Illinois, This Is How To Recover From Your Holiday Food Hangover
We're stuffing our faces today and we'll likely pay for it later.
A booze hangover after Blackout Wednesday is one thing. When you're 20, you can go out late, get hammered, and run a Turkey Trot 5K the next morning. When you're older, it can take 5-7 business days for you to fully recover from that.
Whether or not you've been tipsy lately, you'll likely have a terrible food hangover today and maybe even tomorrow if you're having a Thanksgiving feast. It's a price I'm willing to pay but I feel like a poofy, heavy balloon.
It's energy-draining and you want to be able to pay attention to your family. Luckily, there are several ways you can be ready for a food hangover, according to the University of Alberta.
6. Eat Things With Fiber (Whole Wheat, Raspberries, Or Broccoli)
Incorporate some fiber into your Thanksgiving meals and snacks. Experts say fiber can help reduce inflammation after you've changed jean sizes following one singular meal.
5. Get Your Prebiotics & Probiotics
I take these in a daily vitamin but you can find both of these in yogurts, bananas, onions, garlic, tomatoes, barley and rye. They have yeasts and bacterias that are good for your gut.
4. Don't Fast Before Or After The Feast
If you fast before, you're setting yourself up for a huge Thanksgiving feast binge, which will just make you feel that much more stuffed later.
3. Avoid Gut Irritants (Booze, Caffeine, Tobacco)
I realize this may be impossible for some but limit the amount of those that you take in before the Thanksgiving meal is served.
2. Get Some Exercise
You don't have to run a 5K. Maybe just go for a walk around the block or play with your young cousins. Something even mildly active. Research shows that people who are active over the holidays have better gut health than those who are not.
1. Eat Low-Residue Foods (Bananas, Plain Crackers, Soup, Rice)
Treat your food hangover gently. Eat light foods that won't stuff your system up more.
Happy feasting!
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