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Dealing With Overeating and Hangovers

Overeating

We’ve all done it – gorged on some tasty food and later paid the price with that horrible stuffed-until-you-explode feeling. You’re all puffed up, bloated, and feeling kind of vaguely ill. What can you do?

Drink some mint tea (peppermint, spearmint, etc.) that both aids digestion and settles the stomach.
Don’t eat another bite until you’re really hungry. Then drink some light broth or soup to help flush your body. If you must eat solid food have some crackers or toast with the soup. Still not right for you? Have a boiled egg, something very light. Once your body feels like it’s not going to explode, dry extra water or fluids to promote bowel movements.
Do not eat candy, nuts or ice cream; they’ll only makes matters worse.
If possible, take a slow, easy walks. The walking motion stimulates the digestive tract and bowel movements.

Pacing Yourself With Alcohol

Never drink on an empty stomach. If you’re having drinks with friends, eat a small, quality meal before you leave. At gatherings, there’s usually just low-quality snack food available.
Sip your drink; don’t gulp it. When we’re having a good time, we talk at a fast pace, and drink in gulps, not sips. Slow consumption can mean all the difference in how you feel later. And if you’re at a restaurant or bar, it will save you money.
Never compete with others with drinking. Don’t wash down the remainder of your drink to be ready for the next round with others. Don ‘t keep a tally of who’s drinking how much. Stand your ground and drink at your own pace.
Have a chaser of water between rounds. It will fill you up and lessen the dehydration effect of the alcohol.

Over Drinking Alcohol

Aside from getting drunk and sick and horrible, there are lesser effects from holiday celebrating that can leave one debilitated. Here are some suggestions for a quicker recovery.

Alcohol depletes your B-complex vitamins (they’re water-based, so your body doesn’t store them up). So before you go to bed, take a B-complex capsule or tablet and, right away, your body will experience less of a hangover effect.
Sleep extra hours, as it gives your body more time to recover. The sleep you’ve already gotten was of a lower quality than usual due to the alcohol.
Drink extra fluids, as the alcohol has dehydrated your body. If you have some herbal tea, re-hydrate with some soothing blend you enjoy. Also a small amount of caffeine will be helpful in getting you more alert to function. However, remember that caffeine is also a diuretic (causes loss of water in the body), so be sparing.
Take Tylenol™ for the bodyache. It’s the gentlest medication on the stomach.

Sources: Mechanisms of Actioni of Addictive Stimuli Addiction 96(1):115-139 January 2001 Overeating Isn't Just a Holiday Problem American Academy of Family Physicians (www.aafp.org)