Ăn uống ngày cận Tết thế nào để không quá tải gan, dạ dày?

As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the daily routines and eating habits of many families begin to change significantly. Year-end parties, celebrations, and early family gatherings lead to a rapid increase in food intake, putting pressure on the liver and stomach.

Without proper adjustments, many people enter the Tet holiday feeling tired, bloated, experiencing digestive disorders, and even requiring hospitalization in the first few days of the new year.

Preparing for Tet is not just about cleaning the house or preparing the feast, but also about preparing for health. When the liver and stomach are "strengthened" beforehand, the body will enter the first days of the year feeling light, alert, and energetic enough to fully enjoy the festive atmosphere.

When the liver and stomach have to "struggle" before Tet

The period leading up to Tet is a particularly busy time for the body. In just one to two weeks, many people's diets change almost completely.

Relatively light and quick daily meals are replaced by lavish feasts high in meat, protein, and fat. Eating times are also disrupted, with these gatherings often taking place in the late afternoon or late at night.

The liver and stomach are the two organs most affected by this change. The stomach has to process large amounts of food in a short time, while the liver continuously processes fats, alcohol, and metabolic products. When this overeating continues for many consecutive days, the body's ability to adapt gradually decreases.

Many people begin to feel bloated, have slow digestion, feel full quickly, or experience nausea after meals. Some cases involve heartburn, acid reflux, and dull pain in the upper abdomen.

At the same time, there are feelings of fatigue, lethargy, internal heat, acne, or a bitter taste in the mouth in the morning – common symptoms of an overworked liver.

It's worth noting that many people consider this just a "normal end-of-year phenomenon" and therefore ignore it. However, if this situation continues until close to Tet (Lunar New Year), the body will no longer have enough "energy reserves" to adapt to the official holidays, when eating and drinking will be even more frequent and daily routines will be further disrupted.

Besides food, alcohol plays a significant role in overloading the liver. The liver can only metabolize a certain amount of alcohol within a certain period of time.

When drinking alcohol continuously for many days in a row, liver cells don't have time to recover, increasing the risk of damage, especially in people with fatty liver disease, high liver enzymes, or underlying liver disease.

The habit of eating late or having large meals also forces the stomach to work when the body needs to rest. This not only leads to poor sleep quality but also makes digestive disorders more likely to appear in the first days of the new year - Photo: AI

How to eat to avoid exhaustion before Tet (Lunar New Year) begins?

According to experts at the National Institute of Nutrition, the period leading up to Tet is not the time to "compensate for overeating," but rather a time to maintain moderation to prepare your body for the long holiday. Eating properly before Tet helps the liver and stomach adapt when the official Tet days begin.

The first important thing is to maintain a relatively stable meal schedule. Even with year-end parties or celebrations, keep breakfast and lunch light, avoiding prolonged hunger followed by overeating at dinner. When attending parties, eat slowly, eat just enough, and avoid the mentality of "just to finish," which significantly reduces pressure on the stomach.

During these days, meals need to be balanced with green vegetables and fiber-rich foods. Vegetables not only aid digestion but also help reduce fat absorption, supporting the liver in working more efficiently. Adding soups, boiled dishes, and steamed dishes makes the body feel more comfortable compared to continuously eating fried or heavily stewed foods.

Alcohol should be moderated; the liver needs time to rest between alcohol metabolism cycles. If you must drink at social gatherings, reducing the amount and drinking plenty of water can help mitigate some of the negative effects.

Water and sleep are also two factors often overlooked during this period. Eating a lot of protein and not drinking enough water can easily lead to fatigue and constipation. Prolonged late nights prevent the liver from having enough time to perform metabolic and recovery activities at night, causing a feeling of heaviness to accumulate day by day.

For those with underlying conditions such as gastritis, reflux, fatty liver disease, diabetes, or dyslipidemia, controlling their diet before Tet becomes even more crucial. Just a few days of excessive activity can cause the illness to relapse, turning Tet into a time for treatment instead of rest.