I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I have incredibly limited self-control when it comes to having all of my favorite foods on the table in front of me – commonly known as “Thanksgiving.” So when Thanksgiving was coming up this year, I decided to round in an expert to give me some tips and tricks to help me recover from over-eating.
Roxana is a travel enthusiast and lifestyle consultant from Sydney, Australia. She is all about the healthy lifestyle, loves to run with her husband and dogs and has fun cooking exotic meals for her family. Being a typical Aussie, she often hits the waves and loves beaches and sunshine! You can find out more about her writing following her on twitter and facebook. She is also one of the editors at Highstylife Magazine.
Thanksgiving, every year, opens the season of overeating and all the creamy, greasy food that sounds so tempting. Pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, various gravies and lots of turkey are ready to be eaten, but all that binge eating can make you feel uncomfortable, bloated and irritable. In order to avoid such a disaster, and even some diseases, during the merriest days of the year, you will have to learn how to recover quickly. Here are our top tips to quickly recover from over-eating.
Eat Like You Normally Do
We all tend to eat less a day before Thanksgiving in order to provide more space for the delicious food. Also, we find it hard to resist food the day after, since there is still so much tasty food left. However, this abstinence from food and the later overeating can only make more damage to your health. This doesn’t mean letting yourself eat too much food all the time; you have to find a balance in order to avoid binge eating and damage to your stomach. Also, don’t restrict food intake since you’ll become hungry and end up devouring those leftovers. Instead, eat like you normally do. Start your day with a breakfast packed with protein and eat plenty of vegetables, lean proteins, fruits and whole grains. This way you will manage to have balanced meals even during Thanksgiving, since neither your eyes nor stomach will have cravings.
Avoid Hard-to-Digest Foods
A few days after this holiday we all feel digestive distress, and that is due to various foods that are really heavy for our stomachs and hard to digest. To make things a bit scarier, such foods can trigger some intestine diseases due to higher intake of gluten. (Editor’s note: EEK!) The most common small intestine disease that is triggered by gluten and food that is hard to digest is the notorious celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disorder which can cause various other health issues that you want to avoid. So, during the holiday season, you should attempt to steer clear of dairy products, refined sugars, sodas, gluten and highly acidic foods.
Eat the Best Stuff First
Even though it sounds ridiculous, you should have an eating plan. Thanksgiving dinner is filled with foods that we don’t normally eat, and you should have a plan of what to eat first. Eat the things you like the best first and you will feel more satisfied and full, thus avoiding overeating. Another good piece of news is that the healthy fats and proteins will satisfy your stomach more quickly and you will avoid cravings. You can also change some things this Thanksgiving and replace carrot sticks, for example, with guacamole which are richer in nutrients, but won’t leave you hungry and craving for sweets.
Move!
The thought of going to the gym during holidays sounds impossible. You feel bloated, slow, tired and all you want to do is sleep through all the discomfort in your stomach. However, working out is the best way to pick yourself up after the big binge. Start with a simple sweat session to ease the tummy troubles. This can be a 15-minute yoga workout, short jog around the block or a short cardio workout. Also, you should really commit to daily exercising in order to prevent falling off the wagon. Another useful trick is to do the exercises an hour or two before the Thanksgiving dinner. This will prepare your muscles for the food. Also, your muscles will use the food smartly and it will get your blood flowing, thus speeding up your metabolism and preventing overeating.
There you go; tips and tricks to stop you from overeating and help you recover from it if it happens. Remember to plan ahead, stick to the normal meal regimen and stay hydrated, and the bloated discomfort will never be a problem again.
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