Food Hangovers are Real

Whether you realize it or not, you have experienced a food hangover.  Maybe it was the morning after your birthday, or the day after Thanksgiving – whichever it was, you may have felt bloated, sluggish, or had a combination of swollen fingers, topped off with a headache.   It’s that overall full and groggy feeling that lingers far beyond your indulgent meal and into the next day. 

Why do they happen?   It all depends on what you ate.  While there isn’t a ton of research on “food hangovers” it’s thought that eating foods we normally limit or plain old overeating causes us to feel less than our best.

For example, eating a high-salt meal such as a corned beef and cabbage, could make you feel puffier than normal.  To maintain balance, our bodies hold onto water resulting in swollen fingers or ankles. It can also increase your blood pressure and make you feel extra thirsty. 

Overdoing sugar can result in jitters and anxiety.  This happens when the energy boost from that afternoon cookie subsides AKA the sugar crash. 

High volume meals are a doozy, especially if you don’t eat them regularly.  Enter Thanksgiving Day scenario or perhaps consuming a large rib eye steak and a combo of creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.  These can have lasting effects.  A typical meal takes about 4-5 hours to be completely digested in the stomach, but large amounts of fat in combination with protein can take much longer to digest causing discomfort and sometimes heartburn long into the following morning. 

Our best advice to power through is to drink plenty of water and get up and get moving!  Water is key to digestion; it will also help with swollen fingers while a little exercise will stimulate metabolism.  We also suggest eating plenty of fruits and vegetables to add bulk to stool and to promote the digestive process.  If you don’t feel much like eating, a smoothie may be your solution.  Try our:  Dole Sweet Green Smoothie.

Published November 1, 2021