Last year, Thanksgiving & Christmas were great! You and your loved ones shared lots of good food, laughter, and fun.
And after dinner came the desserts – pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, apple pie, two or three types of cake, banana pudding, and more! You ate and ate until you had to undo your pants, lie back and take a lil’ food coma-induced nap.
Yep, it was a good day.
But the day after Thanksgiving? Probably not so good, huh?
Super groggy, terrible headache, and just wanting to stay in bed the entire day – coupled with the overwhelming “obligation” to do it all over again with the leftovers.
I know the feeling as it happened to me too.
I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but all I kept thinking was, “I feel hungover.”
The first thought that popped in my mind was that I had a sugar hangover, but wasn’t sure if that was an actual thing, so I googled it and, sure enough, it WAS!
What’s a sugar hangover?
Basically, it’s is when your body has had a MAJOR sugar overload.
This can especially happen if you’re not used to eating a lot of sugar and suddenly, you binge out on sugar-containing foods or beverages.
I feel it important to note that I’m not talking about the sugar crash you get when you get a sugar high, and then crash and burn.
I’m talking about when you REALLY overdo it and the awful way you feel the next day!
A few sugar hangover symptoms
Everyone is different and symptoms may vary, but some of the most common ones are:
- headache
- upset stomach
- grogginess/fogginess
- fatigue
- indigestion and sometimes
- nausea
What you can do to get rid of a holiday sugar hangover
When it happened to me, I really wasn’t sure what I should do. All I know is… I followed my gut and worked with some items I (thankfully) had on hand, and it worked.
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H2O
The first thing I did was drink water… LOTS of water, all throughout the day, to help flush my system. Hate drinking water? Check out my tips for getting more water in even IF you hate it.
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Digestive cleanse
I had taken a colon cleanse capsule the night before so it would get me “going” at least by later that evening and help my digestive system along. I guess I intuitively knew I was gonna need it.
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Coffee
I made & drank a cup of coffee. If you’re not a coffee drinker, you can forego this step or opt for hot tea, but I read that caffeine helps and I like coffee over tea.
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Food
After that, I ATE something. I was starting to feel a little better, but began feeling even better once I put some food in my stomach.
Naturally it wasn’t the sugary stuff, which would only add to the problem – stick with lean protein (your white meat turkey or chicken) and vegetable sides like greens or green beans – but not the green bean casserole.
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Liver detox
Believe it or not, sugar can affect the liver much in the same way alcohol can. Plus, when you eat too much sugar your pancreas goes into overtime producing insulin.
The liver capsule I took actually helps the liver, thyroid, AND pancreas!
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Probiotic Enzyme
I didn’t have any, but I would have also taken a digestive enzyme & probiotic, not only the day of the sugar hangover, but also prior to my eating binge in order to help break down all the carbs and sugars.
But I had given my last one away because she was in dire need of relief from some digestive distress that started 2 weeks prior. She called me exclaiming how well it worked and how much better she felt after taking it so, I’m glad I gave it to her.
To Recap…
- Drink plenty of WATER – adding lemon may make it even more effective
- Take an herbal colon cleanse to help your digestive system begin to clean out – even better to take the night before
- DRINK WATER
- Drink a cup of coffee – if you’re not a coffee drinker, have tea instead
- DRINK WATER
- Take a digestive enzyme & probiotic before (or at least after) you indulge in the offending foods
- DRINK WATER
- EAT something – NO sugary food. Fresh fruit is fine, but non-starchy veggies are even better
- DRINK WATER
- Take a liver cleanse capsule with that meal
- Did mention, DRINK WATER?
Now in case you’re saying…
“Well gee golly gee Cherie, you’re little too late with some of the products you’re recommending. I don’t have ANY of that on hand!”
It’s cool… if you’re in the sugar hangover funk NOW, do the best you can.
You have water, so drink water…
Drink some coffee or tea…
If you don’t have a good probiotic & enzyme on hand, eat some Greek yogurt. Don’t have that either? Run out and get some if you can or have someone get it for you.
Can’t do that either? Forget about it! Go on ahead and eat some food, then lie down and rest up!
The whole idea of the product recommendations is so you can get them NOW and have them on-hand for the next time.
And PLEASE don’t view these tips as a “pass” to just go all out on a regular basis! You don’t want to make a habit of abusing your body in such a harsh manner.
But the tips are here if and when you ever need ’em!
My favorite sugar hangover remedy products
(contains affiliate links)
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the items my family and I take (and support a small business in the process 😊), here are my favs:
Herbal Colon/Digestive Cleanse Capsules
