Oops I overdid it… now what?
So it’s the week after Thanksgiving and you (understandably) probably overdid it... with wine, beer, hard liquor, pie, dairy, pizza, WHATEVER…. Now what?
First, take some deep breaths and drink a big ole glass of water. No matter what put you over the edge to make you binge or make “bad” food/drink decisions, you are likely in sympathetic mode (fight or flight) and in order to get back to your parasympathetic mode (rest and digest) you need to calm your body and mind down. Our bodies are really smart but can only be in one of these modes at a time which means if you are ultra-stressed your body *actually* cannot digest or rest well. So, first things first, try and relax. Meditate. Do some alternate nostril breathing. Go for a walk and listen to some relaxing music. Draw yourself an epsom salt bath with lavender. Do whatever it takes to calm your body down so you can help it digest everything you ate and/or drank.
Second, make sure you hydrate extra today! Aim for your body weight in ounces (if you weigh 150lbs drink 150oz of water). To make your water extra hydrating and ensure that your body uses it properly add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of pink himalayan sea salt! The sodium will allow you to absorb more of the water instead of it running right through you (especially important if you overdid it with alcohol) and the natural sugars in the lemon will help regulate your blood sugar. Being hydrated also helps all your body processes run more smoothly so it will help your liver metabolize the excess sugar, alcohol, etc that you consumed last night.
Another way to support your bod after a night (or day, week?) of excess is to focus on how you eat and drink moving forward. Just because you overdid it doesn’t mean that you should just give up for the rest of the day/weekend/month. One single day out of 365 days is not going to derail any goals you have. Chalk it up as a less than healthy decision and move on. Take care of your body with extra veggies and fresh fruit. Although “hangover food” might sound like the only remedy it is not going to actually do any good because it would just be adding to the work your liver has to do! Instead grab a cup of coffee (liver supporting), a bowl of miso soup, a grapefruit, roasted cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale), or a smoothie with fresh fruit, avocado, and coconut milk. These foods will support your liver for the detoxing that it needs to do to help make you feel better!
Most importantly, be kind to yourself! Stress only makes digestion and making good food choices harder. Treat yourself like you would a close friend, sibling, or child. Don’t beat yourself up because making less than healthy food and drink decisions is a totally normal response in times of stress. Understand that the best thing you can do is pick yourself up, let the choices go, and try to make healthier choices each time you are given the opportunity. One meal, one day, or even one week will not doom you to be unhealthy forever. Grab an apple and peanut butter, a mug of roasted dandelion tea (another fave for liver support), and make a plan for the next time you’ll be in a situation where you’re tempted to make less than ideal choices! You got this!
Rachael Adams, CNTP