Went a little overboard on the sugar? Hey, it happens to the best of us!
But the resulting hangover from a sugar binge can be much like a hangover caused by too much red wine. Before you can dust yourself off and move on, you may have to deal with headaches, sour mood (and mouth) and intense cravings. The joys of sugar withdrawal, right?
The most important thing to remember is that it’s not the end of your journey – you CAN get back on the wagon!
1. Have a fry-up.
The best way to cure a hangover has always been a fried breakfast, and the sugar hangover is no different. If you do it right, tucking into proteins and healthy fats will keep you satisfied right through to lunch, ward off sugar cravings and… er, taste delicious! Just make sure you use plenty of EVOO and add a side of veggies, too.
2. Drink lots of water.
Have you ever noticed that you feel even thirstier after a juice? Or that your mouth is bone-dry the night after a sugar binge? Like alcohol, too much blood glucose can behave as a diuretic, meaning that it increases the water being flushed out of your body (um, peeing). If you suspect you’ve gone overboard on the sugar, be sure to get your eight glasses of water throughout the next day.
3. Dose up on vitamins.
No, you don’t need to pop down to the chemist for Alka-Seltzer. Instead, visit your local produce market and pick up some fresh fruit and veg. Not only will these nourish your body, the simple act of eating something nutritious gets you back on the right, healthy-eating track.
4. Exercise.
Perhaps it’s the last thing you want to do, but a brisk walk or calming yoga session will do you a world of good. Not only will you feel so much better through the release of endorphins, but research has shown that physical activity actually suppresses unhealthy diet-related urges. Is it time for a walk?
5. Avoid the hair of the dog.
It may seem like a good idea at the time, but eating sugar is no way to cure withdrawal symptoms. In fact, due to the addictive nature of fructose, you’ll just end up in a perpetual cycle – eating sugar to ease your withdrawal, getting hooked on sugar again, eating sugar to ease your withdrawal and so on.
It’s hard, but stay strong and you’ll come out brighter and better on the other side. With luck, there won’t be too many more sugar hangovers to endure!
We originally published this post in May 2016. We updated it in January 2017.
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