The holiday season is always full of festive celebrations, often times including feasts with friends and family. No matter how hard you try, sometimes the food portion we consume can be unknowingly out of hand, thus making us feel too full after stuffing so much food into our system. This week, we're going to reveal some practical tips for you in case you overeat this holiday season!
1. Drink a lot of water
Regular hydration can help with appetite regulation, fat loss, improved performance, and increased energy for the body. Drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up as it can help with your bowel movements, thus helping you feel better pretty immediately. Continue to drink water throughout the day and aim to consume 2-3 liters of water per day.
2. Go for a walk after overeating
Although it might not necessarily avoid weight gain, this step can aid digestion and possibly help decrease the fat your body stores. Study showed that when subjects took a light walk after a high-fat meal, they decreased their post-meal triglyceride concentration (the fat your body stores to use for energy) by around 70 percent compared to the non-walking group.
3. Ease your bloated stomach
Easiest way to not feel bloated is to aid your digestion beforehand with our Relief Sari Jahe Merah (ginger). With calming effect that soothes the digestive tract, ginger alleviates gas and relieves you from stomach cramps and bloating. It also raises the production of saliva, bile and gastric juice for proper digestion which in turn helps to prevent gas and bloating.
However, if you're caught in a bloated situation, drinking peppermint tea can be beneficial as peppermint helps to calm an upset stomach helps reduces excess gas in the stomach. Peppermint also may have antibacterial and antiviral properties, which can have a protective effect on your immunity while you recover.
4. Don't skip breakfast the next morning and eat proper foods instead
You might be tempted to skip breakfast or begin a super restrictive diet to “detox” from a few days of overeating. Skip the detox, and get into a healthy eating routine instead
Eating whole foods, consuming high-protein breakfast and eating vegetables are beneficial to satisfy your hunger more healthily. Whole foods are more nutrient-dense and lower in calories than processed and packaged foods. Protein is more satiating, boosts your metabolism, and can help improve your weight and body composition. Vegetables are high in fiber and water, packed with vitamins and minerals, and low in calories. Also, the fiber and water in vegetables fills you up and keeps you satisfied, helping you manage your hunger while eating fewer calories. Fill your meals with vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and healthy carbs & fats in moderation.
5. Stick to a normal meal schedule
Follow a regular eating schedule. People are different and there's no exact way to ensure fat loss, so experiment for yourself and see whether 3 big meals per day or 5 small meals throughout the day works best for you. Whatever you prefer, make sure to stick into a schedule with your eating and not messing up your metabolism.
6. Control your portions
For the first few days after overindulging, consider paying attention to your portions This might happen naturally, since you’ll probably be less hungry after a stint of overeating. Consider increasing your vegetable intake, and decreasing your fat and carb intake for 1-3 days.
7. Balance your blood sugar
After all those sweet desserts and snacks, it is highly beneficial to work on balancing your blood sugar. Our line of Relief Sari Kayu Manis (Cinnamon) is one of the supplements you can count on. If you are prone to sweet cravings, hypoglycemia, insulin resistance and poor blood sugar management, refer to last week's journal for more insight!
8. Try to keep exercise as a routine
Staying active is one of the best things you can do for long-term weight maintenance. During the holiday season, maintain a regular workout routine where you exercise at least 3x per week. Both strength and cardiovascular training is important. If you're currently physically active, high intensity interval training can be considered as the activity helps with fat loss, and improves performance. However if you're not a fan of such short burst yet high intensity workout, walking, jogging, swimming, hiking are also great ways to maintain your health during the holidays.