Get Back on Track After Overindulgence

overindulgence
Despite your best efforts to exercise moderation, treats proved too tempting.

Don’t sweat it if you suffer a setback in your healthy habits. You have the power to prevent a minor lapse from turning into a major detour to unhealthy choices. First, ease your physical symptoms. Then, address your mental approach.

MANAGE YOUR BODY

Over-the-counter medications can soothe an angry digestive system. Antacids can treat mild heartburn, feelings of fullness and stomach pain. Simethicone fights gas. However, avoid aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, which can further irritate your stomach lining.

Also steer clear of coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages. They only worsen bloating, belching and abdominal pain. Instead, try peppermint oil — a 90 mg dose, taken with caraway oil, may ease stomach pain. Just don’t take it with antacids; that combination can cause heartburn and nausea.

ADJUST YOUR MIND

First, banish negative thoughts. You’re not a failure. Many people have moments when they don’t make the healthiest choices.

Don’t use a single food blowout, however, as an excuse to go wild the rest of the day, week or season. Getting back on track as soon as possible can prevent a one-time slip from becoming a full-blown disaster. Start planning your next healthy meal. And while you’re at it, pencil in physical activity, too.

Take some time to understand why you fell off the healthy-eating wagon.

Review the specifics of the situation and think about how you could do things differently next time. For instance, eating a healthy snack, like a salad, before a heavy holiday meal could keep you from overdoing it.

Finally, commit the mental and physical discomfort you feel to memory. The next time you’re bound for a bender, remembering those sensations could ease cravings, a recent study shows.

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