The holiday season is a beautiful time of year to re-connect with loved ones, build relationships with those you’ve been meaning to reach out to, and just plain let loose a little!
But all that socializing can become a slippery slope when it comes to keeping things in moderation.
The morning after a big night out can stop you in your tracks and keep you feeling less than optimal for up to a week!
Here are 7 of my favorite go-to tricks to nursing a hangover and recovering faster…
1. Start the day with a Lemon Tonic
Hot water and lemon not only supports the effective functioning of your liver and kidneys but it also helps dispel gas to move it out of your system to reduce bloating.
I like to squeeze in fresh ginger juice and a little manuka honey into my lemon water. It’s the absolute best way to start any day, especially a hangover day.
Hangover Lemon Tonic
Serves 1
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 lemon, juiced
4-5 inch knob of fresh ginger
1-2 tsp manuka honey
Directions:
- Bring the water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan and remove from heat to cool a few minutes. In a small bowl add the lemon juice.
- Place a grater above the bowl and grate the ginger so it falls into your cupped hand (placing it over the bowl catches any ginger pieces that may fall from your hand as you grate).
- When you have a large tablespoon of freshly grated ginger in your hand, remove the grater and clutch your hand into a tight ball to squeeze out all the liquid juice from the ginger into the lemon juice.
- Pour the lemon-ginger juice into the warm water and stir in the honey. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition Facts
2. Skip the greasy breakfast
What’s the first thing we do after a night of indulgence? Brunch please!
Our bodies are in such an uncomfortable place that we immediately think of fatty and salty foods to bring comfort back.
But before you order that double-bacon breakfast sandwich, remember the reason you’re feeling uncomfortable is because your body is already overloaded and trying to push out unwanted substances. A greasy breakfast is just going to add more work for your body to do.
Also, fat is processed in the same metabolic pathway as alcohol, so overloading with fat stops the metabolization of alcohol in its tracks.
Give your body the right nutrition to help clear things out.
My favorite go-to breakfast is a chia pudding or toast with chia jam. Chia seeds are extremely hydrating, packed with fiber, and are super anti-inflammatory.
3. Lavender oil for headaches
Again, we’re trying to reduce the amount of chemicals in our bodies so opting for natural remedies is a great place to start.
I love rubbing therapeutic grade lavender oil behind my neck, massaged on my temples, and my wrists. I pair that with chugging a lot of water and waiting 15 minutes.
If after 15 minutes you still have a headache, grab the ibuprofen. Just try the natural remedies first. Your body will thank you.
4. Engage in gentle exercises
Lay off the intense leg day or 5-mile run. Your body needs some movement to keep things flowing, but it is not functioning at its highest level.
It needs rest paired with gentle activity.
Engage in some light yin yoga or use a foam roller to bring more oxygen into your muscles to recover faster.
5. Get your B-vitamins
Your body is going under a heck of a lot of stress and your b-vitamins are the first ones to take a hit.
B-vitamins are responsible for converting food into energy and give you the feeling of vibrancy and aliveness – something we’re all needing the morning after a night out.
You can find your b-vitamins easily in bee pollen which is my favorite way to get my hit. I add them in my granola, meals bars, and of course, on top of my smoothies and nice creams.
If making food is just not happening that day, opt for a b-12 shot from your favorite medical spa or simply take a b-complex supplement (because desperate times call for desperate measures).
6. Get your glow back with hydration – boosted with collagen
Most of us are aware that dehydration is the majority of why we feel so crummy the next day. It also sucks the life out of our skin, leaving us looking much like how we feel.
Before going to bed the night before, chug as much water as you can to keep your body as hydrated as possible while your cells run amok trying to break down the alcohol it’s swimming in.
Upon waking, drink more water, and add a scoop of instantly dissolvable, flavorless Full Body Collagen – to go to work supporting your skin, joints and bones.
To boost your glow even more, try this Coconut Honey Mask that I love from AnnMarie Skin Care- I could literally eat it lol.
7. Skip the caffeine and alcohol
I know it’s tempting to halt the hangover symptoms with a mimosa or shot of caffeine, but it actually does more harm than good.
Coffee is extremely dehydrating and taxing on your system, and alcohol just adds more fuel to the fire.
You may be alleviating your hangover symptoms for the moment, but you’re also pausing the detoxification your body is engaged in. In other words, you’re just prolonging the pain.
If you love your morning-after drinks, try this healthy version of a Bloody Mary to flood your system with nutrients that actually supports the detoxification process.
Virgin Mary
Serves 1
Ingredients
4 Campari tomatoes (or medium, vine-ripe, or plum)
1/2 large fennel head, plus the stalk for garnish
1/2 red bell pepper
1 inch knob of ginger
3 sprigs fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
2 T pickle brine
3-4 drops hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 pinches sea salt
Directions
- Place tomatoes, fennel, bell pepper, ginger, and oregano into a juicer, alternating between the juicy and fibrous ingredients to get the most out of your juice.
- If you do not have a juicer, blend the ingredients into a blender on high and pour through a strainer to get a smooth finish.
- Add the pickle brine, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and sea salt to the juice, stir, and serve in a glass with your favorite garnishes.
Nutrition Facts
Have you tried any of these? Have a healthy remedy to share? Comment below, and share this post!
Life is about balance. Bounce back from a rough night and nourish your body with balanced meals and delicious whole foods.
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