May 19, 2015

The Junk Binge Hangover Cure

We all fall off the wagon from time to time. Whether it's a late night pizza, a drink too many at the bar, a bag of chips - it happens. You might wake up from a bad night thinking you're going to immediately reverse the damage but that deep-rooted need can lead to poor decisions like exercising too much and eating too little, throwing your body into a tailspin. So, what's course of action the day after you broke the calorie bank? Try this.

Acknowledge and Move On

You don't want to make a habit of late-night carb binges and too much booze, but you don't need to spiral in a cloud of negativity about your wrong-doings either. Acknowledge you overdid it but don't beat yourself up about it. This is a new day so start it right.

Start Filling Up On Fluids

Soon as you wake up, start downing as many fluids as you can to help hydrate and start the detoxification process. Start by drinking a tall glass of water with some fresh lemon juice—even a splash of orange juice. The water, along with the vitamin C in the citrus, are great ways to get things moving in the right direction. Another great option is green tea, which is high in antioxidants and has a little caffeine to flush waste as a diuretic.

Make Time To Eat

Just because you overate the night before doesn't mean you should skip the meal the next day. Entirely passing over meals, can set your body up for failure—and you'll learn to repeat a bad cycle. Splurge, skip, splurge, skip is not a recipe for weight loss or maintenance. Instead of forgoing your first meal, simply eat lighter if you want to.

Have Breakfast

Try having some fresh fruit along with some protein at breakfast like an egg or two. The combination of protein in the egg along with carbohydrates in the fruit will help get your blood sugars stabilized. Another breakfast option? Try adding asparagus to a small omelet. Research shows this green veg may help alleviate hangover symptoms with its toxin-fighting amino acids and minerals, as well as flush excess waste (the spears are a natural diuretic)

Don't Just Sit There

The earlier you can fit in a brief workout—even if you're just walking to work—the better you'll feel. Start with light cardio. It'll help move some of the extra fluid around. Move to HIIT training after you feel a little less "blah". This will help you sweat and lose some extra water weight. That being said, don't go too hard. Your body is more or less in recovery mode, and will not thank you for it.

Have a Good Lunch

Eat complex carbs and lean protein, like reduced-fat tuna salad on 100-percent whole grain bread, or a mixed green salad with grilled chicken or salmon and moderate dressing. The last thing you want is to let your energy drop when you're already feeling extra weighed down.

Keep That Water Comin'

Our kidneys filter out a lot of our waste products—including sodium, which can of course cause us to retain water. By keeping fluids moving through, it helps our body 'get clean.

Have Simple Snacks

Snacks should be light yet stabilizing. You can have one or two throughout the day. Perfect snack ideas? Ideally snacks could be a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit or a Greek yogurt. The complex carbs along with lean proteins help stabilize blood sugar, the fiber in the foods also helps to detox the body, and water all day helps the kidneys function better—important in any detoxification process. The goal is to keep your body as stabilized as possible, especially after such a binge day.

Eat a Balanced Dinner

Balance is key at dinner. Try complex carbs like brown rice, baked sweet potato, or whole grain pasta, a lean protein and a good serving of veggies. Make sure to keep half your plate filled with veggies. You'll get a lot of quantity without the calories, keeping yourself full for the rest of the night.