5 Ways to Prevent a Holiday Hangover

It’s one thing to eat well and stay healthy if you’re home all the time and able to cook and make your own food choices, but it becomes more challenging when your schedule is full of parties and family dinners…which are bound to come up during the holiday season!

Too many rich foods or alcoholic beverages might not seem like a big deal as they’re happening, but over time they will have serious effects on your weight, moods, and hormonal balance.As women, our monthly cycles are extremely sensitive and require the proper nutrition and self-care to stay balanced.I wanted to give you a quick checklist of the things I do before, during and after holiday parties to ensure that I don’t get stuck with what I call the Holiday Hangover. If you’ve ever woken up one winter morning feeling 5-10 lbs overweight and overly tired and foggy-headed, you’ll know what I’m talking about.There are bound to be lots of sweets and festive cocktails floating around at these events, but they don’t have to be your undoing. You can have a fantastic time over the holidays while still taking care of yourself and staying in your FLO, if you follow these guidelines.

The preventative measures:

1. Eat dinner – Eat dinner before the booze or sweets! Foods rich in protein and healthy fats like salmon, chicken, and avocados are best before or along with alcoholic beverages. Eating a meal might also prevent you from reaching directly for the sweet stuff, which is not great to do on an empty stomach!2. Stay hydrated - Drink lots of water before and during the event. Being dehydrated will cause your body to crave salty things which will lead to a craving for more sugar or alcohol. Also, the more you can drink water in between any alcohol that might consumed, the more equipped your body will be to detox afterwards.

During the party:

3. Mingle & Explore – If you’re walking around the event and seeking out the company of new and interesting people, or if you’re exploring the architecture of the space, the artwork, or the hanging mistletoe, you’ll be less likely to overindulge in the comforts of too much alcohol or sweets. Challenge yourself to get out of your shell and try something new!

The post-party support:

4. B-Vitamins – These badboys are essential for replenishment on the day after a party. Pick up a B-complex supplement for the proper balance of all B-vitamins, drink lots of water along with them, and stay nourished!5. Coconut Water – This “natural Gatorade” is loaded with potassium, electrolytes, vitamins, & minerals – drink lots of it to rehydrate and replenish after a night of mulled wine or spiked egg-nog.