--- title: Your Overeating Recovery Guide description: So you went overboard on holiday eating. We’ve all been there. Zone has put together an easy guide of 6 tips to provide overeating damage control. image: https://www.zonediet.com/uploads/zone_overeat_recovery_guide-online-1.jpg --- ##### Shop By Category - [ Best Seller ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/best-sellers) - [ Omega-3s ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/omega-3-fish-oil) - [ Polyphenols ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/polyphenols) - [ Zone Foods ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-foods) - [ Blood Tests ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/blood-tests) - [ Supplements ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/supplements) - [ Books ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/books) - [ Skin Care ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/skin-care-1) - [ Metabolic Engineering ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/metabolic-engineering) - Best Seller [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) ##### Shop By Zone Food - [ Zone Muffins ](https://zoneliving.com/collections/zone-muffins) - [ Zone Pasta ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-pasta) - [ Zone Shakes ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-shakes) - [ Zone Bars ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/zone-nutrition-bars) - [ Olive Oil ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/olive-oil) [ Shop All ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/collections/all) [![easy-to-make](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hubfs/Global_2023/easy-to-make.webp) ](https://zoneliving.myshopify.com/blogs/recipes) Easy-to-make recipes just for you. 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D | Creator of the Zone Diet # [Your Overeating Recovery Guide](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/overeating-recovery-guide) - ** - [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Fresources%2Flifestyle-tips%2Fovereating-recovery-guide) - [**](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Fresources%2Flifestyle-tips%2Fovereating-recovery-guide) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/overeating-recovery-guide) - [**](https://plus.google.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.zoneliving.com%2Flifestyletips%2Fresources%2Flifestyle-tips%2Fovereating-recovery-guide) Written by Maria Gordon on November 16, 2016 Okay, so you went overboard. Really, really overboard. Like wishing you were wearing your waistband sweatpants type of overboard. We’ve all been there, especially during this social time of year when dips and desserts become their own food group in your diet.Overeating generates an insulin hangover. That’s why you fall asleep, your joints swell, you retain water, and you have a hard time focusing. This year you don’t have to panic. The best cure for such a hangover is to get right back into the Zone with your next meal. It may take a couple of days to repair the hormonal damage caused by overeating, but it’s worth it. Here's our guide to assist with overeating damage control. Stick with these five easy tips and you’ll be feeling your best again in no time! 1. **Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate **Ever wonder why party foods always taste so much better than your typical everyday food? It's the trifecta: sugar, salt and fat! If you’ve overdone it on holiday eating this year, chances are you’re holding onto heaps of water weight. It may sound counter-intuitive, but drinking lots of water may actually *help* with bloating.When the damage has been done and the bloat has set in, water is the fastest way to flush your system and release the puffiness you feel. We recommend drinking 11–16 cups of water a day, *especially* in those days following a food fest. Drink up!![Stay hydrated in the Zone](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/zone_stay_hydrated-1.jpg?width=400&height=282&name=zone_stay_hydrated-1.jpg) 1. **Be Good to Your Gut** Yes, you read that right. For years we’ve been told to take probiotics for digestion, but did you know prebiotics may actually be more effective. 99.9% of probiotics are killed in their journey through the stomach and small intestine making them unreliable and usually ineffective for helping the bacteria that reside mainly in the colon.Enter prebiotics: These unique plant fibers nourish the good bacteria that’s *already *in your colon. So instead of attempting to add bacteria to your digestive system like probiotics, prebiotics nurture and grow your own bacteria that was already there. Foods like garlic, onions, asparagus, and chicory are considered prebiotics.Want another way to encourage a healthy gut? Take polyphenols like [MaquiRx](http://www.zonediet.com/shop/polyphenols/maquirx-30-capsules/) to make the prebiotics work even better for a healthy gut. The polyphenols in MaquiRx may help to promote a healthy digestive system by reducing bad bacteria while encouraging the growth of good bacteria. They are the gardeners of the gut. ![Prebiotics with asparagus and garlic](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/zone_prebiotics_in_aparagus-1.jpg?width=400&height=282&name=zone_prebiotics_in_aparagus-1.jpg) 2. **Keep Moving **After a feast, you’ll likely feel sluggish and not have your usual motivation for the next few days. This is a consequence of an insulin hangover. Fight the urge to stay lazy and instead do a workout that you love. It’ll wake up your body and get things moving again so that your metabolism stays in its best shape to burn off all those treats.Pick a workout you like so that it doesn’t feel obligatory and you’ll stay consistent with it, like a dance class that you love or a jog around your neighborhood. Even better, grab a workout buddy who’s probably trying to recover from the holiday eating season just like you. Whatever you choose, move around and make it fun!![Keep moving in the Zone](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/zone_keep_moving-1.jpg?width=400&height=282&name=zone_keep_moving-1.jpg) 3. **Replace Coffee with Green Tea **If you've found your consumption of coffee has hit an all-time high this season, start weaning now. We all love our morning cup of joe, but in the days after holiday overeating, your body needs all the polyphenols it can get. Green tea consists of less calories than coffee since you probably won’t need your usual coffee creamer and/or flavoring. Plus, just one cup can contain up to 60 mg of polyphenols. Aside from that, green tea is a known metabolizer and contains the caffeine needed to combat your food coma. A squeeze of a lemon will make your cup of tea delicious so you won’t even miss that coffee. If you want even more benefits, consider adding the contents of one capsule of MaquiRx to your green tea.If drinking tea isn’t your thing, our [Weight Loss Support](http://www.zonediet.com/shop/more-products/supplements/dr-sears-zone-weight-loss-support-60-tablets/) supplement provides the benefits of green tea in one simple pill.![Drinking green tea in the Zone](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/zone_green_tea-1.jpg?width=400&height=282&name=zone_green_tea-1.jpg) 1. **Meal Prep to Stay on Track **The key to recovering from unhealthy eating is to be consistently in the Zone. At the start of your week, plan your 3 major meals for each day and hit the grocery store. Then prepare all the meals in bulk and sort them into containers in your fridge. Now no matter how busy your week is, you can grab your meals out of the fridge perfectly prepared and portioned. You’ll have no excuse to fall off the wagon and eat less healthy meals.Research shows that people who food journal are more likely to stay consistent, so that’s another habit you may want to consider. Use the food journal on our site to guarantee your meals are Zone friendly! While you’re there, checkout our [PastaRx](http://www.zonediet.com/product-category/zone-pasta/) to help you reduce hunger and increase lean body mass. Whether you choose orzo or fusilli, just one bag gives you meals for the whole week, and with [more than 100 pasta recipes](http://www.zonediet.com/resources/recipe-category/pasta/), you’re sure to find something you like.![Zone Orzo lunch with an apple](https://blog.zoneliving.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/zone_orzo_lunch-1-1.jpg?width=400&height=282&name=zone_orzo_lunch-1-1.jpg) Use these tips anytime you feel like you need to reset your health, particularly after some over-indulging. They’re easy to follow and your body will thank you when it bounces back quicker than it has in the past. We all periodically get off track when it comes to diet and exercise, and it’s easy to get discouraged and stay in a slump.  But always remember: You’re only one meal away from being back in the Zone! [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4011822/daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4011822/daffa570-1055-4766-af51-e09d66a17e47) [Polyphenols ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/polyphenols), [Weight Loss ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/weight-loss), [Zone Diet ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/zone-diet), [Zone Foods ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/zone-foods), [Nutrition ](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/topic/nutrition) ### Popular stories [Fats Explained-What Is Fat And Why Do We Need It?](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/fats-explained-cooking-oils-not-sure-which-fats-lifestyle-tips) Jul 16, 2018 [What Are Carbohydrates?](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/what-are-carbohydrates) May 22, 2018 [High Protein Vegetables](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/high-protein-vegetables) Mar 14, 2018 ### Posts by Tags - [Zone Diet (72)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-diet) - [Quick Tips (47)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/quick-tips) - [Nutrition (43)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/nutrition) - [Zone Foods (36)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-foods) - [Weight Loss (31)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/weight-loss) - [Polyphenols (24)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/polyphenols) - [Recipes (21)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/recipes) - [Healthy Aging (16)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/healthy-aging) - [Omega-3 Fish Oil (12)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/omega-3-fish-oil) - [Athletic Performance (10)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/athletic-performance) - [Evidence-Based Wellness (9)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/evidence-based-wellness) - [Childhood Nutrition (7)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/childhood-nutrition) - [Holidays (5)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/holidays) - [Food & Nutrition (4)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/food-nutrition) - [Diet Tips (2)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/diet-tips) - [Protein (2)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/protein) - [Cocoa Polyphenols (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/cocoa-polyphenols) - [Heart Health (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/heart-health) - [Inflammation (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/inflammation) - [Metabolism (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/metabolism) - [Zone Living (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-living) - [Zone food (1)](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/tag/zone-food) [See all](https://blog.zoneliving.com/lifestyletips/resources/lifestyle-tips/overeating-recovery-guide#) ### Let Us Know What You Thought about this Post. 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