Marmite
One reason many of us feel so bad the morning after a drinking
session is because alcohol depletes your system of essential nutrients,
including
B vitamins. A lack of B vitamins can cause
anxiety and depression,
so try munching on Marmite - a rich source of the vitamin B complex -
to lift your mood. As an added benefit, Marmite has a high
sodium content which can help replace the salts lost through drinking alcohol. Try the savoury spread on toast for an added fix of carbs.
Watermelon
Not only does alcohol deplete your body of nutrients, it can also lead to
low blood sugar levels, which may leave you feeling weak and shaky. To counteract this, try snacking on watermelon, which is not only high in
fructose but is also
water-rich to boost hydration. On top of this, watermelon is high in many essential nutrients, including
vitamin C, B-vitamins and magnesium.
Ginger
If too much alcohol has you feeling queasy, ginger is the perfect food to help settle your stomach and
relieve nausea.
While you may not feel much like chewing on the food in its original
form, you could try adding some grated ginger to hot water for a
ginger tea, blending into a
fresh fruit or vegetable juice, or snacking on
ginger biscuits for a stomach-soothing treat.
Eggs
Scrambled, fried or boiled, eggs are a popular hangover breakfast,
and the good news is they are a great choice for beating the nastiest of
hangovers. Firstly, eggs are extremely rich in
protein, which helps raise
mood-boosting serotonin levels as well as helping to reduce nausea. Furthermore, eggs are rich in an amino acid called
cystine, which helps
fight against the alcohol-induced toxins that contribute to your hangover.
Bananas
Bananas are packed with
potassium and
magnesium, two of the minerals often depleted in our bodies when alcohol is consumed. A lack of potassium in the body can lead to
nausea, weakness and tiredness, so stocking up on bananas can help reduce these classic hangover symptoms. As an added bonus, bananas are
natural antacids so great for reducing stomach acid, and are good for providing a boost of energy if you have a busy day ahead.
Soup
One of the most important steps for beating a hangover is getting
your body rehydrated, and this can be done through what you eat as much
as what you drink. To
up your fluids and sodium levels and get a shot of nutrients all at once, try some health-boosting vegetable or
miso soup. As an added benefit, soup is easy on the stomach so good if you're feeling a bit queasy.
Oats
Due to the diuretic effects of alcohol, the body loses many essential
minerals and vitamins during a heavy drinking session. Luckily, oats
can provide you with many of these nutrients, including
B vitamins (good for the liver and mood) and essential minerals
magnesium,
calcium and
iron. On top of this, oats can help
neutralise acidity levels in the body,
cleanse the liver,
absorb toxins and slowly
raise blood sugar levels, making a bowl of porridge the perfect hangover breakfast.
Fruit juice
If you're feeling a bit queasy at the thought of food, then this is
the cure for you. While it's great to line your stomach with food if you
can, to replace lost
vitamins, raise
blood sugar levels and
rehydrate your body,
you can't do much better than a glass of fresh juice. Not only is juice
good for immediate relief, the fructose will also help
speed up the removal of alcohol from your blood.
Sardines
If you're craving something savoury, sardines on toast could be the
perfect morning-after breakfast. A major cause of hangovers is an
imbalance of
electrolytes, and sardines are rich in
many of these vital minerals, including sodium, chloride, potassium,
magnesium and calcium. In addition to this, sardines are high in
omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for
protecting the liver as well as
lifting the mood.
Coconut water
Many hangover sufferers swear by sports drinks as a way to
hydrate the body and help
rebalance electrolytes.
However, sports drinks are often carbonated, which can irritate the
stomach, and packed with refined sugars. For a natural alternative to
sports drinks, try sipping on some coconut water, which contains
essential electrolytes (including calcium, potassium and magnesium) to
boost hydration, and is also
soothing for the stomach.
