In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleFruitVinegarWineSpices
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Fruit
Vinegar
Wine
Spices
Sometimes, we eat a little too much. And while that extra slice of cheesecake may have sounded like a good idea at the time (and was absolutely delicious), eating too many calories can force your body into overdrive as it tries to digest a high volume of food. “Just metabolizing food—especially fat- and carbohydrate-rich fare—causes the body to produce free radicals, which attack cells and can promote the development of chronic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and cancer,” says Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., former research chemist and nutritionist with theUSDA at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center. And, of course, the more we eat, the more free radicals we produce.
Pictured recipe:Pistachio & Peach Toast
1. Eat Fruit
Pictured recipe:Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic
2. Go for Vinegar
Read more:Diabetes Myths that Don’t Lower Blood Sugar
3. Drink Wine
Pictured recipe:Paprika Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts
4. Add Spices to Your Meals
Adding spices to your meal may help to lessen the negative effects of overeating. In one study, participants who ate a meal that included a 6-gram spice blend (consisting of basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, oregano, parsley, red pepper, rosemary, thyme and turmeric) had a lower inflammatory response after eating a high-saturated-fat, high-carbohydrate meal compared to when they ate a nearly identical meal that lacked spices.
Read more:9 of the World’s Healthiest Spices & Herbs You Should Be Eating
Pictured recipe:Purple Fruit Salad
The Bottom Line
One particularly big meal or one day of overeating won’t make or break your diet and health. The important thing is to not dwell in the past and give yourself grace rather than beating yourself up about any food decisions. Aim to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water and move your body a little bit—take a walk or yoga class. Plus, these free radical-fighting strategies will help you get back to feeling your best.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Oh ES, Petersen KS, Kris-Etherton PM, Rogers CJ.Spices in a high-saturated-fat, high-carbohydrate meal reduce postprandial proinflammatory cytokine secretion in men with overweight or obesity: A 3-period, crossover, randomized controlled trial.J Nutr. 2020;150(6):1600-1609. doi:10.1093/jn/nxaa063
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Oh ES, Petersen KS, Kris-Etherton PM, Rogers CJ.Spices in a high-saturated-fat, high-carbohydrate meal reduce postprandial proinflammatory cytokine secretion in men with overweight or obesity: A 3-period, crossover, randomized controlled trial.J Nutr. 2020;150(6):1600-1609. doi:10.1093/jn/nxaa063
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Oh ES, Petersen KS, Kris-Etherton PM, Rogers CJ.Spices in a high-saturated-fat, high-carbohydrate meal reduce postprandial proinflammatory cytokine secretion in men with overweight or obesity: A 3-period, crossover, randomized controlled trial.J Nutr. 2020;150(6):1600-1609. doi:10.1093/jn/nxaa063
