Post-Thanksgiving Food Hangover

You had a fabulous Thanksgiving with loved ones – turkey was eaten, cranberry sauce was consumed, the mashed potatoes were like a dream, your family is stuffed with stuffing, and the warm, inviting pumpkin pie delivered on it’s promise. Your Thanksgiving stretchy pants served you well this year. It is the day after Thanksgiving and the trash is taken out, leftovers are in the fridge, and the kitchen is cleaned. But, you feel off – really off. What is happening?

The next day ‘food hangover’ is real (so worth it though!). We have all had a food hangover – bloating, lethargy, maybe a little nausea or stomach upset, and fatigue. And you know the cause: not drinking too much but eating too much—overindulging in food that’s too fatty, salty, spicy, sugary, caffeinated, or simply too much food for your body to cope with the day after. After a Thanksgiving feast, your body simply is not prepared to handle such a large amount of fatty food. It’s going to take a little while for your digestive tract to get up to speed and build up the necessary enzymes to process it, causing you that heavy, bloated feeling you’re suffering through, possibly along with indigestion or heartburn.

When people overeat, their bodies have the tendency to chemically change, including metabolic shifts. There are also electrolyte imbalances due to the process of digestion that occur once the massive amounts of food have been deposited into the body. This can also cause a feeling of depression, emotional attachment to food, fatigue, and also boredom. This is thought to be partially due to dopamine and endorphin release after food consumption High amounts of salt consumed at Thanksgiving are responsible in part for the ‘food hangover’ feeling. Drinking extra water the day after can help flush out the excess sodium in your system and facilitate the digestion process. Then there is the sugar – like salt, sugar is quickly absorbed and not something you’re likely to feel the effects of the next day, even if you consumed a mountain of cookies, candy, and sweets. Instead, your hangover is more immediate—you probably feel a rush of energy soon after you eat, followed by a so-called sugar crash shortly afterward (picture kids 30 minutes after cake is served at a birthday party).

By nature, our bodies crave sugar and salt, and once indulged, it still wants more. That is why you will be hankering for sweet and salty foods the day after Thanksgiving, but your best bet is to refrain. Ride through the food hangover by taking good care of yourself by resting, hydrating regularly, going for walks, eating healthy meals full of fruits and veggies, and staying away from caffeine and alcohol. Herbal teas like peppermint or ginger are great for aiding digestion and helping with the post-Thanksgiving food hangover. If you need, take some pepto or antacids. Most importantly, sit back and enjoy another Thanksgiving well spent with delicious food, loved ones, and filled with gratitude. Feasting for one day will not make you gain weight if you nurse your food hangover and take care of yourself in the days after. Now that is something that we can all be grateful for!