Food Hangover Got You Down?

Turkey, stuffing, pie & wine, oh my...

I hope you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends! I am a firm believer in eating well MOST of the time...but a holiday like Thanksgiving is not the time for dieting and deprivation. You should eat what you want and truly ENJOY your time with your loved ones. With that said, I am not telling you to stuff yourself silly until you can no longer see colors (like Buzzfeed Matt here...). You should indulge in some of your family favorites like mom's famous mashed potatoes – calories in food made with love don't count. 😉

Here are my top tips for food hangover prevention and recovery:

1. Get active! This time of year is for family, friends and celebration – go for a walk, sign up for a group class together or even a local 5K run. Some circulation and fresh air can go a long way in helping you to digest your feast and increase serotonin levels (happy hormones, yes please!). A LOT of goodness goes on in the kitchen, but not all family bonding needs to be around the dinner table.

2. Drink water: I am not anti-alcohol or anti-caffeine (gasp!)... However, I am a believer in moderation. Be sure you are getting an adequate amount of water in your diet. (The ideal water intake varies from person to person, but a standard measurement you can use is to divide your body weight in half and drink that much water in fluid ounces. For example: If you weigh 140 lbs., you would divide by 2 and aim to drink 70 oz. of water (roughly about 2 liters of water). (Hydration levels vary depending on the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet along with the other beverages you consume).

3. Help along your digestive system: It is 100% fine if you went all out on Thanksgiving and perhaps even ate a little too much (I know I did...). Just remember Thanksgiving day feasting doesn't need to continue day in and day out until the very end of the holiday season. Get back into the groove of eating foods that feel good to your body and are easy on your digestive system – like soups, lightly steamed seasonal veggies, salads, fresh fruits and herbal teas. Two of my favorite easy-to-implement digestion boosting elixirs I make for myself after a big meal is hot water with lemon or warm water and apple cider vinegar (both of these morning elixirs are fantastic to drink on a daily basis – check out the fill ACV tincture recipe below).

4. NO guilt!: Do not ruin the beauty of your Thanksgiving holiday by abusing yourself with guilt and shame. If you feel like you had a little too much food or spirits, just recognize what a beautiful time you had with family and friends, savor the moment and know that you have the ability to get back into your healthy eating habits and workout routines.

I am a huge fan of the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time I eat really well and 20 percent of the time I induldge, enjoying the little moments shared with family and friends, which may or may not involve wine and ice cream. 😏

Have a beautiful weekend!

xo,

Kristin