Don't get me wrong, holiday season is my favorite time of the year. It is a time for family, friends, warmth, and arguably most importantly, some super dank food. Congratulations everyone, you have made it through the beginning half of the awkward political conversations, the "so, you have a boy/girlfriend yet?" questions, and the judgmental comments about you being on your fourth plate of food. You do what you want, and I get that. Now is the ultimate time to "treat yo self" and not feel bad about it-seriously, don't. Here is your free pass to stop worrying about how you look or how much you ate; keep your goals in check, but never put yourself down for enjoying an extra slice of pie. Here are some tips to pick yourself back up if you feel like you've overindulged a little too much.
1. Water is Your Best Friend
Water flushes out your system, lubricates your muscles and joints, and allows your body to perform optimally. It helps your kidneys flush out salt, which gets rid of the excess bloating you may be feeling after a few days of eating good. Try to drink as much water as you can after overeating; 64-100 ounces is recommended; though it may seem excessive, you really will see the difference when you hydrate successfully.
2. Sweat It Out
Your best bet after a long weekend of "yolo-ing" it is to get in a good sweat sesh. For me, it's a mental benefit as it assures me that I am getting back on track and that it's okay to treat myself during the holidays. Get back on schedule with your regular workouts as soon as possible, but don't try to compensate for your meal with hours of cardio. Hit your workout hard to sweat out those toxins and get your body back to square one.
3. Do Yoga
Specifically, do some yoga twists. Twists are renowned for detoxifying the body and "wringing out" the organs. Okay, it's a metaphor, but in reality, twists do just that. Lie on the floor, pull both knees into your chest, and bring them to one side of the body while looking to the opposite side. Hold this posture and switch to the other side. That's a very gentle, easy example but you can find a few more here or here. There are so many benefits to yoga, and they should be taken advantage of during holiday season!
4. Eat Your Veggies
Veggies (especially green ones such as kale, chard, broccoli, etc.) contain tons of micronutrients that work on your body in different ways. Asparagus is known for being a "hangover cure" for its natural diuretic properties and unique amino acid sequence. Collard greens are great for keeping cholesterol in check due to its bile acid binding abilities. There's all sorts of benefits to eating your vegetables; make sure you get a colorful balance following your splurge.
5. Eat Real Food
You can't detox by eating processed foods and take-out. Buy real and fresh ingredients and try to eat as much unprocessed food as possible. If you don't know what you're getting, you don't know how it will affect your body; try to stay as natural as possible when you're trying to get back on track.
6. Re-Think Your Portions
Instead of eating three big meals a day, cut your portions down a bit and extend them throughout the day. Aim for three meals plus two snacks per day. A sample meal plan for the day includes...
1. Breakfast: 1/2 cup steel cut oats, 1 tbsp peanut butter and 2-3 egg whites
2. Snack: 1 apple + 15 almonds
3. Lunch: 4 oz. sweet potatoes + 4 oz. chicken
4. Snack: 1 scoop protein mixed in water or almond milk
5. Dinner: 4 oz. fish + broccoli + olive oil
7. Don't Punish Yourself!
Most importantly, cut yourself some slack. Your body won't change overnight from eating a few cookies too many and if it does, it's easy to get back on track if you stay mindful. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health; don't punish yourself for enjoying time with family and friends. Love yourself regardless of where you are in your journey and leave some room for fun.
