GEORGIE - Confessions of a Superbowl

I have to admit that I have deliberated long and hard about actually coming clean on this blog about what happened this weekend at the Superbowl. I know there’ll be frowning and tut-tutting all round but frankly I think the odd fall off the good-health-highway is not a bad thing to make you remember how much you have to work at looking after yourself... and how crappy you feel when you don’t.

Here we go then with case and point. Free NFL guest tickets to the Superbowl in Miami on Sunday. Free food, booze, transportation, game tickets and after party. And the Americans do it OH SO WELL. The pre-game tailgate was an absolute triumph of a day out with about 50 different bars, food stalls and a live concert (Steve Winwood got my vote). Problem with the whole affair actually was that the food was in bite size portions... Amuse-bouches if you like. Oh dear. So for a piggy like me, that means I can try almost everything as hey, it’s only little! Even the alcohol was in small sensible portions, it wasn’t rationed, you could have as much as you like, it just came in small servings.

The problem was that by the time my friend Julie and I left the AFTER party at 1.30 in the morning, I had actually managed to make myself ill from eating so much. A steady parade of food and drink started to pass my lips at 1.30 pm and I pretty much ate and drank for 12 hours.

Last night, we sat down and totted up what we’d gone through. It was only when we put it on paper that we were horrified at how much we’d eaten and certainly understanding why we felt a little rough. I thought I would share it with you. It’s quite a read! The following was consumed by just two people.

Chicken Salad (started so well!)
Shrimp Salad
Italian Sausage
Quiche
Pasta Marinara
Jerk Chicken
vichyssoise
Chocolate fondant
Vegetable crudites
Pulled pork
Pizza
Hot dog
Sushi
Spring Roll
Jambalaya
Mushroom pastry
Sausage
Scallops
Beef Brisket
Mini Croissant
Pana Cotte
Lemon Tart
Lemon Meringue
Tiramisu
Chocolate Sponge
Chocolate Mousse
Bloody Mary
White wine
Prosecco
Lite Beer
Martini
Rum and diet coke
(lots of water - not that it helped really)


What followed our once-in-a-lifetime day out was interesting. I went to bed with a temperature AND a hot flush that I usually only get from eating too much yeast/sugar. I slept AWFULLY and today I feel like I might just have the first ever FOOD HANGOVER. I didn’t drink anywhere near enough to have a sore head - but my sinuses are full, my head heavy and my tummy is bloated and sore... PLUS I am REALLY hungry today (is it possible to stretch your tummy so that it just wants more?!)

I have previously read articles on the excesses of Superbowl. There are two days in the year when Americans eat and eat and eat; One is Thanksgiving, and the other is Superbowl Sunday. For example, the yanks plough through 20 million lbs (9 million kilos) of potato/corn chips and 8 million lbs (3.6 million kilos) worth of guacamole dip alone on Superbowl Sunday and its estimated that on these two days of the year the food intake per person can be as high as 8 THOUSAND calories - IN ONE DAY!!

Even Julie and I didn’t manage that. We reckon we probably hoovered about 4 to 5 thousand calories each yesterday and we will be bringing our poor bodies out of shock this week with health fruit and salads and LOTS of water. I know we aren’t alone in this over-indulgence, just glad it isn’t a regular thing. Back to my 1500 a day thanks. Nothing teaches you not to sneak that extra piece of chocolate cake like eating the whole thing and making yourself sick!

Nice to know we are all human - and after a gym session today and a round of golf, I feel a little more human. And that I will probably never go to a Superbowl again so will NEVER repeat that feat. If I DO ever go again, believe me, a little self restraint will be in order... When will I learn?