Overeating and overdrinking during the holiday season are inevitable. Parties, desserts, and cold weather make it easy to get off track and have a period of overeating. It is so easy to overeat despite our best intentions. Unfortunately, all that excess can leave us feeling bloated, nauseous, guilty and sad.
The best thing you can do is to quickly get your healthy eating habits back on track. Follow these tips to regain control and don’t let a moment of weakness ruin your nutritional progress!
1. Commit to a morning fast
Conventional wisdom says eat normally after a holiday binge, but the body says differently. Maybe the digestive fallout makes fasting a given, but even if you’re able to eat, give your body a break until early or even mid-afternoon. Give your body the time it needs to take care of the residuals from the day before.
2. Get your body moving
Exercise can reduce appetite and help you eat less by altering your body’s balance of leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that work together to regulate feelings of both satiety and hunger, according to a research. Feeling really icky? Make it an easy workout: 45 minutes of brisk walking was enough to reduce women’s appetites. Plus, it will just help you feel healthier. You’ll feel like you are taking action and taking control of your health. When we feel better about ourselves, we tend to make better choices.
3. Drink more water
Sure, you took in a lot of calories in one shot, but, chances are, you also took in a lot of sodium (hello, Mexican feasts and Thanksgiving dinner). Drinking water continuously the day after an all-out eating session will not only help flush the sodium out naturally, but also reduce sodium-induced dehydration, which can easily be mistaken for hunger.
4. Eat the right food
No matter how many calories you consume during your binge, chances are you’ll feel hungry again soon after due to your rapidly declining blood sugar levels. The goal is to stabilize your blood sugar by fuelling your body with meals high in protein and fat. You may want to take a tablespoon of flax oil, coconut oil or a handful of nuts, right after your binge to help prevent a crash. When you’re hungry again, eat. Satisfy your appetite with a low calorie, high-protein snack such as an apple with peanut butter, a hard-boiled egg, or some Greek yogurt. These are low in simple sugars and will help you feel full until your next meal. Eating probiotic-rich foods can also help settle and support your digestion.
5. Enlist support from people around you
Last but not least, remember you aren’t alone in your binge-belly pains. Find a friend and make a pact to eat better for the following week. Not only can this keep you accountable, but by surrounding yourself with people who are eating healthy, it’s automatically easier to do the same. Research has shown that our eating habits subconsciously change to mirror those of the people around us.
Combine your efforts with our 123 Detox treatment for maximum results! Let us help take care of your body by providing a great complement to your healthful lifestyle for the year ahead!