Most of us have been there. One too many drinks at a birthday party the night before. Maybe it was a celebration, a wedding, or pretty much any event where alcohol is served. No matter how you get there, the morning after is customarily unpleasant.
Headaches, nausea, sensitivity to light, fatigue, trembling, dehydration, and even digestive tract issues (diarrhea or constipation) are all symptoms of a hangover.
Why does alcohol have this effect? While we can attribute a combination of factors that, when lumped together, cause flu-like symptoms, “scientists actually understand relatively little about what causes them.” With that said, first and foremost, is dehydration. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, making you urinate frequently, by “suppressing our body’s antidiuretic hormone vasopressin, which prevents you from urinating excessively.” When it comes to those wicked fierce hangover headaches, you can probably blame dehydration as your body attempts to replenish fluid levels, yet researchers have been unable to link the rest of those unpleasant symptoms to this single factor.
So, what else is going on?
When it comes to that sick feeling in your stomach, researchers are beginning to look at alcohol-induced inflammation. There are a few different factors that play into the inflammation. First off, those alcoholic beverages you enjoyed the previous night “actually [irritate] your stomach and intestine, causing inflammation of the stomach lining and delayed emptying of the stomach contents,” plus alcohol also “causes us to produce more gastric acid alongside increasing the levels of pancreatic and intestinal secretions.” To top it off, alcohol creates a byproduct in our body called acetaldehyde, which happens to be “30 times more toxic than alcohol itself, and has been found to produce hangover-like symptoms in studies.”
Hence, the morning after, you find your hand banging you awake and your stomach filled with the queasy unease of nausea.
Even though there isn’t a tried and true bottled cure for a hangover, there are certain foods that contain specific hangover-friendly nutrients to get you back to 100 percent a lot faster! For instance, it’s important to replenish drained stores of essential minerals and vitamins including potassium, magnesium, sodium, and folate. Secondly, try feeding your body a helping of natural protective mechanisms such as L-citrulline — a blood flow stimulant — vitamin C and vitamin A — anti-inflammatory agents and immune system boosters — ginger — a natural anti-nausea remedy — and, of course, lots of good old H2O!
Before heading out to the bar or that celebratory event, prep a few of these hangover-friendly recipes from the Food Monster App for the morning after!
1. Marbled Banana Bread
Source: Marbled Banana Bread
Kill that hangover headache with a dose of all-natural banana-bred potassium with this Marbled Banana Bread by Fabio Gallo. Potassium is essential for fluid regulation and also plays an important role in “nerve signals and [regulating] muscle contractions.”
2. Watermelon Pudding
Source: Watermelon Pudding
Ever heard of L-citrulline? Now’s the time to get familiar! This amino acid — one of three that are part of the urea cycle that allows ammonia to be excreted via urine — helps stimulate blood flow. Decreased blood flow has been linked to hangover headaches, therefore increasing L-citrulline may help kick that painful ache! Plus, this Watermelon Pudding by Azucena Noriega, rich in L-citrulline, also is a great source of water for rehydration!
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3. Super-Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Source: Super-Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Keep a jar of these Super-Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles by Sonali Ruder in your fridge for a healthy way to nurture your body after a night of heavy drinking. Due to the diuretic effects of alcohol, you lose a large quantity of sodium — an essential electrolyte for proper kidney health, muscle and nerve function, and blood pressure control — through excessive urination. Pickles are generally high in sodium levels, so make a great snack choice to help replenish!
4. Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins
Along with replenishing potassium levels, magnesium is yet another essential mineral that is depleted via alcohol consumption. Try getting a double dose of both minerals with these Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins by Fabio Gallo. A couple of pieces of this healthy morning alternative provide a helping of potassium-rich bananas and magnesium-rich walnuts!
5. Spinach Pesto Pasta with Almond Parmesan
Source: Spinach Pesto Pasta with Almond Parmesan
Alcohol impairs the absorption of folate, a class of B-vitamin that plays an essential role in making DNA, genetic material, and helps your cells divide. Boost your folate levels with folate-rich spinach, such as in this Spinach Pesto Pasta with Almond Parmesan by Harriet Porterfield. Plus, get your morning replenishing dose of magnesium-rich almonds!
6. Sweet Potato Mash with Dill Avocado Sauce
Source: Sweet Potato Mash with Dill Avocado Sauce
Along with a bit of water, this sweet and savory morning Sweet Potato Mash with Dill Avocado Sauce by Michele Elizabeth packs a punch of hangover-fighting ingredients including avocado — high in potassium and is known to have liver-protecting agents — and sweet potato — high in anti-inflammatory vitamin A. Plus, avocado and sweet potato are both great sources of magnesium and potassium!
7. Breakfast Parfait with Oats and Blueberry Pudding
Source: Breakfast Parfait with Oats and Blueberry Pudding
For that hangover that just won’t quit, turn to this Breakfast Parfait with Oats and Blueberry Pudding by Maria Benoit. Along with being a tasty morning treat, oats are “complex carbohydrates that provide a slow and steady release of sugar into the bloodstream and may help with hangover symptoms.” Top it off with inflammation-fighting blueberries, magnesium-rich almonds, and potassium-rich bananas, and you’ve got the perfect meal to ease stomach upset, reduce inflammation, and nurture your body!
8. Green Soup
Source: Green Soup
Every human body is different, therefore we all experience hangovers in similar, yet slightly different ways. For those with a roiling stomach, this Green Soup by Rosie Daykin may be the key to a cure! Infused with ginger — a natural anti-nausea remedy — spinach — rich in folate, magnesium, and potassium — and almonds — rich in magnesium, as well as a great source of fiber to balance that digestive tract, this soup is easy to stomach and gentle to process.
9. Avo Paletas
Source: Avo Paletas
Cold, slightly sweet, and filled with hangover-fighting nutrients, these Avo Paletas by Avocaderia are an essential staple in every freezer! With a base of avocado, these frozen pops also rely on cashews, which are full of healthy fat and magnesium!
10. Date-Sweetened Cinnamon Sticky Buns
Source: Date-Sweetened Cinnamon Sticky Buns
If you’ve got a hankering for something sweet to stymie that hangover, prep these Date-Sweetened Cinnamon Sticky Buns by Logan Dunn and Lexus Osman the night before. They’re naturally sweetened with fiber-rich dates, thickened and plumped with hydrating and healthy fat-rich coconut milk, and offer a great source of magnesium-rich cashews!
11. Carrot Orange Pineapple Detox Juice
Source: Carrot Orange Pineapple Detox Juice
One of the best ways to kick a hangover is to thoroughly detox before rebooting with all those essential nutrients. If green smoothies aren’t your preferred detox foods, try out this sweet and tangy Carrot Orange Pineapple Detox Juice by Nicole Dunai. Oranges are rich with healing and immune-boosting vitamin C, which also “may prevent your body from losing glutathione … an antioxidant that helps rid your body of alcohol and is often decreased during alcohol consumption.”
12. Chia Pudding Parfait
Source: Chia Pudding Parfait
Chia seeds aren’t just a great ingredient for everyday plant-based cooking, but they also happen to be a great hangover food with anti-inflammatory antioxidants and gut-friendly fiber. This Chia Pudding Parfait by Kennedy Kitchings uses inflammation fighting blueberries and healthy fat-filled, hydrating coconut milk!
13. Fudgy Avocado Brownies
Source: Fudgy Avocado Brownies
You’ve overcome the headache and beaten down nausea, but you’re still feeling sluggish. Now that your stomach can take it, have one or two of these delicious Fudgy Avocado Brownies by Natasha Minocha, which use an avocado base — rich in potassium, magnesium, and liver-protecting agents — and include a robust, satisfying crunch of magnesium-filled walnut!
14. Pistachio Cake
Source: Pistachio Cake
Just because it’s green doesn’t mean it’s not sweet! That’s the case with this spinach and pistachio infused Pistachio Cake by Gabrielle St. Claire. St. Claire also uses a helping of almonds, which are a great source of more magnesium and fiber.
15. Almond-Macadamia Nut Creamer
Source: Almond-Macadamia Nut Creamer
Last, but not least, is that delightfully healing cup of joe the morning after an alcohol-heavy evening! Coffee has a bitter, yet rich flavor that is stomach-agreeable, plus coffee has also been “linked to decreased inflammation in some studies.” To top it off, add a dollop of this Almond-Macadamia Nut Creamer by Raw and Radiant, which is infused with magnesium-rich almonds and macadamia’s, a bit of hydrating water, and a dose of sodium to get your body balanced!
These are just a few of thousands of recipes that could help you fight that morning hangover! We highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!
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