10 tricks to beat a sugar-hangover

So, after we returned home from the all-star break last week, my body was not happy with me.  After 2 days of careless eating and consuming far too much sugar than my body is accustomed to, I was absolutely feeling the effects of a sugar-hangover.  

You might be wondering what exactly a sugar-hangover is... and I promise you it is totally legit even though you may have never heard of it.  A sugar-hangover is the awful feeling of fatigue, moodiness, low-energy, bloatedness, and sometimes headache that comes after a day or multiple days of eating junk (especially high-sugar foods) when your body is not used to eating junk... a "sugar-binge" if you will.  For me personally, a sugar-hangover is worse than an actual alcohol-hangover.  I always have the same feelings and it takes me a couple days to bounce back depending on how severe the sugar binge was.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I had a phenomenal time on the all-star break.  We really enjoyed ourselves relaxing at the lake house and soaking up the sunshine as well as the peace that comes with having absolutely nothing to do for 2 days... however, I could have eased off the junk food and hence taken less time to recover once we returned to Louisville.  Wednesday (the day we headed home) I felt soooo tired- even though I'd gotten plenty of sleep.  I was in a foul mood and prone to be irritated by the slightest thing.  I knew instantly that I was going to have to work hard to kick my all-star break sugar-hangover- quick!  Because I hate feeling like I'm in a different body.  

So, getting onto the reason I've decided to blog this little episode in the first place... here are my 10 steps to kick a sugar-hangover- they are tried and true- they work- trust me:

1) First thing in the morning and then continuing on into the day after your sugar binge- DRINK WATER.  And I don't mean just 8 8oz. glasses- drink as much water as you can stand.  Usually I will try to drink 200 oz. (yeah! thats a lot!) to flush my body.  H2O really is the secret remedy to most ailments...

2) Do NOT rehash the previous details of your binge.  In other words, whats done is done, so don't fuss about what and how much crap you've eaten.  Erase it from your mind so you can stay positive about the present and what you are going to put into your body now.

3) Try your best to stay away from high-sugar foods for the week after your binge.  Its a daunting task because your body will be used to consuming sugar, but resist the urge of anything ultra-sugary.

4) Up your fiber intake.  Fiber is my go-to not only after a sugar-binge but also in my regular diet.  Have yourself a high fiber breakfast and keep in coming throughout the day... just make sure you're following through with step 1 or you run the risk of getting a little stopped up.

5) Do NOT not eat- that will confuse your body and likely put it into starvation mode causing it to store any fat/sugar that you've consumed.  Eat!  Eating every 2-3 hours will help boost your metabolism so that you are able to burn calories and it will also help curb the foul mood you might be in from all the sugar in the first place.

6) Get active!  Be as active as you physically can.  Your energy will seem low, even if you've gotten enough rest (its a side-effect of too much sugar) but get out and do something.  Go for a walk, get to the gym, take a hike- anything that will have you moving and releasing endorphins.  Park further away at the grocery, take the stairs instead of the elevator...  sitting and sleeping will make the sugar-hangover worse.  

7) Take your multi-vitamin- twice.  Chances are, you didn't get enough of the nutrients your body requires during your sugar-binge.  So, make sure you are diligent about taking a quality multi-vitamin twice-a-day to ensure you're getting the "good stuff."

8) Get some rest.  Make sure you're getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night- period.  And don't oversleep (don't get too much sleep) because sometimes it that can have a reverse effect.

9) Have yourself some caffeine.  1-2 cups of coffee/tea will give you a little jolt of energy and help ease you back into the daily grind.  Be careful not to have too much, however, because you run the risk of crashing hard.

10) Love your body.  Love yourself.  Put the sugar-binge behind you and appreciate the fact that your body CAN bounce back.  The body can do some amazing things... recognize that, and be thankful for your ability to move and grow and recover.  Thinking positively about yourself and your body will encourage you to put only good things into it and make your recovery a whole lot more pleasant.