By Dietitian Garima Goyal
New Year is welcomed by people with a night of dancing and boozing. The party culture of western countries is taking over Indian culture. But the day following the New Year eve’s welcomes headaches and nausea, due to excessive alcohol consumption. So here is a list of a few drinks that can help to deal with the morning hangovers better –
- Water – One of the safest and most accessible options for most people is water. Water helps a lot not only after drinking but also is beneficial when drunk in between drinks or before going to bed. It’s very vital to prevent dehydration that occurs after drinking. Try adding flavours to water or a different beverage if you want a flavour change, else water alone will also help.
- Lemon Water – Lemon water without the addition of a sweetener is one of the best-known hangover remedies. Including water as a hangover remedy is a great way to hydrate the body. Hydration is crucial as boozing makes the body dehydrated. Lemon is a great source of Vitamin C and this vitamin is a tried and tested cure for hangovers. Having a warm glass of lemon water in the morning post-drinking not only alleviates the mood but also makes the entire day better.
- Strawberry And Almond Smoothie — Alcohol drinking takes a toll on the health and causes inflammation in the body cells. This inflammation can be fought with anti-inflammatory compound-rich foods such as strawberries. Also, boozing overnight makes the body dehydrated and creates an electrolyte imbalance. The magnesium lost by alcohol consumption can be restored with almonds, the latter being a rich source of magnesium. To make a smoothie with strawberries and almonds, take equal quantities of yoghurt and dairy milk/nut milk and blend it in a blender. Then add strawberries and a few almonds and again blend in a blender. Top it with a little honey. Honey addition helps to make up for the depleted blood sugar levels and provides an energy source.
- Coconut Water – This beverage has both the components needed after boozing for the hangover recovery – Water and electrolytes.
- Banana Milkshake – The body loses its water content as well as goes through an electrolyte imbalance of sodium, potassium and magnesium post-drinking. This balance can be very well restored by consuming a banana milkshake. Banana is an excellent source of potassium, making them an excellent hangover cure. Blend one banana with a glass of full-fat milk/ nut milk with a blender and adding sugar or honey is optional. Honey acts as an energy source and also helps to raise lower blood sugar levels. The milk protein called casein counteracts the effect of alcohol.
You should definitely enjoy your holidays but take good caution to treat the hangover so that you
welcome the next day with a bright smile rather than a headache-induced frown.