The Silly Season is officially upon is…
Year-end functions, birthday parties, early Christmas get-togethers with friends before everyone disappears on holiday and just a general ‘rubber arm’ when it comes to socializing.
A.K.A. Your worst nightmare when you’re trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, especially if this is a new lifestyle for you.
But even for the ‘oldies’, it’s still a daunting time, as everywhere you look, there’s sugar and starches and lots and lots of ‘tipples’…
Oh dear…
Fear not – you can still have your {low carb} cake and eat it!
I still enjoy my wine on a regular basis – I drink dry white in summer, with sparkling water, and dry red when it’s cold. I stick to a glass or two…
Ok, bear with me – there IS a point here.
The past two weeks I’ve had a bit more wine than I would normally have, and should have, over the weekends – you know, attending year-end functions and 30th birthday celebrations.
On both weekends I had a bit too much and on both I felt terrible the next day {and the day after!}, but there was a BIG difference:
The first one I mixed my drinks and the following day I indulged in all those typical stuff: bread, sweets, fizzy drinks, you name it…
This past weekend, I only had Sauvignon Blanc and I made sure to drink lots of water inbetween. The following day, I only ate healthy, real food {all banting-friendly and low carb of course}, even though I might have eaten a bit more than usual, I stuck to real food.
The difference: I felt WAY better than the previous weekend, I recovered more quickly and my system just felt better as a whole.
So – here are my top tips for surviving the Silly Season the low carb way:
1. Stick to dry wines and drink lots of water inbetween
2. Drink lots more water before going to bed {a headache tablet wouldn’t hurt either…}
3. Start the following morning with a hearty breakfast of eggs, some fatty bacon or chorizo and perhaps something green – an omelette is the perfect answer to your needs! Make sure to add some chillies for an extra kick.
{Even though there’s no real medical proof that a fatty breakfast will cure your hangover, it sure does make you feel better, plus the fats will give you some much needed fuel for the day ahead.}
4. Drink a cup of strong coffee – just one cup, else you might get a headache from having too much coffee… – you can even make it Bulletproof!
5. Try and take it easy throughout the day
6. Resist the urge to binge on any processed or non-foods!
NO cooldrinks / fizzy drinks
NO sweets
NO carbs
NO KFC {this is a hangover favourite ;) }
NO processed foods
NO sugar
7. Make sure you drink loads of water throughout the day
8. Eat foods that will fill you up and provide some form of comfort, like these delicious low carb rusks with a warm cup of tea
9. Don’t skip the greens – have a hearty salad for lunch with loads of seeds and/or nuts
10. Snack on blueberries – they’re filled with all the excellent stuff, plus they’re a bit sweet and they actually make you feel better – I’m sure the antioxidants help to boot all the bad poison from your system!
Remember, now that your body is less used to toxins {sugar, carbs, alcohol and all the other non-foods}, you will probably feel worse the next day, but be sure that indulging in the wrong things will only make you feel better temporarily and it will take you that much longer to get back on your feet again {literally!}, also you’ll have to deal with all the feelings of guilt too ;)
And just on a last note – I find that doing some form of rigorous exercise 2 days after your ‘wild partying’ definitely helps! It gets rid of all those last bits of toxins by sweating them out, plus the endorphins will give you a much-needed boost.
Now go on and enjoy the Season! Remember, you made a lifestyle choice and it’s the best idea to stick to it. {It’s kinda like being married ;) }
Have a happy Monday and be good! X
