A long weekend of beach days, pool parties, barbecues, and traveling most likely involved copious amounts of food and drink. After overindulging in all of the things, the return to real life can be a real struggle. All of the alcohol and unhealthy food continues to wreak havoc on the body even after the partying stops. Is it even possible to make it through the first day back?

According to health experts, binge eating over a holiday weekend is very common. Many people come face to face with temptations and often intake lots of carbs, hydrogenated oils, fried foods, refined sugars, and meat. Many of these foods can lead to heartburn, bloating, gas, or the more serious issue of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Excessive consumption of alcohol can also harm the body, putting it into a state of dehydration. The body needs an enzyme called dehydrogenase to metabolize alcohol. Drinking too much can overwhelm the body and this enzyme can’t keep up, which causes the sugar from alcohol to linger in the body. This often leads to hangovers and dehydration.

Overeating and over-drinking is quite common, but it’s possible to undo the damage of the long weekend. Continue reading to learn how to get back on track and promote detoxification from the long weekend. 

Consider Cutting Alcohol

Some people live by the motto that a little hair of the dog will get them back on track. If you drank too much, it’s better to dramatically decrease your alcohol intake, or cut it out completely for at least a week. Alcohol puts the body in a state of dehydration, so it’s your job to rehydrate the body. The best way to do that is to focus on drinking lots of water following the indulgent weekend. You may also want to consider adding a healthy, low-sugar electrolyte powder to your water for added hydration benefits. 

Eat A Nutritious Breakfast

You may want to avoid food altogether after a weekend of eating tons of food, but this is not the wisest decision. Focusing on more nutritious meals is better than skipping meals. Start with breakfast, as a nutrient-dense breakfast can improve metabolism and prevent unhealthy cravings later in the day. A fruit and vegetable smoothie or bowl of unsweetened, probiotic-rich Greek yogurt with fresh berries can be great options. 

Focus On Fiber

Whether you want to enjoy a snack or a meal, focus your efforts on consuming fibrous foods when you’re hungry. Not only does fiber help to keep you full, but it also works to move food through the digestive tract. Eliminate processed foods, fast foods, and other heavy, unhealthy meals because you consumed enough over the long weekend. Complex carbohydrates that are rich in fiber include sweet potatoes, quinoa, oats, and fruits and vegetables. Nutritionists explain that these types of foods help stabilize blood sugar levels, helping you avoid overeating.

Drink Water…And Eat It Too!

It’s no secret that water is life, and you need to get a lot in your system after an indulgent weekend. If you are not the type of person to regularly consume water, though, you can enhance hydration efforts by eating water-rich foods. Cucumbers, leafy greens, melons, and other foods can help promote optimal digestion and reverse bloating. Excess consumption of alcohol and sugary snacks can still cause you to crave caffeine and unhealthy snacks. Keep away from those things and focus on water and water-rich foods. The goal should be to hydrate your cells and promote detoxification, and adding more water to your diet is a great way to do this. 

Sweat It Out

There’s nothing like feeling the weight of an indulgent weekend to make you want to exercise. That being said, many people think that they should just take the rest of the week off, considering they already went off the rails. Don’t focus your energy on the negatives because that can induce poorer eating and drinking habits. Instead, it’s better to leave the past in the past and move forward with positive momentum. Engage in a HIIT workout, attend a hot yoga class, or get your pilates on. Try to do workouts that combine strength and cardiovascular exercises to get the heart pumping. The more you sweat, the more you detox!

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There are many popular diet plans that contribute to weight loss. There’s the ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, vegan diet, paleo diet, carnivore diet, and many more. Research on which diet you want to choose is always encouraged before embarking on that journey. Consider weighing the pros and cons of the diet to decide whether or not it will help you achieve your health goals. Many people focus on the weight loss aspect, and fail to acknowledge the potential harm that certain diets can have on the body.

Since warm weather is all anyone can talk about nowadays, dehydration is a popular topic of conversation. Some diets very easily cause dehydration, despite the fact that water is allowed on many of them. These diets don’t forbid water, but the reality is that people don’t drink enough water to begin with. The body needs water to survive, helping all tissues, cells, and organs. Failure to meet the recommended daily intake of water can cause numerous health symptoms and increase the risk of heatstroke or heat exhaustion.

Symptoms of Dehydration

No diet should cause dehydration, but the fact remains that some accelerate this process more than others. There are some telltale signs that indicate dehydration. If you notice some of the following symptoms, be sure to increase your water intake. Set reminders on your phone to drink water if you think you’ll forget. Little preventative measures go a long way.

• Dry mouth
• Feeling thirsty
• Dry skin
• Sweating less than usual
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Dark-colored urine
• Dizziness

Intermittent Fasting

This dietary regimen alternates between periods of eating and fasting throughout the day. There are several variations of this program, with people choosing the best one that fits their lifestyle. For example, 16:8 approach involves fasting for 16 hours a day and eating planned meals and snacks during the other eight hours. Even during periods of fasting, you are allowed to drink water, yet people rarely do. The reality is that people forget to drink water when fasting. Without sitting down to enjoy a meal regularly, drinking water falls by the wayside. Don’t forget to make water a priority during fasting periods. Additionally, consume hydrating foods during allotted eating periods. 

The Atkins Diet

This popular low-carb diet, which isn’t quite as low-carb as the ketogenic diet, puts people at risk of dehydration. Say goodbye to starchy vegetables and most fruits when you adhere to the Atkin’s diet. Only after you have been on it for a couple weeks can you incorporate some low-carb fruits into the diet. By eliminating fruits and many vegetables, the risk of dehydration dramatically increases. These foods contain beneficial electrolytes and water, which aid optimal hydration. 20% of hydration comes from diet, so don’t skimp on water consumption if you decide to try this diet out. 

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, is a popular low-carb diet that focuses on high-fat and high protein foods. The goal of this diet is to get the body to enter a state of ketosis, which is a metabolic state that leads to the body burning fat in the absence of carbs. When you eliminate carbs from your diet, the body naturally releases water. The body resorts to glycogen storage to break down carbs, losing more water in this process. Always take the steps to hydrate every single day. Drink a tall glass of water when you wake up and before each meal. Carry a reusable water bottle around and fill it up when it gets empty. There are many hydration apps that can help you keep track of your water intake. 

High-Protein Diet

A diet that is predominantly focused on protein intake slowly causes dehydration, especially in endurance athletes. One study found that the degree of hydration drastically decreased when more protein was consumed. The paleo and Dukan diets focus on protein, recommending that 10-35% of all daily calories come from protein. Nitrogen exists in amino acids that comprise protein. Eating too much protein causes the body to flush out excess nitrogen with fluids and water. Because the body uses more water to flush out the excess nitrogen, you can experience dehydration more quickly. Make sure to overcompensate your water consumption if you happen to follow this type of eating model. 

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For the average American adult, weight gain is a natural part of life. A pound here and three pounds there may not have the biggest impact, but measurable weight gain is another story. That’s the type of weight gain that sounds the alarm. To put it in simpler terms: you struggle to inch a pair of pants above your thighs and you can no longer button them. This is exactly the type of weight gain that has occurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, most American adults have gained an average of about 12-15 pounds. One survey from the United Kingdom found that more than 50% of test subjects struggled to maintain their weight during lockdown. Additionally, doctors in the United Kingdom and the United States saw an uptick in patients who expressed concern about weight gain. 

Why Did The Pandemic Cause Weight Gain?

First thing’s first, the pandemic flipped everyone’s life upside down. Routines went out the window as a result of mass closures and people remained at home, only going out for essential goods. Many of the things that motivated people to stay healthy (wearing a special outfit to an event, getting dressed for work, attending a wedding or reunion, or staying in shape for dates) vanished, so there was no incentive for people to remain at a healthy weight. On top of all this, worrying about job security, feeding families, no more socializing, and not living life like people used to caused high stress levels. Many of the therapies that counteract stress (yoga, sound baths, gyms, or faith-based centers) closed down. 

The Relationship Between The Mind And Weight Gain

The mind and body have a complicated relationship. When you feel an overwhelming amount of stress, you experience excess cortisol and adrenaline production, and the body pours glucose into the bloodstream for increased energy as a result. The reason it does this is because adrenaline and cortisol initiate the body’s fight or flight response. When you don’t need to fight or flight, however, these glucose spikes lead to increased cravings, hunger, and ultimately weight gain. For instance, people are binging shows or movies as a result of staying at home, but they’re also unconsciously binging food during that screen time. Additionally, working from home gives people unlimited access to their kitchen. All of this creates the perfect recipe for weight gain.

Getting Back On Track

You may not be able to change the ways of the world, but you can take control of other things in your life. It’s difficult to accept the things that you cannot change, but it is necessary to keep your mind and body healthy. Most mental health professionals recommend people to do things that help break the high stress/weight gain cycle. You’ll find tips to reform your pandemic nutrition below. 

Set A Hydration Goal Every Day

The body needs water to live, but water also promotes healthy digestion, toxin elimination, increased energy, and stress reduction. You see, stress causes the body to confuse thirst for hunger, so you end up snacking a lot instead of drinking water. Set a hydration goal every day and try your best to hit that target. It is ideal to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water!

Mind Over Weight

You have more control than you realize during the pandemic. While testing and vaccines are not in your control, you do control how you eat, how you move, and what you do to keep yourself calm. If you get on a scale and are unhappy with the number, simply forget about what you did for the last six months and begin anew. Learn from your pandemic mistakes and move forward. Start your day with a walk around the neighborhood and a smoothie. If you want to eat better, there are plenty of healthy meal service plans. If you want to workout without leaving the house, many online videos can whip you into shape. 

Eat Fruit Instead Of Sweets

Most people don’t satisfy their recommended daily intake of fruit, so replace your ice cream, candy, and other desserts with various fruits. The body has an easier time processing the natural sugars in fruit than the processed and artificial sugars in other sweets. You can cut up watermelon, mango, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, or cantaloupe, and you can even freeze blueberries and grapes for healthier desserts. 

No More Evening Eating

You should always have a cutoff time when it comes to eating at night. Eating too close to bedtime can interfere with digestion, so nutritionists recommend leaving 10-12 hours between your last meal of the day and breakfast. This fasting period can help control blood sugar levels and it cuts out the late night caloric intake. 

Find Ways To Reduce Stress

Exercise is beneficial for stress reduction, but some people need additional techniques to manage stress. From gardening and yoga to breathing exercises and reading, you can do a lot of things at home to reduce your stress levels. Many healthy experts encourage people to get out in nature for a walk, hike, or picnic because nature has a calming effect on the body and mind. 

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