Tuesday, November 1, 2011

5 Post-Halloween Sugar Hangover Tips

How was your Halloween? Mine was the usual — ate way too much candy, put out a jack o' lantern fire and attempted to soothe two 95-lb dogs that were freaking due to firecrackers. I also have a Godzilla-sized sugar hangover.

Here are five things I find help me to recover from the post-Halloween chocolate overload. I hope they help you, too.

  1. Drink water. The best way to reset your system is to drink plenty of water. A good amount is eight 8 oz glasses.
  2. Get anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants repair damage to cells. If your insulin held a midnight rave in your body from your sugar binge, then anti-oxidants will help the body begin to recover. How you do that is up to you — I like green tea, or citrus fruits. If you go for citrus, eat the whole fruit rather than just a glass of juice.
  3. Get moving. Get some exercise — even if it's just a walk around the block. Working your bod gets the blood flowing to all the places that need it!
  4. Eat! Eat small meals and snacks often throughout the day. This will keep your blood sugar steady and help prevent cravings. Make the food you choose count nutritionally; whole grains, veggies, lean meats, a tiny bit of good fat and so on. If you find you are still craving sugar, reach for a piece of fruit first.
  5. Get that extra candy out of your house! Take it to work. Give it away. Give it to the Food Bank or shelter. If it's not in front of your face, you can't eat it, right? What do you do if you can't give it away? Make it difficult to get to, such as keeping it on the freezer.

What kinds of things do you do to help yourself get over a sugar hangover?

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