The tin of peppermint bark is empty, the pies polished off, and the Yule log cake reduced to crumbs.
Left in their wake, however, is the sugar hangover, that annual holiday tradition that may include an upset stomach, headache, lethargy, brain fog, skin problems, join pain, mood swings, allergy symptoms, and a heap of regret.
How to recover from a sugar hangover
While alcohol hangover cures are a folklore staple, you can take solid steps to recover from your sugar hangover:
- Quit eating sweets. Those holiday treats have sent your blood sugar levels skyrocketing and plummeting repeatedly, taxing the immune system, the brain, hormone balance, and every other system in the body.To recover, put blood sugar levels on an even keel by eating protein every two to three hours, eating a good breakfast, and avoiding starchy foods, desserts, and sweet drinks (soda, sweet coffee drinks) that spike blood sugar. Instead focus on quality proteins, leafy vegetables, and good sources of fat (olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, salmon, etc.)
- Drink plenty of water. This is also the most popular alcohol hangover cure for a reason. Staying hydrated with clean filtered water will help flush your body of toxins and aid in recovery.
- Support your liver. Processing all those sweets burdens your liver. Help your liver flush these toxins with such liver detox nutrients as milk thistle, dandelion, N-acetyl L-cysteine, beet root, panax ginseng, and more. Contact my office for more advice on liver detoxification.
- Restore your gut. Sweets cause inflammation, promote overgrowth of harmful yeast and bacteria, and irritate the gastric lining. You can restore gut health by avoiding sweets and other starchy foods, temporarily adopting a strict detox diet that eliminates common immune triggers (i.e., gluten), and by eating cultured and fermented foods.
- Move your body. A brisk walk, a swim, yoga, or some other gentle exercise will get your lymphatic system pumping and blood flowing to help flush toxins and rejuvenate cells. You may want to avoid extremely vigorous exercise until hangover symptoms subside so as not to further promote inflammation.
Why not go for a New Year’s detox?
These are some basics to help you recover from a sugar hangover and get you back on the wellness path. In fact, all of these tips will help you recover from an alcohol hangover, too. For more advanced strategies and to get started on a detox plan for the New Year, contact my office.
What are your tips for a sugar hangover cure?
Of course the best way to cure a sugar hangover is to avoid one. But if you happen to overindulge on special occasions, what are some of your tips for a sugar hangover cure?
Also, if you would like to learn more from Dr. Shook then register for his next free webinar one weight loss. It’s that time of year when resolutions are made, and 42% of people make a weight loss resolution! Start your year off right, and get the latest in science in research on your side from a functional medicine practitioner. Register for Dr. Shook’s next free weight loss webinar here, before he has to stop doing them.
I like the drinking water aspect. Thank you for sharing those wonderful tips.
Vic, glad you found it useful. Hydration is key when you’re dealing with cravings. Distention of the stomach helps signal the brain and results in a feeling of satiety. Excessive sugar does serious damage to your body, so restoring run down or stressed organs and systems is key to recovery and beating cravings. Knowledge is power, so thanks for the comment and please share our site with your friends.
Thank you soooo much, Dr! This article was really helpful because I splurged over this past weekend (after eating clean ALL week), and yesterday I was in the worst mood ever, tired, hungry, etc. Today I feel a little better but still tired. So I finally said to my husband that it had to be all the bad foods that I consumed over the weekend. Sure enough, I was correct… you’re info helped confirmed what I was thinking and feeling. Now I know how much of an effect food really does have on the body. Time to drink some water!!!! Thanks again 🙂
YOUR info… not YOU’RE 🙂