Going on a session can be great fun, especially if it is one of those nights that is just so much fun that you want it to go on forever. So, you keep buying drinks for each other so no one will leave, and suddenly, the bar or restaurant is closing and you have no choice but to head home, staggering slightly, but very happy with your successful night out. Waking up the next morning, not so much! Hangovers are our body’s way of letting us know that we have overdone it, but there are ways that the worst symptoms can be alleviated simply by choosing the right breakfast.
Bananas
Bananas are high in potassium. Alcohol is a diuretic, forcing the body to rid itself of too much water. Along with the water, essential salts and minerals are evacuated too. This effect is worsened if you are ill because you have drunk so much – vomiting is quite dehydrating. Bananas are a nice bland way of topping up potassium levels, enabling your body to get things back on track quicker.
Crackers
Cream crackers are dry and bland: perfect for helping to soak up excess alcohol and soothe a fragile stomach. These gentle carbs give your gut something to work on, and release energy and endorphins that can help you to recover from your hangover quicker.
Avocado
Hangover cure and ideal for both veggies and vegans, avocados are delicious yet mild-tasting, smooth textured and packed full of useful vitamins, minerals and good fats that help the body to heal itself! Whip it up in a smoothie, have it with scrambled egg or crush it onto toast – it is also highly versatile!
Eggs
Nature’s perfect all-in-one meal, eggs are great at any time, but they are especially so when one is suffering from stomach acid, illness and the malaise caused by a hangover. An ideal blend of fat and protein, that contain the amino acid cysteine, eggs actively help to heal the body following the intake of excess alcohol. This is because cysteine helps to boost levels of anti-oxidants that undo the damage done by alcohol toxins.
Meat
While the thought of eating any meat while hungover might not appeal, meat, like avocados, is a perfect mix of fat and protein that contains everything the body needs to repair itself, whether after a hard training session at the gym or after a hard night on the tiles!
Blueberries
Long touted as a superfood, blueberries do deserve their high praise and accolades – they are small but mighty, containing inflammation reducing compounds within their indigo skins. These anti-inflammatory compounds work alongside anti-oxidants to restore the balance of the bloodstream, negating the influence of alcohol and restoring all systems to go. They can be eaten as they are, added to cereal or smoothies, or even enjoyed with yoghurt or cream for a surprisingly delicious hangover breakfast!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Effective against the vagaries of colds and flu, chicken noodle soup is goodness in a bowl (or a mug, if that’s easier!). Usually packed full of vitamins and minerals, and containing relatively high salt levels due to the nourishing chicken stock from which it is made, chicken noodle soup is easy on the stomach, replenishes natural salt levels and rehydrates as it does so: making it a sort of one-stop hangover cure!
Water
Your best bet in the face of any hangover is to slowly sip plenty of water. Chugging it down too quickly can make you feel worse, but slow sips will soothe the digestive upset, ease the headache and ‘foggy brain’ feeling, and restore hydration levels to normal. If you can, get into the habit of taking water while you are out and about drinking, and having a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink, or – if no water is available while you are out – drinking a big glassful when you get home, before you go to bed. These will prevent hangover symptoms from being so bad that you feel terrible – and will help you recover much quicker from those symptoms you experience!
Hangovers are not fun, but dreading the aftermath is no reason to avoid having fun in the first place. With water by your side, and all your hangover busting foods waiting for you at home, there is every expectation that your night’s fun will not need to be paid for in pain and suffering!
