I experienced my first hangover in college and learned pretty quickly that water and two Advil were my best friends if I wanted to lessen the pain after drinking too much.
While I don’t endorse drinking alcohol (it IS toxic to your body), it is nice to have a glass of wine or a cocktail every now and then. But let’s be honest, sometimes that one glass turns into two or three, and when you get in the danger zone of drinking too much, that can make you feel like you’ve been hit by a Mack Truck the next day.
Here are my hangover hacks based on anecdotal evidence, research, and a one-on-one with my herbalist:
- Hydrate with lots of water (before/after)
- Charcoal pills (I take 2 with water before and/or after drinking)
- Dandelion extract (used as an herbal remedy to help with liver detoxification)
- Milk Thistle tea (used as an herbal remedy to help with liver detoxification)
- Parsley/Cilantro (I grab a very small bunch and chomp on these herbs straight up or I throw a little extra in my salad because they’re detoxifying)
- Electrolytes (I add these to my water the day after drinking; if you don’t have packets of electrolytes, you can add Himalayan salt to your water)
Note:
Make sure you eat foods high in B12 the day after drinking. Alcohol (even in small amounts) depletes B vitamins, especially B12. The B’s help our brain function and support energy production. Foods that replenish B’s are beef, fish and eggs; but if you are vegetarian, you could take a B12 supplement the following day(s).
