How to Get Back on Track After Your Big Holiday Meal
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years' and endless holiday parties in between. You know how it usually goes down: free-for-all eating and drinking amidst family and friends. It’s likely you have an intense love-hate relationship with huge celebrations.
You love the food, occasions to celebrate and spending time with friends and family. But those warm, fuzzy feelings might devolve into guilt the next day.
Life is meant to be lived, and there’s absolutely no reason to feel guilty after having an amazing meal. The only thing you should feel guilty about is not living life to the fullest, especially since you only live once.
Yes, we all overdo it sometimes. But let’s stop being so hard on ourselves! One day (or even a few days) of overindulging won’t derail your healthy habits the other 360-something days of the year. With that in mind, here are six practical tips to manage the day after.
1. Remember: It’s Not Indulging — It’s Living
Not to get all geeky on you, but the word indulge comes from the Latin word “indulgere,” which means “to take pleasure in.”
But in the modern world, indulging is often considered a no-no. That’s why you need to remember that enjoying a second helping of pumpkin pie or a big ol’ piece of birthday cake isn’t indulging — it’s living.
Nourishment isn’t just about the calories and nutrients; it’s also about the experience. The first step is to stop telling yourself that you’re bad or weak for thoroughly enjoying some french fries on vacation or an extra few glasses of wine with your best friend.
In doing so, your body and mind will have the space to do what they know how to do best — take care of you from the inside out. Going easier on yourself will lead to better digestion and a more efficient metabolic system because you won’t be so stressed out with unnecessary guilt.
2. Drink Lots of Water
Yes, you bought that vegan protein powder, and you’re about to blend it with some ice and superfood greens from the Himalayas. But make sure you drink plenty of plain ol’ room-temperature water first.
Water is the oil in the car that is your body. You need it to keep your digestion and metabolism going.
Furthermore, cold beverages — including cold water — can jolt and halt your digestive system.
Have at least three liters of room-temperature water the day after overindulging, regardless of how many bathroom breaks you need.
3. Don’t Starve Yourself
You might feel sufficiently stuffed, but your body needs food to function. Not eating will make your body think it’s starving, causing it to hold on to its fat stores.
Even if you don’t feel like it, force yourself to eat like a normal, happy person the day after a big feast. Start with cantaloupe and some black coffee or tea for breakfast. Have some vegetable soup for lunch; cooked vegetables are some of the easiest things for your body to digest. And, sure, go ahead and have turkey leftovers for dinner. Just make sure the leftovers come with a side of greens.
4. Get Out and Move
You’ve heard it over and over, but it bears repeating: Move! Even if you just take a walk around the block or bustle around the house finishing up chores, staying in motion is key.
If you have some more time, go for a run, jump in the pool, do some old-school jumping jacks or pop in a yoga DVD. And if you only have two minutes, try a few rounds of Sun Salutations (see the video below) to get your digestion and metabolism moving.
5. Take Deep Breaths
Breathing has an underestimated affect on digestion. The more you breathe and the deeper you breathe, the more oxygen your cells receive. The better oxygenated your cells are, the more efficiently they function.
Wherever you are, close your lips gently and take three to 10 breaths in and out through your nose. Don’t worry about closing your eyes if you don’t want to — just focus on your breath. If you don’t mind looking a little funny, try this RETOX breathing exercise to cleanse and fire up your liver, intestines and kidneys.
HOW TO DO IT: Sit in a chair with your fingertips on your hips or shoulders. Inhale. Then begin short, sharp breaths out of the nose, where the inhale is simply a reaction to the exhale. It should feel like a cross between a sneeze and blowing your nose. On each exhale, twist left and right. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds. End in the center. Relax your arms and breathe normally.
6. Enjoy Yourself and Be Thankful
Holidays and birthday celebrations don’t happen every day. Whichever holiday it is, you only get it once a year. So enjoy each one and be grateful that you have this opportunity to celebrate.
Close your eyes and say to yourself, “Thank you, Life.” Be thankful for being alive, for having food, for having friends nearby. Be thankful for everything you have. The mere act of acknowledging how lucky you are and giving thanks will plant a seed of positive energy in your body — one that will make you radiate inside and out.
So go back to the kitchen, warm up some leftovers, grab a slice of pecan pie and get your #RETOX on. After all, you only live once.
But once you decide you've had enough and you no longer like the way you feel or look in the mirror then commit to making a better you.
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