Health
6 tips to ‘detox’ after excessive holiday eating and drinking
Between dinner parties, cookie exchanges and festive cocktails, most people report eating and drinking more than usual during the holidays, gaining on average 1 to 2 pounds of body weight.
Now that a new year has arrived — bringing with it a return to regular routines and the typical flurry of resolutions — many may be eager to look and feel healthier.
“If you are feeling bloated and sluggish after the holidays, it is most likely water retention from eating higher-sodium and higher-sugar foods, along with alcohol and less overall activity,” New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade told Fox News Digital.
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While it can be tempting to jump on a “detox” plan, the dietitian noted that the body naturally detoxifies itself through organs like the liver and kidneys.
Most people report eating and drinking more than usual during the holidays, gaining on average 1 to 2 pounds of body weight. (iStock)
“You do not need to follow a detox plan or take a special supplement to detox — however, you can adopt healthier habits post-holidays to support your body’s detox abilities while helping to flush out the water retention that makes you feel bloated and fatigued,” she said.
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian, agrees that the body does a good job of detoxing what it doesn’t need without any extra products — but acknowledges that holiday excess can take a toll.
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“Many people feel bloated from extra eating and more salt, sugar and alcohol,” she said to Fox News Digital. “If you feel that you are in need of a detox, I recommend a simplified diet instead of a detox diet.” (More on that below.)
6 tips for a reset
The experts shared with Fox News Digital some simple steps for getting back to a healthier state after a season of overindulgence.
1. Stay hydrated
Registered dietitian and food blogger Lauren Harris-Pincus, based in New York, recommends aiming for at least 64 to 96 ounces of water per day.
“This will help keep things moving, support your own detoxification processes, nourish your skin, help with fatigue and combat the dryness we experience from indoor forced heat in the winter,” she told Fox News Digital.
“You can adopt healthier habits post-holidays to support your body’s detox abilities.”
All unsweetened beverages count toward hydration — water, coffee, tea and sparkling water, as well as milk and yogurt, according to Harris-Pincus.
“Most fruits and veggies are hydrating as well,” she added.
2. Follow a ‘simplified diet’
Freirich recommends continuing to eat consistently throughout the day, focusing primarily on unprocessed foods, home-cooked meals, and “particularly nourishing” foods like vegetables, soups, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fruits.
Experts recommend focusing on unprocessed foods, home-cooked meals, and “particularly nourishing” foods like vegetables, soups, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fruits. (iStock)
She also recommends slowly increasing fiber to 25 to 35 grams per day. Examples of fiber-rich foods include unprocessed vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and chickpeas.
Harris-Pincus also recommends balancing meals with protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats.
3. Prioritize sleep
Most experts recommend that healthy adults get at least seven hours of sleep nightly.
“Lack of quality sleep not only zaps your energy, but can also impact hunger and satiety, leading to poor food choices that will keep you feeling bloated and sluggish,” Palinski-Wade said.
Most experts recommend that healthy adults get at least seven hours of sleep nightly. (iStock)
She recommends going to bed at the same time each night, eliminating distractions such as TVs and cell phones, and aiming to have a quiet, dark sleep environment.
4. Increase probiotic-containing foods
Probiotics are microorganisms that help balance the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut microbiome, which promotes healthy digestion, according to experts.
“Probiotics can be found in yogurt, kombucha, kefir, miso soup, kimchi, sauerkraut and other fermented foods,” Freirich said.
5. Cut out or limit alcohol
Recent research has confirmed the negative health effects of alcohol, including a higher risk of many types of cancer.
“Reducing or skipping alcohol can do wonders for your overall health, energy and well-being in the new year,” Freirich said.
Recent research has confirmed the negative health effects of alcohol, including a higher risk of many types of cancer. (iStock)
Chris Tuell, clinical director of addiction services at the Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason, Ohio, also recommends abstaining.
“Give your liver a break by cutting back on alcohol and reducing caffeine intake,” he advised. “Replace with herbal teas or decaffeinated options.”
6. Boost physical activity
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
“Engage in light exercise, such as walking, yoga or stretching to improve circulation and metabolism,” Tuell suggested. “Gradually re-introduce more intense workouts as your energy returns.”
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Simply adding more steps to your day or incorporating stretching into your routine will help to fight bloat and boost energy, according to Palinski-Wade.
Harris-Pincus agreed that the activity doesn’t have to be extreme — “even walking around the house brings mental and physical health benefits,” she noted.
Dangerous behaviors to avoid
Palinski-Wade warns about products that claim to offer a “quick fix,” such as losing a rapid amount of weight in a short period of time or promoting detox claims that are not backed by scientific evidence.
“Reducing or skipping alcohol can do wonders for your overall health, energy and well-being.”
“Some of these products could contain potentially harmful ingredients or laxatives, or may interact with other supplements and medications,” she cautioned.
It’s always best to discuss a supplement with your physician or dietitian to make sure it is from a reputable brand and is safe for your individual health needs, the dietitian added.
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“In order to feel your best and maintain that feeling, you need to incorporate realistic lifestyle habits you can stick with day after day,” Palinski-Wade said. “Consistency is key when it comes to achieving true health change.”
Probiotics are microorganisms that help balance the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut microbiome, which promotes healthy digestion, according to experts. (iStock)
Freirich agreed, warning against any extreme fasting, cleanses or detox products.
“Many of these cause extreme bowel movements, which can lead to a dramatic loss of electrolytes and fluids that can be extremely dangerous for the body,” she cautioned. “Fasting and cleanses can also cause dangerous changes to blood sugar.”
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Instead, focusing on the six steps outlined above will help your digestive system move regularly, Freirich said, while also reducing any water retention and puffiness.
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Red light therapy has been shown to reduce brain inflammation, protecting people who experience head trauma from long-term health consequences, a University of Utah study has shown.
Brain damage from repeated impact over the years is known to cause cognitive symptoms, ranging from memory issues to full-blown dementia, particularly affecting soldiers and athletes.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts rather than a single injury, according to Mayo Clinic.
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More than 100 former NFL football players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, according to the new study, which was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Other research has shown that military personnel in active combat suffer from similar issues, as do first responders and veterans.
The treatment was administered three times a week for 20 minutes using specialized headsets and intranasal devices designed to penetrate the skull. (iStock)
In the new study, the researchers recruited 26 current football players to understand more about the impact of red-light therapy on brain injuries.
The participants received either red light therapy delivered by a light-emitting headset and a device that clips into the nose, or a placebo treatment with an identical device that doesn’t produce light. Players self-administered the therapy three times a week, 20 minutes each time, for 16 weeks.
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“My first reaction was, ‘There’s no way this can be real,’” said first author Hannah Lindsey, Ph.D., in the university press release. “That’s how striking it was.”
Specific wavelengths of light are believed to enter the brain and reduce molecules that trigger inflammation, potentially halting the path toward dementia and other cognitive conditions. (iStock)
Players using the placebo treatment experienced increased brain inflammation over the course of the season. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans taken at the end of the season showed significantly more signs of inflammation than at the beginning of the season, the study found.
For players who used red-light therapy during the season, their brain inflammation didn’t increase at all.
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Previous studies have shown that red light, if powerful enough, can penetrate the skull and reach the brain, where it may reduce inflammation-related molecules.
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“When we first started this project, I was extremely skeptical,” said Elisabeth Wilde, Ph.D., the senior author on the study. “But we’ve seen consistent results across multiple of our studies, so it’s starting to be quite compelling.”
Study limitations
The study was conducted using a small sample size, which led to different levels of inflammation in the treatment and control groups, the researchers acknowledged.
While the placebo group showed increased brain inflammation during the football season, those receiving red light therapy showed no increase in inflammatory markers. (iStock)
Future large randomized clinical trials will be “crucial to back up the results” in larger populations, they noted.
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“We’ve been trying to figure out how to make sports safer, so that our kids, friends and family can participate in sports safely for the long term while they’re involved in activities that give them happiness and joy,” Carrie Esopenko, Ph.D., second author of the study, said in the release.
“And this really feels like part of the hope for protecting the brain that we’ve been searching for.”
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The team plans to recruit 300 people with persistent symptoms from TBI or concussion for a randomized controlled trial in 2026, with a focus on first responders, veterans and active-duty service members.
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Drinking heavily and consistently over an adult’s lifetime could lead to a higher risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in the journal Cancer by the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The study analyzed 20 years of data from more than 88,000 U.S. adults to determine how long-term drinking impacted the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) or precancerous colorectal adenomas (polyps).
The participants reported their average weekly intake of beer, wine and liquor intake during four age periods — 18 to 24, 25 to 39, 40 to 54, and 55 and older.
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“Heavy drinkers” were identified as having more than 14 drinks per week and “moderate drinkers” had between seven and 14 drinks per week.
The observational research revealed that consistent heavy drinking over adulthood was linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer, especially rectal cancer.
Researchers found a major association between colorectal cancer diagnosis and heavy lifetime drinking. (iStock)
Heavy lifetime drinking was associated with a 25% higher overall CRC risk and nearly double the risk of rectal cancer. Moderate lifetime drinking had a lower overall CRC risk.
Compared to light drinkers, the consistently heavy drinkers had about a 91% higher risk of CRC.
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For colorectal adenomas (precancerous polyps), higher current lifetime drinking did not show a strong pattern, although former drinkers showed a significantly lower risk of non-advanced adenoma compared to current light drinkers.
Out of the 88,092 participants, 1,679 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Out of the 88,092 participants in the study, 1,679 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. (iStock)
The authors noted that the research was limited, as it was observational and not based on a clinical trial. It also hinged on self-reported alcohol use.
The findings suggest that consistently heavy alcohol intake and higher average lifetime consumption “may increase CRC risk, whereas cessation may lower adenoma risk,” the researchers stated. Associations “may differ by tumor site,” they added.
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The link between drinking alcohol and cancer is not a new discovery, according to health experts.
In a recent episode of the podcast “The Dr. Mark Hyman Show,” Dr. Mark Hyman, chief medical officer of Function Health in California, detailed how even moderate drinking can impact “nearly every organ system in the body,” due to metabolic stress, inflammation, impaired detoxification and its effect on hormones.
The link between drinking alcohol and cancer is not a new discovery, according to health experts. (iStock)
Drinking has been found to increase the risk of many cancers, metabolic dysfunction, gut microbiome disturbances and mitochondrial toxins, Hyman said.
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“Bottom line, alcohol taxes every major system in your body, especially your liver, your brain, your gut, your hormones,” he warned.
Reducing or eliminating alcohol can lower the risk of several cancers, according to medical experts. (Getty Images)
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Pinchieh Chiang, a clinician at Circle Medical in San Francisco, shared that taking a break from drinking alcohol for longer periods of time can “reshape health more profoundly.”
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“Over months to a year, we see sustained improvements in blood pressure, liver function and inflammation,” she said. “Those changes directly affect long-term heart disease and stroke risk.”
Chiang added, “Reducing or eliminating alcohol lowers the risk of several cancers, including breast and colorectal, over time.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.
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A mysterious hum is reportedly plaguing the residents of Cincinnati, keeping people up at night and even disturbing them psychologically.
Residents of the Northside, Clifton and Camp Washington neighborhoods have been reporting the disturbances since December. The noises are said to be louder and more noticeable at night.
“We were hearing this siren-like quality noise — whirring, oscillating, going up and down,” said Clifton resident Shaun Herold, who contacted local news outlet WKRC about the noises.
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“My son came up to me and said, ‘Dad, the tornado sirens are going off,’” Herold said. “Usually, it starts at about 10 p.m. It can go till 3 a.m., 4 a.m. But it’s quite unpredictable.”
“It kind of stresses me out ’cause I don’t know what it is. It’s kind of scary,” added his son, Elijah Herold.
A mysterious, intermittent hum has been disturbing Cincinnati residents since December, disrupting sleep and causing psychological stress. (iStock)
Herold said he spent one entire night tracking how many times he heard the noise going on and off. The duration of the noises can vary from a few seconds to several minutes.
“I feel like it’s definitely like a foreign sound,” Northside’s Brendan Marcum told the news outlet. “Some nights it would be a little louder, some nights it would be a little quieter.”
“It kind of stresses me out because I don’t know what it is, and it’s kind of scary,” added another resident.
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Hundreds of Cincinnati residents have shared their theories about potential sources of the sound on social media, ranging from biblical to supernatural.
On Reddit, other users blamed the recycling plant. “My favorite theory is River Metals Recycling,” one person wrote, claiming that the plant moved neighborhoods when the original location “wouldn’t put up with the noise from its metal shredder any longer.”
Residents have described the sound as a siren-like, oscillating whirring that can last from seconds to several minutes. (iStock)
Others suspect the noise is coming from a failing turbocharger on a diesel train engine at the nearby CSX Queensgate, a major freight rail yard in Cincinnati.
While the yard routinely generates loud, mechanical sounds, residents say they’ve never heard anything like this before.
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WKRC reported that an anonymous source sent recordings of the locomotive, claiming it to be the source of the sound. However, a spokesperson for CSX told the news station that he “has not heard a noise like that on our property” and suggested it could be coming from another location.
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He added that any equipment requiring maintenance is “handled through established operating and mechanical protocols.”
According to a source, rail crews have reported the engine for excessive noise and believe it will be repaired. (iStock)
“We just hope to get to the bottom of it, figure out what it is, and if it’s, you know, a temporary thing or not,” Herold told the news outlet. “And hopefully the community can rally if it’s not temporary, because it’s really impacting us.”
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City officials recommend that residents report the noise to 311, the city’s non-emergency line.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cincinnati officials for updates.
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