The Thanksgiving feast may mark the start of the joyous holiday season, but like all excesses, too much celebrating can lead to some pretty yucky feelings, from your stomach clear up to your esophagus.

If you’ve eaten too much, too fast, (especially spicy, fatty and greasy foods), not to mention imbibed a tad more than you should, you just may develop indigestion, says Dr. David L. Greenwald, a gastroenterologist associated with the esteemed Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

“An uncomfortable, intensely full feeling in the upper abdomen, indigestion is not a medical condition, but a manifestation of something else, perhaps an ulcer or gallbladder disease,” Dr. Greenwald explains. “The fullness and bloating can be caused by food or liquid alone, or a combination.” Something spicy might trigger the symptoms of discomfort in one person, something greasy in another. Caffeine might act as a stimulus, or carbonated soda could be the culprit. “It’s trial and error from person to person,” the doctor adds.

If you’re really unlucky, you may experience heartburn along with indigestion.

“Heartburn is a burning feeling, or regurgitation, that arises in the lower part of the chest or the upper part of the abdomen, or it can be a combo of both, and the feeling can radiate towards the neck,” notes Dr. Greenwald.

Not actually related to the heart, heartburn is a result of stomach acids rising into the esophagus, which is the passageway from our mouth to our stomach. “Acid is made in our stomach all the time, which is then supposed to go through the stomach and into the small intestine to help with digestion,” Dr. Greenwald explains.  But, some acid in absolutely everyone refluxes back into the esophagus many times each minute, when the sphincter muscle at the end of the esophagus (like a valve) opens for us to eat, or when we swallow the saliva we’re constantly creating in our mouth.

“Everyone has different ways of clearing the acid entering the esophagus,” according to Dr. Greenwald, “gravity being the most common.” We also have muscles in the esophagus that contract and move what’s in it back to the stomach. How much acid comes up; how well you clear it,  and how sensitive you are to the acid will determine whether you experience heartburn.  

Over 60 million Americans get heartburn at least once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology, and almost everyone experiences indigestion from time to time. Indigestion is your body’s way of telling you something you already know — you ate too much of the wrong foods, and you ate them too quickly.

Of course, the smart thing to do is listen to your body, make healthy food choices, and don’t eat like you’re participating in Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. But since it’s mighty difficult to be an exemplary eater during the most festive time of year, you can be prepared for indigestion with an all-natural remedy. Our favorite is Maty’s All-Natural Acid Indigestion Relief, created by Carolyn Harrington, a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and creator of Maty’s Healthy Products.

“Many drugs that remedy acid indigestion have been associated with serious health complications such as kidney failure,” says Carolyn. Choosing a natural solution can be beneficial to your long-term health. Maty’s tasty relief formula includes organic honey to soothe the throat, apple cider vinegar to give “healthy acid” to the digestive tract, as well as cloves and turmeric for anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits.

The formula is safe for everyone, and it has no side effects or drug interactions, Carolyn affirms. Learn more about Maty’s Healthy Products today!

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This post is sponsored by Maty’s Healthy Products. Thanks for supporting FabOverFifty! Dr. Greenwald is not associated with the brand. FabOverFifty greatly appreciates the opportunity to present his invaluable knowledge.