CHEERS!

Holistic and preventive medicine is the best kind in my book, but particularly when you are planning a night of partying and celebrating (think New Year’s Eve). One too many cocktails often leads to feeling horrible the next day.  These tips may come in handy if you’re able to plan ahead of your next hangover.

A hangover usually involves a group of symptoms like nausea, memory loss and irritability.  There are some underlying issues that may be responsible for some of these symptoms. Alcohol is a diuretic and therefore it is natural to become dehydrated after drinking too much. Other symptoms such as exhaustion, digestive distress and low blood sugar also need to be addressed.

Some drinks can affect your hangover worse than others. Alcohol contains impurities called congeners which are a result of fermentation and are something the body struggles to process. These congeners are responsible for most of the taste and aroma of distilled alcoholic beverages

Clear alcohol such as vodka, gin and sake are the best to have when trying to avoid a hangover. Typically, the darker your drink is, the worse the hangover could be. What this means is that red wine is typically worse for a hangover than white wine, and dark beer is worse than light beer.

The quality of the drink can also affect the hangover, low-quality wines are more likely to contribute to a bad hangover.

Additionally, you need to be wary of your mixer. The more sugar added to your drink the worse the hangover will likely be. Sugary drinks tend to make you absorb the alcohol faster. When mixing your drinks it is best to mix with still or sparkling water.

Some of the best natural hangover remedies include:

• Coconut Water – this drink which is natural and contains electrolytes which replenish essential fluids lost when you are dehydrated. It also contains more potassium than bananas.
• Fresh Ginger preferably grated and steeped in hot water, helps with nausea and sour stomach.  And adding a touch of raw honey to sweeten can also help stabilize blood sugar irregularities.
• Bone Broth contains minerals which are easily absorbed and helps soothe an upset stomach and restore electrolyte imbalance.
• Eating a Balanced Breakfast. – Eggs, containing essential amino acids and are a great source of protein which can help your body re-energize and heal.
• Consuming Complex Carbohydrates can help restore energy levels and help to absorb
  and release the toxins.  Sweet potatoes are a perfect, mineral-rich, complex carbohydrate. *People mistakenly think that eating heavy carbs and greasy foods at the diner are a good idea but in reality they really won’t help you avoid or get over a hangover because those carbs cause a big spike in blood sugar and then an inevitable crash.

Some other useful tips:

• Stay hydrated by drinking a glass (bottle) of water in between each alcoholic drink and drink a large glass of water before bed.
• Try to get at least 8-hours sleep
• Go Green!  Green tea may help an over-taxed liver and an alkalizing green juice or smoothie can help neutralize the acidity caused by too much alcohol.
• Be sure to drink responsibly and make sure you have a designated driver on hand.

For a delicious green smoothie you make like to try this recipe from my website:

Matcha Mint Smoothie
Serves 2

1 scoop Matcha Green Tea powder

2 handfuls fresh Spinach

1 bunch fresh Mint leaves

1” piece fresh Ginger Root

½ large or 1 small frozen Banana

Ice 

Wholey Fit Nutrition, LLC
www.wholeyfitnutrition.com
info@wholeyfitnutrition.com