Our soul loves juicy roasts, spicy cookies and tempting sweets - our stomach has to suffer and work hard. Especially when you continue to feast even though you are actually full. Your stomach expands to take in all the good things. But at some point it reaches its limit. The result: heartburn, a feeling of fullness, constipation or just plain stomach ache. But you can do something about it:

Stomach ache

It pinches and twitches, the stomach is bloated, sometimes the pain comes in waves, sometimes it is constant and unpleasant in just one place. The cause is usually eating too quickly - because air gets into the stomach with the food, causing the pain. What helps: Lie on the sofa and gently massage your stomach in a clockwise direction. Clockwise because this is how the intestines move and helps them to relax. What also helps: A quarter of an hour with a good old hot water bottle on your stomach or a special digestive tea.

Constipation

Unfortunately, many factors come together over the festive period that have a negative effect on digestion. People move less, eat marzipan, cookies, chocolate and cake. Even the festive roast usually doesn't really have any fiber. And there's also a lot of stress during the holidays: you may not be at home for a few days, your daily routine is different, you sit around a lot more. The bowel often reacts to this with constipation. Experts advise going for a long walk to get the bowels moving again. Dried fruit gives your digestion a boost, as does prune juice or natural yogurt. If things don't improve after three days, a mild laxative from the pharmacy will help.

Feeling full

At Christmas, everything is somehow too much: carbohydrates, sugar, fat - plus alcohol. And because it's so delicious, many people simply eat until their stomach walls tighten. And then it presses in the intestines, which can also lead to cramps and colic-like pain. The liver and gall bladder have to work overtime to digest the heavy food. Although the popular digestive schnapps relaxes the stomach muscles and relieves the unpleasant feeling of fullness, alcohol also slows down digestion. The same applies to an espresso. A long digestive walk or a tea with aniseed, caraway and fennel helps best. A glass of lukewarm water is also good for the stomach.

Heartburn

Acid reflux has the same cause as bloating: too much, too hot, too spicy, too greasy. But there are a few home remedies that can help against burning in the oesophagus. Many sufferers swear by cold milk, a glass of still water or quark. Oatmeal can also help, as can chewing gum. This activates the salivary glands and the spit neutralizes the rising acid. Also good: chewing a piece of dry bread.