The hardest thing to do after a binge, at least for me, is maintaining proper nutrition the day after. Before recovery, I would purge the caloric surplus in some way. Staying away from fasting the following day is so important.
I made a post about what I’m going to do the day following a binge, and one of the things I put emphasis on is not focusing on what I ate. This is key. Pretend like yesterday never happened. Today is a brand new day.
Breakfast after binging
major tip: start your day off with a big glass of water! more often than not, anorexia is accompanied with dehydration, and rehydrating your body is going to be a lot harder than you’d think. plus, a big glass of water will help get your digestive track up and running, which is something you need after a binge.
Like any other day, I’m starting off with a juice. Breakfast was the meal that I skipped the most–before recovery I literally never ate breakfast. This has really screwed up my hunger cues, so instead of forcing myself to eat a massive meal that will more likely than not cause me to feel sick, I like to get micronutrients in with a delicious juice.
look how fresh!
I like to put one whole orange, a couple strawberries, three or four carrots, and a handful of kale into my juice. Whenever I have leftover stems from other green vegetables like broccoli, I like to toss those in for the micronutrients too. I love the taste of ginger, but sometimes I don’t remember to toss some in. Today, I made sure to throw in a little chunk of ginger for the digestive benefits–ginger promotes good digestion and can alleviate nausea and upset stomach, something I typically feel the day after a binge (there is a multitude of health benefits you can get from ginger, as well as all the other ingredients in this juice, just google it!).
yum!
Some tea for the soul
I’m trying to get into the habit of including tea in my diet. There are a lot of benefits to green tea, but on this freezing, rainy day today I’m indulging in a warm cup of tea to alleviate my anxiety. It is said that green tea can increase dopamine levels in the brain! The day after a binge is usually very emotional, so I was in need of something natural to calm me. There is also something extremely soothing about a warm cup of green tea on a cold day.
Lunch after binging
I tend to have salads for lunch a lot because they’re not too filling, not stressful or triggering, and are extremely easy to make. Eating fresh and (if you’re into it) raw after a binge is very cleansing and rejuvenating. Today I had a variation of a salad I love: tofu hummus wraps.
look how beautifully colorful my plate is!
I used two vine-ripened tomatoes, half a zucchini, a bit of tofu, some sprouts, and my homemade, oil-free hummus (will do recipe on that sometime, you’re welcome) all wrapped up in fresh, delicious butter lettuce leaves. I cracked a little bit of salt and pepper on the tofu and veggies. Something to keep in mind with salads is that they can leave you feeling hungry if you don’t add anything of substance, and veggies (although rich in nutrients and such) are not calorically sufficient. Sooo, I like to add hummus to give it a little body. Today was the first time I tried it with raw tofu, and it was delicious and filling!
Snacking is important
I think I’m going to do a whole post on how to prevent binges, but including a healthy snack in between lunch and dinner is extremely helpful. I kind of picked up the schedule of my old treatment program, so I like to have a snack around 3:30-4:00 PM. I try to have at least a handful of almonds a day. Almonds are a good source of protein and healthy fats, which are so important in recovery! Today I paired some almonds with half a perfectly ripe mango.
Dinner after a binge
recovery tip: make dinner a little bigger than the other meals–it’s supposed to be! plus, it will keep you full into the night so you don’t have any triggering hunger pains or binge urges.
I have been eating a sweet potato for dinner literally every night this past week. It’s just that good! The cold weather pairs perfectly with a warm, creamy sweet potato. Tonights variation: sweet potato with mango salsa.
mango salsa mmm 🙂
All I do is microwave a sweet potato for 8 minutes and then pop it in the oven for a couple more on 400 degrees to toast up the skin. Then I slice it open and fill it up with mango salsa. I usually have two of these for dinner, depending on the sizes of the potatoes.
After dinner, around 8:30 PM, I might have another handful of almonds with a clementine, depending on how hungry I am.
The most important thing in recovery is getting nutrients back into your body. And doing so looks different for everybody. I think it’s really important to have a plan or schedule for your day, and stick to it. Even if you binged.
honeydew recovery 