After a full night of drinking and dancing, it is natural to feel awful the very next morning. Excessive drinking can make your body to lose water and nutrients, which in turn leaves you dehydrated. Dehydration is the reason why you have that annoying headache in the morning. Other hangover symptoms such as heavy sweating, sugar cravings, shakiness, dizziness, and blurred vision are the result of your liver being in overdrive to get rid of all the ethanol you consumed. Exhaustion can be at its best, but thankfully, you can try a number of ways and eat hangover foods to make it easier to manage your symptoms. Let's find out what you should eat.
Top Hangover Foods
Dealing with a hangover is not as difficult as you might think. You can manage things better by drinking plenty of water, staying away from alcohol, and eating hangover food. Here are some options to consider.
1. Avocado
You lose potassium when you drink excessively. In the absence of enough potassium, your body will not be able to maintain cellular fluid homeostasis, which in turn can cause symptoms like dizziness, muscle spasms, and weakness. Eating avocado is a good way to replenish your potassium reserves. Not only does it provide you with potassium, it also offers loads of vitamin B6, fiber, heart-healthy fats, and carotenoids. Along with helping you manage your hangover symptoms, avocados also promote better muscle contraction, proper heart function, and improved neuromuscular function.
2. Dried Apricots
To cut your sugar cravings, you can opt for dried apricots. Though they are high in sugar, they are still better than artificially sweetened candy you may choose to deal with your sugar cravings. Moreover, you get loads of potassium from dried apricots – you get about 33% of your recommended daily intake of potassium from half a cup of dried apricots.
3. Beans
You will experience a magnesium deficiency after boozing, which can cause symptoms like anxiety, cramps, muscle spasms, and irregular heartbeats. A cup of cooked beans contains more than 28% of your recommended daily intake of magnesium. It also provides you with B-vitamins, which support energy metabolism. By working with vitamin D and calcium, B-vitamins also help maintain your bone health. Therefore, beans should definitely be on your list of hangover food.
4. Salmon
You will develop a deficiency of B-vitamins when you drink too much alcohol. It can make you feel fatigued and lightheaded. When feeling tired due to a hangover, you may consider enjoying some salmon. Packed with DHA and EPA fatty acids, salmon is one of the finest sources of protein that provides you with essential amino acids as well as vitamin B12. You get about half of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 from 3oz of cooked salmon.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli is not an appealing hangover food for many, but you should try it for its high folate content. Your body loses folic acid or folate when you drink alcohol. A deficiency will lead to excessive fatigue. Going for a cup of cooked broccoli provides you with 42% of your recommended daily intake of folate. It also provides you with loads of vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin K. Broccoli possesses anti-inflammatory properties that come from its antioxidant content. Those antioxidants help eliminate free radicals from your body and lower inflammation too.
6. Sweet Potatoes
Alcohol intoxication can directly affect your body's ability to metabolize sugar. Therefore, you should consider eating unrefined carbs, and that is when you can opt for sweet potatoes. This tuberous root provides you with unrefined carbs that your liver takes time to break down completely, and this, in turn, prevents a spike in your blood sugar levels. You should go with sweet potatoes also because they provide you with potassium, dietary fiber, B-vitamins, and beta-carotene. So, do not go for a donut when sugar cravings strike after excessive drinking – simply enjoy some sweet potatoes instead.
Best Hangover Drinks
Eating the right hangover food will certainly go a long way to control annoying symptoms, but you can try some hangover drinks as well. For instance:
1. Fruit Juice
Have a glass of cranberry or apple juice to feel better in the morning. These sweet fruity drinks contain fructose that is a source of instant energy. You will also get a good dose of vitamins and some important minerals. It will also help by rehydrating your body.
2. Pickle Juice
Many people have tried pickle juice to control their hangover symptoms, and you can certainly give this remedy a shot. The combination of salt, vinegar, and water helps rehydrate your body and provides you with much needed electrolytes and sodium. To prevent your hangover symptoms consider having two ounces of pickle juice before going to the bar. Have another serving in the morning for best effects.
3. Coffee
Under most circumstances, it is better to avoid going for coffee because it contains caffeine that is a diuretic. However, if you are so into coffee and cannot seem to function without a cup of Joe in the morning, you may go ahead and drink a cup to get a little boost of energy. Just do not go overboard with the idea of drinking caffeine or your symptoms will become worse.
4. Coconut Water
Going for your favorite sports drink may certainly help rehydrate your body and lower the effects of your hangover symptoms, but you can try something even better: try coconut water! It provides you with a perfect balance of water and electrolytes and helps rehydrate your system naturally.
5. Tomato Juice
To load up on minerals and vitamins, you can always put your money on organic tomato juice. Along with rehydrating your body, tomato juice will also help flush out the remains of alcohol from your system.