Hi everyone!

So we’ve all been there… that bloated, sick, heavy, lethargic feeling. Whether it’s due to drinking too much, having a pig out night of ‘naughty’ foods, eating something you know doesn’t agree with you or something else, it’s not a good feeling and you can soon be left regretting and wishing you could turn back time.

Truth is you can be the biggest health freak out there, most people have a slip up now and then, and there’s nothing wrong with that (in moderation!) but the most important thing is just to make sure that you pick yourself up afterwards and don’t let one cookie lead to that ‘well I’ll start again tomorrow’ mood and then indulge in the entire pack!…. We’ve all done it

Last Saturday night, I’d had a long day and was feeling really lazy and tired come dinner time. Instead of taking ten minutes to whip up something I’d normally have, I found a frozen ready meal and within five minutes I was sat down with my Chinese rice in front of Take Me Out. Now this may not sound like a crime BUT my body never agrees with ready meals (basically anything high in preservatives or full of sugary/oily sauces makes me feel dreadful).

I knew this before I had the meal but had it anyway, after this the evening went downhill from there and I was snacking for the next 4 hours in front of the tele! I went to bed feeling like I was about to pop, oops!

When you slip up, not just with food but perhaps a hangover, it’s easy to continue the pattern as you’re not exactly feeling bouncy and healthy anyway. To avoid this type of behaviour in the future follow some of my top tips below to bounce back to feeling great!

• Water, Water, Water! – Nothing helps though headaches like rehydrating with your body, not with juices full of sugar or fizzy drinks but with pure, clean, water Blood carries oxygen around the body and because your blood is made up primarily water, ensuring you’re fully hydrated will help your circulation and make you feel more refreshed. Water also helps greatly with digestion, which can be left feeling sluggish after slip ups, so drink up to help your body get rid of any nasty waste and toxins. I usually just keep a litre bottle on me and try and get through 2 – 3 bottles during day which never fails to perk me up!

• Feed your body with some antioxidants – I usually feel pretty sick after slip ups and don’t feel like eating spinach or bananas but by combining lots of tasty fruits and veg in a chilled smoothie, you can feed your body full of nutrients with one simple drink. Try making a homemade version or if you’re pushed for time like I was, you can usually find a smoothie bar or bottle smoothie anywhere now, just make sure you know exactly what’s gone in to it! One of my favourite choices is the Naked smoothie range, I always have the antioxidant Green Machine, SO refreshing!

• SWEAT IT OUT! – I know the last thing anyone feels like doing when feeling nauseous or hungover is going to the gym but trust me, nothing will make you feel better, faster!  Getting that blood pumping round your body will make your feel energized, I did my favourite workout dvd – Jullian Michaels Cardio Blast and felt great afterwards, even if you can only manage taking the dogs out for a walk, just push yourself and get moving. I promise you won’t regret it

• Eat Clean – Simply make sure that you eat completely clean and give your body some good nutrition to work off. It’s easy after a slip up to binge on more unhealthy food or to not eat the next day because you’re still feeling full but neither of these will help you along to feeling better. Tuck in to a healthy meal, chose light dishes all day so your body doesn’t have to work extra hard to digest anything, for example I had a delicious simple chicken and tomato salad for lunch.

• Stretch – Obviously if you workout out you’ll be warming up and stretching then but try and do some stretches throughout the day too, it will wake you up and make you feel more limber and light!

And most importantly, don’t beat yourself up the entire next day if you’ve gone off track a little with whatever, whether it be a weight loss diet or you’re trying to tone up or just be generally healthier. Love yourself and remember nobody is perfect, everyone deserves a treat in moderation and if you do go a bit crazy and slip up badly just follow the steps above back in to your healthy lifestyle and be happy!

xo