HANGOVER HELP FROM AUTHOR AND NUTRITION EXPERT
Layne Lieberman, RD
As the holiday season approaches you may be in need of knowing the quickest way to recover from one of those cocktail parties that you just couldn’t say no to?
First defense is to prevent the hangover. Here’s how…
1) Opt for Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine. (It’s the least caloric drink compared to most other alcohols and wines, 80 calories per 120 ml flute)
2) If it’s going to be a long night: DILUTE! Top off your drink with sparkling water. Adding ice cubes is also a good trick!
3) Hangover causes dehydration. So to stay hydrated for every glass of alcohol, drink one glass of water.
4) Avoid the fancy mixed drinks that are served in super-sized cocktail glasses. They can rack up calories like spiked eggnog, which starts at 250 calories.
5) Eat WHILE you drink! Alcohol irritates your belly. That’s why it’s important to eat while you drink. Food coats the stomach lining. Do not drink on an empty stomach. Eating after you drink is worthless!
If it’s too late and you are in need of a cure, remedy or a way to cope, here’s how…
1) Alcohol dehydrates your body. You actually lose more water than you imbibe, which causes headaches. So drink a tall glass of water before you go to bed.
2) Alcohol depletes your body of electrolytes. PLEASE do not drink sports drinks that are typically made with sugar and artificial colors and dyes.
Instead, drink plenty of plain coconut water. It has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink.
3) Layne’s favorite hangover smoothie remedy: combine 1-cup (original) almond milk, handful of baby spinach, 2-tablespoons of chia seeds and 1-banana in a blender (this formula is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium, protein, omega 3s and tryptophan).
4) I am not a MD, but I know never take acetaminophen before you go to bed. It’s toxic to your liver when mixed with alcohol.
5) Forget the routine known as the “hair of the dog that bit you” (giving you a pass to have a Bloody Mary or Mimosa in the morning). DON’T… you will just feel lousy again later (when blood alcohol levels start to drop).
6) A legend says that a BIG AMERICAN BREAKFAST may be in order!
**Women generally have less of the enzyme (alcohol dehyrdogenase), which breaks down alcohol so they are more susceptible to hangovers. Women also have less water content in their bodies to dilute the ingested alcohol.