It’s the Perfect Time for a Gentle Nutritional Reset

Are you and your family members feeling off these days? That's normal after the holidays.

With all the travel, festivities, and vacation time, the routines that were holding your life together got loosened.

Meals were irregular. There was more sugar, more processed food, more dairy. Sleep shifted. Hydration dropped.

And now you’re seeing the effects show up everywhere:

Babies are spitting up more.

Kids are complaining about belly aches or struggling with constipation.

You feel bloated, tired, inflamed, and not quite like yourself.

Like many people, you may feel kind of guilty when it’s all over, but you didn’t do anything wrong.

The holiday season pulls everyone out of their rhythm.

The fix is actually pretty easy: just start giving your body the right support.

Most of us put gut health at the end of the priority list during the holidays, and it begins to take a toll as the festivities go on. 

When routines change, sleep is disrupted, and food quality shifts, your digestive system is often the first to react.

Gut motility can slow down. Your digestive tract can become irritated. Symptoms of digestive upset may show up more and more regularly.

Digestive issues can look different depending on age, but the underlying causes are the same this time of year.

Babies often show reflux more easily.

Reflux in babies is extremely common, especially in the first year of life.

Babies have an immature valve between the esophagus and stomach.

They spend most of their time lying flat.

Their meals are entirely liquid.

All of this makes it easier for milk to come back up.

When routines are disrupted or feeding patterns change, reflux can become more intense. Most of the time, this is not harmful. 

But it is a symptom that your baby needs help getting back to easier digestion.

Kids and adults tend to get constipated.

Constipation after the holidays is usually a perfect storm of a few things:

• Low fiber intake

• Less water

• More salty, processed foods

When stool moves more slowly through the colon, more water gets pulled out of it. The result is hard, dry stool that’s uncomfortable—or even painful—to pass.

In kids, this can quickly turn into withholding, fear of going to the bathroom, or accidents.

You may be seeing these general symptoms that gut health is off:

You might recognize some of these patterns in yourself, or in your family:

Babies

• More spitting up after feeds

• Fussiness or arching

• Difficulty settling

Kids

• Belly pain

• Skipping days without pooping

• Hard stools or stool accidents

• Avoiding the bathroom altogether

Adults

• Bloating

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Joint pain

• Hormonal shifts

• Feeling inflamed or run-down 

All of the above are normal symptoms of holiday indulgence and routine interruption. They tend to be easily fixed by some “return to normalcy.”

But there are certain digestive symptoms that can signal a need for concern.

Most gut issues fall into the “temporary and manageable” category. But there are times when symptoms need closer evaluation.

For babies, red flags include:

• Poor weight gain

• Forceful or projectile vomiting

• Green or yellow vomit

• Blood in vomit or stool

• Breathing difficulties

• Symptoms that don’t improve over time

For kids, it’s time for concern if you observe:

• Ongoing or worsening pain

• Severe withholding

• Accidents that persist

• Constipation that doesn’t respond to basic treatments

Knowing what’s normal—and what’s not—can help you feel more confident and calm in your decision-making.

If you and other family members are showing the milder symptoms of reduced gut health, it’s likely the right time for a simple nutritional reset.

What a “nutritional reset” actually is.

When I talk about a nutritional reset, I’m not talking about restriction.

This isn’t punishment for holiday eating.

It’s not an extreme cleanse.

And it’s definitely not about perfection.

A nutritional reset is a return to whole foods and supportive habits.

It’s about giving the digestive system what it needs to move, soften, and calm—without forcing it.

It’s something the whole family can participate in through making wiser food choices and getting back into healthy routines. 

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. These basics go a long way:

Fiber rebuilds stool and feeds the gut.

Get these back into your diet to start feeling better pretty quickly:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Whole grains

• Beans and lentils

• Seeds and nuts

Fluids make fiber work.

Make an effort to make hydration a bigger priority. 

• Drink water first

• Make an effort to hydrate throughout the day

• This is especially important for kids

Tip for making hydration more enjoyable: Make warm drinks with LMNT to replace your electrolytes:

• Raspberry Hot Chocolate: warmed milk + Chocolate Salt + Raspberry Salt

• Apple Cider Tea: apple cider tea with Orange Salt

• Raspberry Tea: Earl Grey or green tea with Raspberry Salt

We carry LMNT in the office if this interests you.

Simpler foods calm the system.

• Fewer ultra-processed foods

• Less added sugar

• Reducing excess dairy if it worsens symptoms

Routine helps the nervous system settle.

• Regular meals

• Consistent bathroom timing for kids

• Upright time after feeds for babies

Improved digestion improves your other systems, too:

• Inflammation often decreases

• Sleep improves

• Headaches become less frequent

• Energy comes back

• Joint pain may ease

• Hormones regulate more smoothly

Gut health affects everything from mood to focus to behavior. 

Improving your gut health after the holidays means eating a variety of plants and whole foods, getting enough hydration, and returning to regular routines. 

A note about structured support for adults:

Some adults want a clear plan to follow to reset their gut after the holidays.

For those patients, we offer the 21-Day Standard Process Purification Program, which is designed for adults only.

This program provides a structured nutrition plan to eliminate the guesswork and give your body what it needs.

In addition to drinking nutritious shakes and taking supplements made with whole food and other quality ingredients, you will follow a plan of eating whole foods. 

If you struggle with making changes in your routine, this is an option that could work for you. 

Investing in a done-for-you program like this can be helpful, but it’s not a requirement for a nutritional reset. Many people do well with making food-based changes on their own.

How does chiropractic care fit into the gut health picture?

Digestion is regulated by your nervous system.

When there’s tension or imbalance in your spine, gut signaling can be affected. 

Gentle chiropractic care supports nervous system regulation, which can improve how your digestive system functions.

This is especially helpful for babies with reflux and kids dealing with chronic constipation.

Nutrition and nervous system support work best together.

Ready for your nutritional reset?

If you’re like a lot of us, there may still be some pie, cookies, or fatty low-fiber foods calling your name. That’s okay. 

Just start adding the good stuff. Put it first in your day, eat the healthy foods first at mealtimes. Cookies taste even better after a hearty soup full of veggies, legumes, and whole grains. 

You don’t have to be perfect—but you'll feel so much better once your body is supported again.

You don’t have to do it all at once.

Trying to change everything overnight rarely works. 

It’s the small, consistent changes that make the biggest difference—and support makes it easier.

If you’d like guidance for your baby, your kids, or yourself, we’re here to help.

Visit us at Cloud Peak Chiropractic in Worland or Thermopolis to get support for digestion, nervous system health, and whole-family wellness. We’re here for you.