How To: Detox After Senior Week

How To: Detox After Senior Week
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Photo Credit: Small Kitchen College

Senior Week was probably the only time in my life when I didn't feel the need to do...anything. I slept through my morning run, ate breakfast at the Waffle Shop, went out for $5 margaritas on a Monday. I watched the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in the middle of the day and went out for nachos at night. I even checked off some items from my Penn State bucket list like climbing Mt. Nittany - the namesake of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

So when I found out Penn State President Graham Spanier was planning to do away with Senior Week, I was horrified. Deprive students of the only blissful week of nothing to do with a whole world ahead of them? Senior Week is the last breath you take before jumping into an even bigger pool of more fish and meaner sharks.

Whether or not your college advocates the week between the end of finals and commencement, find a way to celebrate. As a post-grad, I can promise you won't get that feeling again - not even on the weekends.

That said, when you start to feel the effects of late night binging and early morning boozing, it's time to detox. The number one component of a detox diet is water. Flush out your system and rehydrate. Broth-based soups, juices with no added sugar and herbal teas are a less boring way to rehydrate. Just avoid caffeine of all kinds; it will only dehydrate you yet again.

To avoid retaining that water weight, lay off salty foods and add some exercise. All the nachos, wings and graduation cakes you ate during senior week have to go somewhere, so make sure it's not on your hips and thighs.

According to an article on MSNBC.com, hangovers are largely caused by congenors, biologically active compounds that trigger inflammation, found in alcohol. In general, the darker or the cheaper the booze, the more congenors. If you can help it, stick to clear, good quality liquors during senior week.

But if you got caught in the moment and downed one too many Long Islands with those french fries, your roommates and friends will offer mysterious concoctions and restrictive detox diets that do more harm than good. Instead, keep it simple. Eat clean (unprocessed) food, down lots of water, and try this Detox Elixir (below) to replenish vitamins and build up your blood sugar in a healthy way.

Alexia Miller of Small Kitchen College

Alexia is a recent grad living in Lancaster, PA. She loves to travel, experiment in the kitchen, and shop locally. The best breakfast she's ever had is Swedish Oatmeal Pancakes.

**Recipe**

Senior Week Detox Elixir

Serves 1 very hung-over person, all day

Ingredients

You can either puree/juice the following, or buy the no sugar added juices at the store and mix them together. To juice without a juicer, just add the fruit/veggies to a blender with extra apple juice. Then strain with a cheese cloth.

3/4 cup beet juice (great for cleansing the liver)
2 1/3 cups apple juice, plus 1/4 cup if using a blender (healthy source of carbs for building up blood sugar)
1/2 cups carrot juice (contains carotene, important for rebuilding white blood cells damaged from drinking)
2/3 cup celery juice (high in vitamin C)

Mix all the juices together in a juicer or a blender. Drink. Feel better.

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