Natural Hangover Remedies

It’s not every day that I have a hangover. In fact I can’t really remember the last time I did- probably sometime before 2010 when I was pregnant with my daughter. We’ve never been in a situation with reliable childcare so sadly date nights don’t happen all that often for us and when we do go out I’m usually good for about one drink, two if I’m feeling a little crazy. That’s a little different than back in college where a round of shots was just a warm-up.

Whether you’re a big drinker or not the right combination of tired, dehydrated and alcohol can lead you to wake up feeling less than your best even with just a drink or two. Instead of spending the whole day feeling like you wan to crawl into bed try some of these natural remedies to get over it and feeling back to your old self.

Start with Oatmeal. You can even prepare this the day before so it’s ready to go in the morning. Why oatmeal? It’s full of great nutrients that help neutralize any acidity in the body. Since they also happen to be a complex carbohydrate they’ll help stabilize your blood sugar. Pick old fashioned rolled oats- stay away from quick cooking or instant!

Top it with some bananas, almonds and honey. The body loses lots of potassium after a night (or day) of heavy drinking but luckily bananas are chock full of potassium so they’ll help you replenish your long lost potassium stores.

Almonds are high in vitamin E, which is known to support the liver and its fat and protein content will keep you full and also help with blood sugar balance. Honey is a natural way to metabolize alcohol thanks to the fructose and potassium content. Its healing antibacterial properties might also help you feel less run down and better overall.

Some great things to sip on with your morning oatmeal are:

Fresh coconut water because it happens to contain electrolytes your body needs (potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium (and none of the food coloring, chemicals or additives in Gatorade or other sports drinks).

Fresh ginger root tea made simply by boiling fresh ginger in water. It will help get rid of the oh so common seasick feeling and nausea that’s accompanied by a night of one too many drinks.

Homemade Bone Broth topped with sea salt. Bone broth is one of the most mineral rich drinks you can find and since sea salt is also high in minerals it makes a great companion. Many of the minerals, especially sodium, can help calm the nerves and help you chill out by reducing your adrenaline levels.