It happens after every party and celebration. Everything looks delicious and we want to try a little bit of something. Before we know it, we are stuffed, bloated and swear it will never happen again. That is, until the next get together.

West Orange resident and certified holistic health and nutrition counselor Bernadette Armiento is all too familiar with this scenario.

"My job is to empower clients on how to improve their eating habits, whether it is at a holiday party or any other gathering," said Armiento. The good news is that even if you overate at Thanksgiving or at any other meal, which many people do all the time, all is not lost. Armiento shared a few of her favorite "Day After Thanksgiving or Any Holiday" recipes and tips to help beat the bloat.

If you're feeling a bit hungover — food or otherwise — a delicious and soothing remedy can be made using Kuzu. This is great for soothing the system. This information and recipe is from Annemarie Colbin's book, Food and Healing:

Kuzu is a starch from the root of the kudzu plant. You can buy it in the Japanese or international section of the supermarket, health food store or ethnic grocery. It's similar to arrowroot or cornstarch. It must be dissolved in water. It's very soothing for intestinal distress and even helps with colds.

Plain shoyu-kuzu: 1 T kuzu in 1 cup cold water. Cook, stirring, until thick. Add 1 T natural soy sauce or to taste.

To this, you can also add 1 T umeboshi plums or 1 T umeboshi plum paste, which is sold in the same area as the kuzu. Cut down on soy and let simmer for a few minutes more. You can also add 1 T fresh grated ginger. The addition of the umeboshi, which is a somewhat bitter, salty preserved plum, is good for indigestion or overeating, like an antacid. Please note that umeboshi is intense. A little goes a long way.

Armiento's favorite kuzu remedy is Apple Juice Kuzu: Put 1 cup of apple juice in a small saucepan. Dissolve 2 T kuzu starch and about 1 T vanilla extract or to taste. Cook until thickened, stirring all the time. Swirl in 1 T Tahini, which is sesame seed butter. This will be the texture of pudding. This can be eaten hot or cold. It tastes like a dessert, but it's really a remedy. This is also great for children. Apple juice kuzu is a "comforting concoction" that can counteract tension, contraction, cramping, anger and irritability. 

Most everyone will have tons of Thanksgiving leftovers. Armiento suggests turning the leftovers into lighter, healthier meals such as: Appropriate the turkey carcass and use it to make soup broth; add healthy grains like barley, quinoa, more vegetables.

Shred leftover turkey into burritos, quesadillas or tacos.

Leftover baked sweet potatoes make terrific snacks. Wrap them up and reheat or enjoy at room temperature.

Lighten up the turkey by putting it into a salad.  

If you still are feeling stuffed, take advantage of late-fall vegetables for a little bit of cleanse. Eat raw or lightly steamed fennel, celery, kale and collards. Also, simply steamed squash is delicious and filling.

Lastly, get moving. Take a walk with your family or friends, go to the gym or rake some leaves. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you move and get your heart pumping. This will aid in your digestion and help you feel better overall.

Do you have ideas for upcoming columns, know an athletic enthusiast, want to ask a question, or can put me in touch with people who are inspiring or creating a healthier West Orange? Post a comment or e-mail Hurtado. Hurtado is an enthusiastic fitness and wellness expert with years of experience. She blogs about her health and fitness adventures at JudieJuice. Her articles have been published in magazines such as Time Out New York and Park Place.