It’s Sunday morning and you had one to many drinks last night while out on the dance floor. Don’t worry we’ve all been there. Now your head is spinning and the thought of any light makes you sick. Like I said, we’ve all been there!
Idk when this happened, but I feel like at one point, I didn’t get hangovers. But now? Two glasses of wine leaves me with an aching head ache the next morning.
When you drink alcohol, it leaves your body is incredibly dehydrated and in desperate need of nourishment. Most believe that greasy food and the hair of the dog, would cure your nasty hangover. The sad part, is that neither of those are even the least bit true. In fact, they will actually make you feel worse!
Here is what you really should be having!
Electrolytes: First things first, replenish your body with electrolytes. Replenishing electrolytes is literally essential to making you feel better. You can essentially restore some through your common H20, but you really do need more than water. To restore electrolytes, most reach for a Gatorade, but truth be told, because Gatorade is so high in sugar, it will actually make you feel worse. So instead, look for water with Electrolytes (sodium) in it. Like this Propel Electrolyte option. Coconut water is also a really great option! Coconut water actually has 5 of the electrolytes found in our blood as compared to Gatorade, which only has two!
Bananas: Full of potassium, bananas are one of the top foods you should be grabbing after have one too many cocktails. Potassium, which is an important mineral in your body, is significantly lost when you drink. Bananas are also full of the Vitamin B6!
Healthy/Fatty Foods: Not the greasy burger on the menu! I’m talking healthy fats like avocado and salmon. When you drink, the alcohol completely depletes the body of its B Vitamins. So when you have a high (healthy) fatty food like salmon, with just 3 oz, you can completely restore your body. Eating foods like this will help with the dizziness.
Eggs: Eggs contain two main types of Amino Acids, Cysteine and Taurine. Cysteine breaks down the left over alcohol in your body while Taurine is known to boost your liver function. Which your liver may need after a night of serious drinking.
Sweet Potatoes: Since alcohol puts a beating on your blood sugar and metabolism, it’s important to consume unrefined carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes. Which is why it is important to stay away from refined sugary carbs like biscuits, donuts, waffles and etc. Plus, sweet potatoes are high in fiber, potassium and B vitamins.
Oatmeal: I would have never thought this, but supposedly, oatmeal can help with the morning after jitters and anxiety. It’s been proven to calm you down, help to stable your blood sugar, and is filled with fiber. So instead of reaching for a bagel or pancake, try oatmeal!
Blueberries: Next time you’re head is spinning, try reaching for blueberries as opposed to aspirin. Blueberries jump start your immune system, as well was as are a great antioxidant.
Leafy Greens: Also filled with electrolytes, Vitamin C and lots of fiber.
Green, Rosemary or Lavender Tea: If your stomach is queasy, then be sure to reach for some tea. These three types of tea are high in antioxidants, which keep your organs healthy – including your liver. The tea will calm down the nausea making you feel better in no time.
Things to Avoid?
Basically, all of your temptations. Avoid the hair of the dog, avoid the overly greasy food (bacon &sausage) you’re craving, coffee (dehydrates you even more) and aspirin. Avoid anything overly sugary and all white carbs. Another thing to avoid is anything citrusy.While you would think it would be fine, the citrus will actually really irritate your stomach. Other than that though, what your body really needs is nutrition. It needs vitamins and the good stuff to get it feeling back to normal. So basically, if you want to cure that hangover of yours, then you need lots of healthy food and water!
My Favorite Hangover Meals?
- My banana and PB2 oatmeal, every time. You can find the recipe, here!
- Avocado toast on whole grain bread with a side of scrambled eggs.
- Green Juice. Not exactly a meal, but a great addition to your breakfast.
- Smoked Salmon w/ a hard boiled egg, capers and tomato slices.
- The Annie’s burrito from Barnaby’s w/ a side of guacamole. You can find the burrito, here! It’s filled with lots of egg whites, chicken & black beans.
- Leafy Green Salad filled with nuts, beets, asparagus, fruit and either chicken or shrimp for protein.
xo,
Lauren
