Is it bold of me to say, when it comes to hangovers… we’ve all been there?

Though my university days are long behind me, there is an inner Frank the Tank that resides deep down in my bones somewhere and every now and then, he goes out for one glass of wine with the girls and the rest is history.

According to The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks or women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.

Call me old fashioned... or maybe it’s just my thirties talking, but I usually feel the affect of even just a glass or two the next morning, especially since I find alcohol really interferes with my ability to get a good sleep.
[note: a sleepless Danielle isn’t cute]

Anyways, many people ask me what to do when they feel hungover or need some extra support bouncing back from a night “that escalated”. I’m happy to help you out if you’re feeling all sorts of fuzzy and need a little something extra to make you feel human again. It’s my pleasure to help nourish you up on those days, where getting back in the groove of your (hopefully) otherwise healthy lifestyle is a challenge!

LEt’s do this.

HANGOVER REMEDIES FROM A NUTRITIONIST

BEFORE DRINKING

• Avoid or limit caffeine leading up to a night of drinking because it tends to dehydrate

  • instead opt for herbal teas or green drinks if you need an energy boost throughout the day

• Stay hydrated, drink lots of water and focus on getting lots of nutrient dense foods with lots of vitamins and minerals in them

  • think leafy greens, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

  • your body needs vitamins and electrolytes— so making sure you are well nourished BEFORE drinking rather than just after, is a really big help.

• Take some chlorella or drink a green juice before you go out… if you have chlorella tablets, you can take a few throughout the night as well.

  • Chlorella should ideally be taken at least 2 hours before the drinking begins

  • It is high in protein, B vitamins and minerals including magnesium and zinc— these nutrients are commonly depleted while drinking

  • It helps support detoxification and helps protect your liver

  • I’ve heard some experts say it can be used to “stop a hangover before it begins”

• Eat a good dinner BEFORE the festivities begin .

  • Make sure there is a good balance of quality protein, healthy fat and plenty of phytonutrients from colorful veggies.

WHILE DRINKING

• Take breaks and stay hydrated; opt for water based cocktails if you can (water, sparking water, coconut water, etc)

• Avoid the sugary and pop based drinks as much as possible (these are killer)

• Opt for clear spirits like vodka or gin and use fruits like berries and citrus to flavor your drinks

• Exercise good self-control; know your limits and pace yourself

BEFORE BED

• Before you go to bed, drink a large glass of half lemon water half coconut water, I highly recommend adding in a scoop of hydrating electrolytes such as Ester-C packets (they have 1gram of vitamin c, plus electrolytes and b-vitamins) or something like Ultima Replenisher.

• This is a good time to pop a few more chlorella tablets—- to give your body some extra detox support while you sleep.

THE NEXT MORNING

• Sleep as much as you can :)

• Rehydrate and replenish your body again:

  • Have a big glass of half water/half coconut water but this time with 1 scoop of organic greens powder AND another dose of electrolytes.

  • Click here for 2 DIY “Gatorade” Recipes

  • Click here to get my 10X Hydration Recipe + favourite recipes for nourishing a hangover

• Eat a good breakfast like this Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Scramble, bonus points if you add a side of kimchi or sauerkraut to help re-balance your gut flora (because booze disrupts the balance)

• Eat foods that support a happy liver (this should be an always thing… our liver needs our undying support!)

  • fresh fruits and veggies (organic if eating any of the dirty dozen)

    • berries, cranberries, cherries, dragon fruit, citrus, cruciferous veggies, etc

  • anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, aloe vera

  • healthy oils that are cold-pressed and non-refined

  • one of my favorite regular detox habits: try having a cup of roasted dandelion root tea before bed with a bit of almond milk

    • other nice tea options are golden milk, green tea, schisandra berries, hibiscus tea

    • freshly pressed vegetable juices

Drinking responsibly is important but I’d like to remind you to also drink respectfully— and if something happens and you stress out your body more than you would have liked— then you can respect your body with quality self-care and nutrition with some of these tips above.

These tips are helpful post stress in a general sense too! If you are sore from the gym, recovering from an intense workout, from travelling, if you feel like you’re getting sick—- these tips can support you then too.

And also, your body is resilient so if you find yourself wallowing in would have, could have, should have… or any regrets you may be harbouring— let them go. Move onwards and upwards and if you want, you can overcompensate for past wrong doings with extra self-care and focus on quality food.

Life is HAPPENING and it’s ours to enjoy—- but if you enjoy it a little too much every now and then, this post is for you.