’t feel guilty about maybe having eaten a bit too much. Nothing wrong with that.
• Next day is a balance day, right? That makes sense.