Fixing a Food Hangover

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This time of year, temptations are all around. And sometimes, we give in. And sometimes, we overdo it.

When you overindulge in foods and take in too much fat, salt, spicy foods, too much sugar, caffeine or just too much food altogether, you may feel bloated, lethargic or even nauseous.

The good news is that your body will eventually digest whatever you threw at it. But while your body is working hard to process what you ate, here are some things you can do to help make the process go more smoothly.

Even though you probably want to lie down, taking a walk instead can encourage your digestive system to keep working on burning through the load. If you lie down, there’s more chance you’ll experience acid reflux.

A cup of caffeine-free herbal tea or water can be soothing, especially if you’ve eaten a lot of salty food. Water will help your body rid itself of the excess sodium. A cup or two of tea or water also dilutes stomach acid which is going to help prevent heartburn.

Once your indulgence is behind you, focus as much as possible on vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber. The fiber is going to help your body eliminate solid waste from the junk you ate.

If you’ve overdone the spicy hots, try cooling things off with cold, cut-up vegetables or cold, smooth dairy foods like yogurt.

Lots of sugar can have the short-term effect of a sugar high crashing to a sugar low. If you can, try supplementing the cake, cookies and candy with a small serving of protein and fat. For your next meal, focus on complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest.

If you’re going to eat a big holiday meal, experts advise staying away from diet soda which will only make you feel gassy. Remember that plain water is your friend.

The only surefire way to avoid a food hangover is not to overindulge in the first place. Most patients with a Spatz3 adjustable gastric balloon sail through the holiday season because part of their stomach capacity is taken up by the balloon, limiting how much food it’s physically possible to eat.

Even if you don’t have a Spatz3 adjustable gastric balloon yet, just remember that the greatest healer is time. Following these tips will help your body naturally recover from an episode of overindulgence.

Author: Rebeca Espinoza

Rebeca Espinoza writes about health, fitness and weight loss for Spatz Medical, makers of the Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon. You can find her on at [email protected].

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