Did Halloween get the best of you? Long nights out with your friends can really take a toll on your body, especially if you’re eating poorly and consuming a lot of alcohol. Try these four tips for recovery to get your body back to mint condition.
Catch Some ZZZ’s
If you were up to some odd hour of the night (or should I say morning), your body is probably desperate for sleep. Try not to sleep all day when you get back from class. You will inevitably fall behind on homework and other tasks and that will just stress you out. Gradually catch up on sleep by taking short naps throughout the day. Limit yourself to a 30-minute nap. In a Huffington Post article about napping strategies, sleep expert Michael Breus, Ph.D. says short naps should last 25-30 minutes. According to Breus, this amount of time gives you adequate rest without falling into a deep sleep and then waking up feeling more tired. The article also suggests a “caffeine nap”. Drink a cup of coffee and then immediately take a 20-minute nap. By the time you wake up the caffeine will be kicking in and you will feel energized and ready to take on the day.
Check out the article for more tips: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/napping-tips-expert-strat_n_3320571.html
Hydrate
Let’s be honest: many of you probably weren’t drinking the recommended amount of water this weekend. Hydrate yourself by drinking at least eight 8 ounce cups of water per day. Your body uses a lot of water while you sleep because your lungs require the moisture for you to breathe properly as you sleep, according to livestrong.com. Not to mention, you need water to stay energized and for your body to properly perform. Drink a glass as soon as you wake up in the morning and keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day.
Load Up On Fruits and Vegetables
Just as many of you weren’t drinking much water last weekend, you may not have been eating well either. Your body must be absolutely screaming for some vitamins and minerals. Be kind to your body and treat it to some wholesome foods. Try a veggie omelet for a breakfast (easy on the cheese), some fruit during the day and some steamed veggies or a salad for lunch. Be sure to incorporate some protein in there for energy, too.
Also, don’t forget your daily vitamin. Restoring your body’s necessary levels of vitamins and minerals will have you feeling better in no time.
Exercise
If you consumed a lot of alcohol over the weekend, you will definitely want to find time to exercise this week. A 12-ounce Bud Light contains 110 calories. So let’s say you drank 12 over the course of the weekend. That’s over 1,300 calories, which is the same number of calories in almost 3 Baconators from Wendy’s or 40 chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have those nuggets….
Not only will you be burning off some of those calories, but exercise can actually energize you. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercising delivers more oxygen to your tissues and makes your cardiovascular system work more smoothly, which in turn, gives you more energy. Plus, you’ll sleep like a baby after a tough workout.