Monday, March 14, 2011

Weekend Recovery

In the spirit of the impending holiday, top of the morning to ya! ;)

Chicago had its big St. Patrick's day celebration this weekend -- green rivers, green beers, and, afterwards, probably many green faces...


I wanted to share some tips for weekend recovery, for those of you that might have participated in this weekend's shenanigans (or plan on celebrating this week/weekend), and also for those of you who might just over-indulge on the weekends in general.

Here are some ideas that will help you regain momentum and snap back into your "normal" routine:

1) Get in a good sweat: Set aside at least 30 minutes on Monday or Tuesday (or both!) to exercise.  This will not only eliminate some of the guilt you might be feeling about that pizza you just HAD to order at 1AM, but it will also give you a boost of endorphins to help you nix the sluggish feeling and put a smile back on your face.  If you have work out buddy, try planning a regular Monday night jog around the neighborhood or your favorite exercise class.

2) Get your GREENS (and no, I do not mean any more green beer): Try mixing in lots of dark, leafy greens, or other vegetables into your diet at the beginning of the week.  Have a big salad for lunch, or add a serving of steamed broccoli to your dinner tonight.  The fiber in vegetables will help flush out the fat and salt you might have consumed over the weekend and the nutrients and minerals will work to eliminate any other toxins that might be contributing to that "funky" feeling.

3) Water, water, everywhere: Here's a no-brainer. Drink tons of water or other healthy fluids throughout the day to re-hydrate yourself and flush out any lingering toxins.  I am lucky to have my CamelBak water bottle, which helps me stay very hydrated throughout my day.  My wonderful boyfriend even filled mine up this morning and had it waiting in the fridge for me when I woke up! Yep, he's pretty great ;)

Another go-to for me is coconut water. This stuff is incredible for re-hydration.  It is naturally rich in electrolytes (more than Gatorade) and is known to counteract the effects of sodium.  It also has more potassium in it (helps with sore, tight muscles) than almost 2 bananas!!  It might taste kind of funky to you the first couple of times you try it, but it really does grow on you.


4) Focus on snacks that will help you de-bloat: In addition to flushing your system with a big salad and lots of fluids, consider incorporating these natural-diuretics -- celery (maybe add some natural peanut butter or almond butter!), cucumbers, and anything cranberry! I am currently liking these guys, which you can get from any local drug store:


They kinda taste like healthy starbursts!

5) For your mental health -- plan for a productive day, and a relaxing night: Don't allow your lack of productivity over the weekend to throw you completely off track.  Get back on the horse and go strong throughout your workday on Monday.  Check some things off your list and have a day you can be really proud of.  Then, commit yourself to some relaxation after work (perhaps that light workout we talked about, or some mindless reality TV -- did someone say the Bachelor finale was on tonight!?!?) and get to bed early for a good nights sleep.  Just what the doctor ordered.

If you're needing a little extra zen, consider taking a peek at this list I found of life's simple pleasures, perhaps as you eat your healthy salad & chug some water over your lunch break.

I'd love to hear any suggestions you guys might have for weekend "recovery," so comment away!

Hope you all have a great Monday & I will see you all tomorrow!

xoxo

Jess

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