The ideas and suggestions written below are provided for general educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or care. The contents of this article are not intended to make health or nutrition claims about our products. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider before beginning any physical fitness or health and nutrition related activity.
After a wild weekend full of carbs, sugar, sodium, and/or booze you might be feeling puffy, sluggish, and guilty. We’ve all been there — no one has perfect eating habits.
You might wake up feeling like you need to immediately reverse the damage. If your mind wanders to quick fixes and you respond with cleansing, severe calorie restriction, or over-exercising, be mindful that there are better alternatives.
Recognize that one weekend of over indulging doesn’t need to send you into a tailspin. You’re human and you’re living your best life! Years from now you aren’t going to remember that time you had one too many, but you will remember the memories (hopefully). That’s what counts.
Quick Fix
Juice Cleanses — You’re probably thinking this will detoxify your body from all the not-so-good decisions you made over the weekend. This might seem like a genius idea, but it’s not. There simply isn’t enough scientific evidence to back that up.1
Believe it or not, your body comes with its own natural detoxification system — that’s what your liver, kidneys, and intestines are for. And if you’re still not convinced, consider this: The juicing process extracts the fiber from whole fruits and vegetables, which is where a lot of the nutritional benefits are.
Better Fix
Smoothie — If you want more of a cleansing day, you should increase the amount of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich foods, and water you consume. An easy way to do this is with a smoothie!
Hangover Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk / a solid base for smoothies
- 1/2 cup coconut water / provides electrolytes, hydration
- 1 cup frozen fruit (I love a combo of mango, pineapple, and banana) / delivers vitamins, minerals, plant nutrients, fiber
- 1 cup fresh spinach or kale / offers vitamins, minerals, fiber
- 1 small fresh cucumber / provides refreshment, water, fiber
- 1 inch of fresh ginger / anti-inflammatory stomach soother, tastes delicious
Quick Fix
Calorie Restriction / Fasting — If you loaded up on calories the night before, you may try to make up for it by skipping meals or severely restricting calories. This will only throw your body further out of balance.
Better Fix
What Your Body Needs — Instead, calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to estimate the minimum amount of calories your body requires per day. This amount is needed just to cover basic organ functions. To have a more accurate idea of what your body needs, multiply your BMR by an activity factor ranging from 1.2 (sedentary individuals) up to 1.9 (highly active), depending on your activity level.2
Sample Bounce Back Day
- Breakfast: Hangover Smoothie
- Lunch: Seafood with steamed vegetables (salmon and broccoli)
- Dinner: Quinoa salad, lean protein source, vegetables, and homemade dressing (quinoa, grilled chicken, tomato, avocado, red cabbage, zucchini noodles; homemade dressing: lemon, apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, salt, minced garlic)
- Snacks: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough LUNA® protein bar, Greek yogurt with fruit, chia seed pudding with fruit
Quick Fix
Too Much Exercise — You may be tempted to overcompensate your weekend binge by over-exercising.
Better Fix
Don’t Overdo It — punishing yourself with endless hours on the stair stepper is counterproductive. Hitting the gym hard could potentially lead to strains or injuries. So, keep it light, sweat it out, and drink plenty of water.
Quick Body Weight Workout
- 10–15-minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
- 10 Squats
- 10 Push-ups
- 10 Jumping Jacks
- 10 Alternating Lunges
- 10 Triceps Dips
- 30-second Plank
In order to move forward after a wild weekend, you have to acknowledge that you might have overdone it — happens to the best of us! But before you begin punishing yourself or throwing your hands up, take a breath. You have not ruined the progress you have made. The best way to recover is by quickly getting back on track. This doesn’t mean a quick fix — just real food, lots of water, and self-love.
References
- “Detoxes” and “Cleanses.” (2017, September 24). Retrieved August 30, 2018, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/d...
- Wilson, C. (2016, August 26). Negative-Calorie Foods Still Count. Retrieved December 5, 2018, from https://www.eatright.org/healt...