Let’s face it, you want to go out and enjoy a couple of drinks with friends. You work hard and it’s nice to relax and have some fun. What isn’t fun is when your weekend is shot because of the unwanted effects of drinking alcohol. When you understand what is happening in your body when you drink, you can actually work with your body to improve your symptoms. By understanding the vitamins and minerals that your body is depleted of when you feel hungover, you can then look to certain foods to eat to recuperate more quickly.
Hangover symptoms are what we experience when we drink excessive alcohol. These symptoms, common after a night of drinking can include sensitivity to light, nausea, headache, tiredness, irritability, excessive dryness in the mouth, dizziness, muscle weakness, and lack of mental alertness. If you’ve ever had a gnarly hangover you know that it is enough to make you want to swear off drinking altogether. However, if you moderate your drinking, and know the best foods for hangover cure, you may find you are able to enjoy the night and the next morning. Here are six foods you can eat to help replenish your body’s vital nutrients that are depleted from alcohol.
Bananas: Portable Potassium
Bananas for Potassium: Potassium is an electrolyte that your body loses when you drink and reduces dizziness. This is because when you drink, alcohol blocks the production of a specific hormone called vasopressin that tells your body to hold onto water. So when you say hello to a beer, you are also saying goodbye to the electrolytes in your body like sodium and potassium. This leads you to dehydration which is mostly what the symptoms of a hangover are. In order to replenish our electrolytes, we can look to one of the cheapest foods around which are often even sold at gas stations, the standard yellow banana. This carries 12% of the recommended daily value of potassium your body needs and will start to help you rehydrate because it also contains water that will not go right through your system quickly. Yes, it is better to hydrate eating vegetables and high water content fruit than drink water because the water stays in your system longer. The trusty banana comes in first as our top foods for a hangover cure.
Avocados + B Vitamins
Avocadoes for B6: Avocados are helpful because they are nutrient-dense and contain the B6 vitamins you need for energy. They also have potassium which can help reduce dizziness. Avocados come in for the hangover-cure win packed with fiber as well. Equally as important, B vitamins are essential nutrients your body needs to recover from a hangover. The reason avocado toast is big in city cafes for breakfast is because it helps our body recover after a fun evening. Remember, if I toasted the night before, I need avocado toast the morning after.
Go Extra on Eggs
Eggs for Amino Acids: Your body creates some toxic by-products as it metabolizes alcohol. But when you drink alcohol, your body produces less glutathione which helps break down those toxins. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that increasing the glutathione production in your body will help reduce a hangover. Eggs have high levels of amino acids that will help your body produce glutathione. So remember, eggs are your friend after eggs-tra drinks.
Pick Up Some Pickles
Pickles for Sodium: As we previously mentioned, the hormone that makes your body hold water is blocked and thus not produced when you drink. Further, as you lose water, you lose those essential electrolytes which include our friend, sodium. The sodium content in pickles, as well as pickle juice, happens to be quite high (anywhere from 13 – 20% of the daily recommended value). So coming in at number four in our educated list of the best foods for hangover cure are pickles. You can remember that if you’ve picked up too many shots, it’s time to pick up some pickles.
Dark Leafy Greens like Kale or Spinach
Dark Leafy Greens for Magnesium: Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens contain a high level of fiber, minerals, and amino acids that can help replenish your body’s nutrient levels; especially magnesium. They can also help your digestion if you are constipated or have diarrhea. Interestingly, magnesium is a key mineral in combating anxiety. If you feel anxious after a night of heavy drinking, your body may be magnesium deficient. Magnesium is also essential for our sleep and if you find alcohol disrupts your sleep patterns, look to increase magnesium levels.
Honey, the Natural Sweetener
Honey for Fructose: The high fructose content of honey can help replenish your blood sugar but it does more than that. The fructose will help remove the alcohol you have drank from your body at a faster rate. That’s why honey made it on the top six list of foods for hangover cure.
Now you know hangover foods that help you feel better and can keep them stocked in your refrigerator. Foods to avoid are actually greasy foods and oily foods which can further upset the stomach. It’s also good to avoid more acidic drinks and foods like coffee and soda. Go for coconut water and sparkling water instead. Some people take a shot of olive oil before drinking to coat the stomach. Whatever you do, don’t take this as a get out of jail free card and think you can just drink as much as you want and then just eat avocado and feel great.
One major reason is that our body can only metabolize alcohol so quickly. If you pace yourself as you drink instead of taking shots and you drink water in between cocktails, chances are you will feel a lot better the next day. Drink water and eat a banana before bed and if you can, some of these other foods as well. We want you to enjoy your mornings as much as your nights and we know that it’s not always easy to find pickles and avocados late at night which is why you can also consider this supplement, Ivita Active, which is a smart way to help cure your hangover. Ivita Active has many of the essential nutrients your body needs to fight a hangover. It also helps reduce other negative effects of drinking by insulating your liver. If you’re considering partying with that “one” friend or have a big wedding invite or bachelorette party coming up, be sure to stock your fridge with these six foods to cure your hangover and an extra bottle of Ivita Active just in case.