4 Ways to Undo Holiday Indulgences

The holiday season is in full swing, including feasts, festivities, and frenzied activity. To make it through the rest of the month with your sanity—and your waistline—intact, keep in mind that it's the people dear to you who are far more important than fancy meals and high-fat desserts. Focus more on the folks, and less on the food.

But of course you’re bound to overeat at some point during the season, despite this advice. So, here are four things to have on-hand if you do indulge.

1. Antioxidants. It helps to load up on the antioxidant vitamins C and E before a fatty meal. A single high-fat meal can raise triglycerides and increase your risk of heart attack, but supplementing with 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 800 IU of vitamin E blocks its damaging effect on your arteries.

2. Enzymes. Your body makes enzymes to break down food, but as you get older, it produces less of them. Supplementing with enzymes will help get rid of that overstuffed feeling.

3. Licorice. The deglycyrrhizinated form of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is an effective remedy for almost any gastrointestinal disturbance. It soothes the GI tract by increasing the production of the protective mucosal cells lining the intestines. Chew tablets 20 minutes before a meal.

4. Herbal tea. A traditional balm for an upset stomach is chamomile. Tea from the flowers of this common plant has a pleasantly relaxing effect and also relieves indigestion, heartburn, and flatulence. Peppermint tea has a similar effect. Steep for five to ten minutes, and sip slowly. It's a soothing end to a holiday meal.

Now it’s your turn: Do you have a natural remedy you use when you occasionally overindulge?

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