THAT’S A WRAP

DEALING WITHTHE OTHER HANGOVERS

‘Tis the season for excess—and we’re not just referring to eggnog. Whether you overdid it at dinner or are suffering from stress, we’vegot your recovery plan.

Written by Stacey Colino Illustrations by Noma Bar

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The stress hangover

Your mile-long shopping list has yet to be addressed; houseguests are imminent and you’re nowhere near prepared; coordinating the family calendar has been impossible, and you’re supposed to be in three places at one time. Whatever the source, a spike in stress can make you feel agitated, angry, drained, weepy, or unable to sleep—or, let’s face it, all of the above. This happens when the brain’s fear center triggers the stress and fight-or-flight responses, a flood of hormones that revs up breathing, spikes blood sugar, and increases natural steroids so you can fight off an attacker or run for your life. That makes sense from an evolutionary perspective but is an overreaction for most modern-day stress, explains psychologistMarc Schoen, Ph.D., an assistantclinical professor of medicine attheUCLA Geffen School of Medicineand the author of Your SurvivalInstinct Is Killing You. In fact, it canexacerbate the problem. “The endresult could be an abundance ofinflammation, leading to accelerated aging or symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] or asthma,” says Schoen.

RECOVERY PLAN

Interrupt the story line. Takea breakand allowyourself amoment tocorrectdistortedthoughtsabout thesituation. Askyourself:AmI catastrophizing?Makingthis intoa bigger deal than it hastobe?“Fosteringmindfulness—andreminding yourselfthatpeople[includingyou] arefallible—helpsdistanceyou from thesourceofstress,”saysAllen Elkin,Ph.D., thedirectorofthe StressManagementandCounseling Center, inNewYorkCity,and theauthorof Stress Management forDummies. Settle down. Spendafewminutes quietingyour mindwithdeep breathing. It calmsyour sympathetic nervoussystem, switchingoff the fight-or-flightresponse,says Elkin. Get moving. You’vehearditbefore: Take a briskwalkand cool off. That’sbecause, asidefromproviding a scenic distraction,shortdoses ofmoderateexercise(fiveto seven minuteswilldo) canboostyour immuneresponse, says Schoen.

THE FOOD HANGOVER

After overindulging in rich holiday fare (or simply eating too much), you wake up bloated and sluggish. “You’ve basically exceeded the capacity of your gastrointestinal [GI] tract to digest food,” says Dawn Wiese Adams, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine of gastroenterology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville. The food just sits there until it can be digested and transported through the GI tract, which can leave your stomach and small intestine distended and your belly aching.

RECOVERY PLAN

Mangia! “Peopleoftenundereator avoidfood completely to makeup

’Tis the season for healthy skin

FOLLOW THIS WINTER REGIMEN AND HYDRATE YOUR SKIN FROM HEAD TO TOE

An Added Boost of Moisture

In-shower moisturizing oils are great for keeping your skin hydrated. Give this new product from Cetaphil a try! It immediately hydrates and locks in moisture by activating on your wet skin while in the shower, but does so without leaving an oily residue.*

Kiss Chapped Lips Goodbye

Apply a protective coating of balm to your lips several times a day to shield them from winter winds and dry indoor heating.

For Total Body Hydration

When it gets colder, dermatologists have suggested applying thicker moisturizers equipped to help protect the skin’s barrier. So using something like the Moisturizing Cream from Cetaphil will help lock in moisture and help protect your skin from harsh winter elements.

new look!

Put Your Best Face Forward

Your face is exposed to cold wind, snow and even sun, all winter long. So in order to keep it protected you need to keep it hydrated. Consider trying a quick absorbing, non-greasy moisturizing formula with SPF like Cetaphil to prevent winter weather related irritation.

The Proof is in the Loofah

While showering, use a loofah to remove dull and dry skin cells. It not only improves the look of your skin, but also sweeps away dirt and bacteria.

forovereating the daybefore,” says KeriGans, R.D., adietitianin NewYorkCityand the authorof TheSmall ChangeDiet. Butfasting can backfire. “Bytheend ofthe day,you’reso hungry,you could easilyend upovereating again.” Instead,havea mealhigh in fiber and lowinsalt, anddrink plenty ofwater. Get moving. “Cardio exercise— a briskwalkor abikeride—speeds upgastrointestinal motility,”says Adams.And the endorphinsreleased bytheactivitywillboostyourmood, makingyoufeel lesscrummyoverall. Try ginger and mint. Numerous studies haveshownthatginger canrelievemild to moderate nausea. Have some ginger tea, or just gratefresh ginger intowarmwater. Andpeppermintoilhasbeen found toease symptomssuch as bloating, gas,and abdominalcrampsbycalmingtheGItract (inastudyofpeople with IBS).One note:Peppermint canexacerbatereflux,soifyou’re pronetoheartburn, skipthe mint andneutralizestomach acidwithan antacid instead.

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Lost your voice? Gargling might feel nice, but it’s not effective in healing the injured vocalfolds. Saliva stimulators, such as lozenges, herbaltea, and sugarless gum, are a better bet.

The talking hangover

Your takeaway from nonstop holiday revelry: a voice huskier than Kathleen Turner’s. The technical cause is “acute inflammation of the vocal folds,” says Michael Benninger, M.D., the chairman of the Head and Neck Institute, at the Cleveland Clinic. Inflammation causes fluid accumulation in the larynx, lowering the pitch of your voice. “How long this lasts depends on the severity of the trauma,” says Benninger. If you’re still whisper-hoarse after four days, see a doctor.

RECOVERY PLAN

Shhhh. Rest yourvoice.Withthe convenience of textingande-mail, youhaveno excuseforstraining tobeheard(er, exceptmaybe ifyou havelittlekids).Foradayortwo, talkaslittle as possibleand only“in gentle library tones,”saysBenninger. Rehydrate your vocal folds. Small sipsofwaterwitha squeeze oflemon,noncaffeinatedherbal teas,lozenges, sugarlessgum—these allstimulatesalivaflowandlubricatethevocalfolds, says Benninger. Theyalso “keepthe throat moist sothatyou don’tclearit,” hesays. (Throat clearing aggravates the injury.) Althoughgargling withsaltwater may be Grandma’s best advice, says Benninger, it’sineffective here: “The garglesnever getclose enoughto thelarynx tohelp.” Seek out steam. Whetheryousit inasteamroomor take along, hotshower,humid airmoisturizes those passageways, makingyour throatfeelbetter andpossiblyhasteninghealing.

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The nightmare hangover

When your sleep pattern is disrupted—whether by anxiety over dysfunctional family dynamics or just a nonstop schedule—nightmares are more likely to follow. And disturbing dreams can leave you feeling seriously out of sorts— hazy, tense, even nauseated. “When you’re dreaming of an unpleasant situation, the same areas of the brain are activated as would be in your waking life,” says Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. “It’s as if you were actually living the experience.” The stress hormones triggered by a bad dream are still flooding your bloodstream for the next few hours, and your body and mind suffer the aftereffects.

RECOVERY PLAN

Take a cold shower. “It shocksyour system,”saysCarsiHughes, Ph.D., a clinical psychologistatDominican University, inRiverForest,Illinois, “changing thechannelinyour body andbrain.” Get it out of your head. Writedown orrecordas muchasyoucan about thedreamand howitmadeyoufeel, Raymond suggests.“Puttingthe dreamintowordsengages theprefrontal cortex, thepartofyourbrain that’s involved inreasoningand judgment, calming thefearand anxiety,”she says. Analyze it. “Ifyoucan change yourthoughts about thedream,you canchangeyourfeelings,” says Hughes,andthat in turnwill soothe your sympatheticnervoussystem. Sayyoudreamed thatyouwere tryingtogetaway from someone: Considerwhether thepersonyou were trying toevadereflectsa part ofyou—perhapsyou’re trying to tell yourself to leavesomethingbehind.

THE WORKOUT HANGOVER

You’ve been too busy with obligations to get to the gym. You try to make up for that with one massive Saturday session that includes a challenging spin class and an intense interaction with the stairclimber. The next day, you’re paying for it. “As your muscles repair themselves, inflammation occurs and impinges on the nerves surrounding the muscles, causing pain,” says Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. Although slight soreness is typically a sign that your muscles have been stressed and will get stronger with adequate recovery time, it doesn’t make walking any easier.

RECOVERY PLAN

Ice, ice, baby. You might be craving a hotbath,but thoseachyspots will respondbetter to an icepack, whichcan easeinflammation andinterrupt painsignals,saysFabio Comana, M.S.,a facultymember inthe department ofexercise and nutritionalsciencesatSan Diego StateUniversity. Drink tart cherry juice. A2016 study publishedinthejournal Nutrients sawbenefits forsemiprofessional malesoccer playerswho consumed 30milliliters(aboutanounce)of tart Montmorency cherryjuice, which is high inanti-inflammatory