Just like drinking too much alcohol can give you a hangover, eating too much sugar can do the same.
It might taste sweet at the time, but you’ll definitely feel the effects later. How can you deal with a sugar hangover?
You should sugar-detox. It will help you recover faster and reduce those sugar cravings.
The Key Takeaway.
The way to beating a sugar binge is motivation. If you’re motivated, you’re already halfway there. Next, focus on discipline when it comes to your diet and lifestyle. Beating the sugar hangover is as simple as:
- Eating a healthy diet.
- Staying active.
- Drinking more water.
- Avoiding more sugar.
Stay motivated, disciplined and make these changes, and you’ll feel SO much better!
What You Need To Know.
When you eat too much sugar, your body reacts in strange ways. First, your blood sugar spikes, then it drops. It can make you feel dehydrated and crave even more sugar. You’ll really notice this if you keep an eye on how much sugar you’re eating.
Eating too much sugar can make you feel awful in the days that follow. This bad feeling is your body’s way of responding to the sugar overload. That is from the blood sugar highs and lows to the dehydration that comes with it.
By paying close attention, you can know that your body is struggling and take steps to help it recover. Welp! That’s why you’re here now. Stay with me.
What Exactly Can You Do To Sugar-Detox?
Relax. It Is What It Is.
You had a sugar binge. So what! It happened. Beating yourself up won’t change it.
Sugar binges can really mess with your mood and make you feel guilty. But reality check!!! It takes about 3,500 calories to gain a pound, and you probably didn’t eat that much in one sitting. So, take a deep breath, relax, and forgive yourself. Rest!
It’s Time For A Water Binge.
Drink more water. No, I don’t mean liquid. Definitely not tea, not coffee, not any liquid but water.
When you eat a lot of sugar, your body stores it as glycogen, which is like your body’s gas tank. And just like a car needs gas to run, your body needs glycogen to function. But when you store glycogen, your body also stores a bunch of water with it, like a gas tank that’s got some water mixed in. So if you eat too much sugar, you’ll end up with some extra water weight. How can you lose this weight? It’s simple. DRINK MORE WATER.
How to drink more water? Read here.
Sounds weird right? Well, when you drink more water, your body realizes that it doesn’t need to store as much water with the glycogen because there’s plenty of water available. So your body lets go of the extra water and you pee it out. Plus, drinking water helps flush out any extra sugar and other toxins from your body. It’s like hitting a reset button basically.
Add Some Electrolytes.
I said drink more water. But, not only should you drink more water after a sugar binge, but you can also add salt and potassium to your water. This is called electrolytes. They are minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium and they keep your body in balance and will help you avoid dehydration and muscle cramps.
After you stop eating so much sugar or carbs, your body will use up your stored sugar and release all the water it was holding onto. That means you’ll lose a lot of sodium and potassium, too, which (WATCH OUT) can make you feel tired and give you a headache.
Get Active.
After eating too much sugar, taking a walk, or better yet, exercising, is a smart move. Not only will it help your body get back to normal levels of blood sugar and avoid insulin spikes, but it’s also good for your health in total.
If you’re worried about the calories from the sugar, getting active can help you burn them off. And cardio or strength training is great for weight loss and keeping your heart healthy too. So? A win is a win!
Eat Whole Foods.
When you’re trying to bounce back after a sugar binge, eating whole, unprocessed foods is just what you need. You want to stabilize your blood sugar, not throw your system out of balance by eating processed foods and sugary drinks. You’re going to find more sugar in processed foods, so ditch those things.
Instead, eat more veggies and healthy proteins. They will give your body the nutrients it needs to function well and keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Obvious. But, Avoid Sugar For A While.
Sugar throws your energy levels out of place so it can be tempting to reach for another sugary treat to get your energy levels back up, but that will be you starting a cycle that will only make you feel worse.
Why? If you’re eating more sugar to boost your energy levels back up, you’re going to crash again and you’ll continue to repeat it. Your body is confused by the sudden rise and fall of blood glucose levels, and more sugar will only add to the problem.
What do you do? Eat foods that have protein and fiber, like apples with peanut butter (without the added sugar). This will slowly stabilize your blood sugar without sending you on another cycle.
More.
Calling a spade a spade — Too much sugar is a health hazard. According to The American Heart Association, ladies, should only eat about 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day, and for the men, it’s about 9 teaspoons. And yet, so many people are eating 3-5 times of that recommended amount.
Added sugar is totally fine when eaten carefully and correctly but eating too much over time? Pure risky business because sugar SURE knows how to add up quickly! Just don’t panic, you can always bounce back.
Now, you might think you need those “trusty” detox drinks. You really don’t.
The beauty of this sugar detox is that you don’t need any “detox” supplements or drinks or tea bags. With a proper diet, your body will do the work for you.
