Ughhh!! The day after feels like crap, doesn’t it? Here are some things I do to recover from a binge:

1. Get enough sleep.
The last thing you want to do is be skimp on quality sleep time. This is when your body does it’s repairing and detoxifying. Not only could you be interrupting a process which is probably going to make you feel better, but you’re running the risk of slowing your metabolism down. Studies show just one night of poor sleep can lower your body’s metabolism. Not really a good idea today, of all days. Aim for 7-8 hours, ideally being in bed before 11pm (liver cleans starts around 11pm-1am).

2. Drink lots of mineral water.
Get that crap (literally and figuratively) out of you. Especially first thing in the morning. Drinking water regularly helps keep your lymphatic system flowing (the system responsible for clearing out the waste in your blood and tissues), and also helps keeps your bowels moving. The last thing you want is to keep toxins and waste in you. If you struggle with drinking plain water, remember that herbal tea and sparkling water also contribute towards your water quota.

3. Only eat when you feel hungry.
Give your digestive system and liver a break, and let them process everything from yesterday. I am definitely not saying starve yourself. I am simply saying wait till you get hungry to eat today. If you feel peckish, opt for some sparkling water, green tea or any herbal tea of choice.

4. Stick to foods naturally high in fibre like vegetables, as well as high protein foods.
We want to keep blood sugar levels stable today, as well as maybe burning through a little bit of that stored glycogen (the abundance of food from yesterday is mostly in this form of stored sugar now). Try to avoid carbs today, and get your fibres from vegetables like broccoli, kale and peppers which will help move waste out of your body, as well as keeping your insulin and energy levels constant. Don’t forget to pair with some lean protein like poached eggs, roast chicken, or fish. Your green tea also has an important added benefit of lowering blood glucose as well as contributing to a better functioning metabolism.

5. Move your body
Not as a form of punishment, as a form of self care and comfort. For the brave, go for a brisk 30-60 min power walk first thing in the morning. For everyone else, just do something active. Whether it means just doing your errands on foot, going to a dance class, hitting the gym whatever. Not only do we want to tap into those glycogen stores to reduce the chances of them converting into fat stores, but we also want our digestive system to be toned as well as help our lymphatic system do its job. You’ll feel a lot lighter for it!

It takes about 24 hours before excess energy turns into fat, so get moving, sleep well, drink well and read my ‘Why Do I Binge Eat‘ post to get some tips on how to avoid this becoming a regular thing. Don’t stress, don’t become discouraged, get proactive and active and just get back on the horse.

Health is Wealth, Movement is Medicine!