Big party season is upon us, and we must survive Christmas and a New Year parties!
While we know that excessive drinking is not good for us, we've all been there - waking up the morning after with a headache, dry mouth and bad skin, a little less than ready to face the day.
Alcohol acts as a diuretic, meaning it increases urination and you are losing electrolytes and become dehydrated. That is what causes most of hangover symptoms like a headache, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting. The memory loss, appetite changes, and foggy-headed feeling all due to the inflammatory effect alcohol has on the body.
While the only thing proven to cure a hangover is the time, what you eat and drink can improve the situation and help you to get better sooner.
Water is essential to rehydrate, and some of the most important nutrients to replenish after a night of heavy drinking are potassium and magnesium, two electrolytes that are key for proper muscle and nerve function.
Coconut water, bananas, avocados, spinach, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, yogurt, citrus fruits, and tomato are some great Potassium-rich food.
Magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, fish, chicken, and dark chocolate.
Alcohol also causes your blood sugar to fall (which can make you weak and shaky), this is not the time to go low-carb. Starchy carbs like oats and whole-grain bread and cereals can help get your blood glucose back on track and provide important B vitamins like vitamin B6 and thiamine that you lose when drinking. Alcohol also depletes vitamin C, so you will need to include fruits and veggies to replace what you lost.
Go slow with very high fat or very high fibre foods if your stomach is feeling off, as they could make you feel worse. Sugar and artificial sweeteners can set you off too. Instead, go for foods that are naturally sweet, and work some protein into that first meal so you don't experience a blood sugar crash-and-burn.
Here are few Smoothie recipes with hangover-soothing ingredients to the rescue- to help you feel more like yourself .
1. SAVE YOUR LIVER SMOOTHIE
Benefits
Detoxification is something that your body does daily and quite effectively too.
You can lend it a helping hand after a heavy night out by ensuring your body has the right nutrients -cleansing foods such as beetroot, carrot, leeks, garlic, onions, eggs, broccoli, watercress and (breath freshening) parsley. This smoothie is rich in antioxidants (including vitamin C), essential fats and fibre will also help move toxins out.
Ingredients
- 3 handfuls of kale or spinach
- 2 sticks celery
- 1- 2 apples
- 1/4 avocado (to make it thick and creamy)
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 2cm piece of fresh ginger
- A squeeze of lemon
- 1-3 glasses of pure water (adjust according to how you like the consistency)
2. AVOCADO-CACAO SMOOTHIE
Benefits
Detoxing after drinking alcohol is highly recommended and the ingredients in this smoothie, including apples, avocado and beetroot can help your body reset its mineral levels and treat your liver and gallbladder. Ginger is very good for nausea, coupled with honey to make the drink taste better, makes a smoothie that is perfection in a glass for curing hangovers.
Ingredients
- teaspoon of cacao powder
- half an avocado
- small beetroot
- teaspoon of honey
- apple
- thumb sized piece of ginger
- two scoops of whey protein
3. AFTER-PARTY PICK-ME-UP
Benefits
If you're feeling worse for wear, you need something quick and simple to help revive you, This recipe is from the book Pip & Nut: The Nut Butter Cookbook contains a handful of ingredients, all of which are easy to find. It takes just one minute to throw together and it's also naturally sweet, so great for picking up your blood sugar which gets lower when you drink alcohol.
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana, cut into chunks
- 50g frozen berries
- 15g rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp cashew butter
- 150ml unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp coconut nectar