There's always one gathering or celebration a year when you know you drank just a little too much. Or maybe you combined different alcohols and wake up with your head banging. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it dehydrates you. Consuming the toxins from alcohol leaves you with those "hangover" symptoms. Old wives' tales to cure a hangover include having "a hair of the dog that bit you," which means drinking more alcohol the next morning, or eating burnt toast and drinking black coffee. For some, these don't work effectively. But don't worry, you don't need to stay in bed or gulp down a handful of Tylenol. There are actual foods that you can eat before, during or after that can get you through this time in a more pleasant way:
Eat before you drink
This is a basic rule. Food slows down the body's absorption of alcohol, which means it lessens the impact of toxic byproducts, resulting in less intense symptoms. And fattier foods eaten the day before will coat your stomach lining better than other foods. The Mediterraneans have one tablespoon of olive oil the night before.
Prevent dehydration
Alcohol dehydrates our body, which can lead to that ill feeling. In between each drink, have a glass of water which hydrates us and waters down the effects of the alcohol.
Select specific alcohols
Drink gin, rum and vodka which have lower "hangover" properties. Avoid champagne, cognac, newer red wines and brandy.
Eggs the next morning
Wake up and make yourself a couple of eggs, which provide protein to stabilize your low blood sugar and replenish Vitamin B lost through alcohol.
Tomato juice
Tomato juice gives you back your energy through the vitamins and minerals as well as hydrating you to help to flush out the last remaining remnants of alcohol.
Bananas
Eat a banana before going to bed or the next morning for potassium, fructose and natural sugar, which will help to bring back your strength since alcohol weakens your muscles.
Fruit juice
The fructose or fruit sugar in fruit juice increase your energy levels, replenishes vitamins and nutrients that were depleted and eliminates toxins from alcohol.