8 nutritionists reveal their hangover cures

If you’ve been working hard during the week to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, it seems kind of a shame to go and undo all that good work by eating four cheeseburgers and a Dominos just because you’re hungover.

So to give us some ideas for vaguely healthy food that might still satisfy that hangover hunger, we thought we’d reach out to nutritionists and ask what they turn to when they’ve got a banging head the morning after the night before.

Here’s what they said:

1.”A filling porridge”

Rhiannon Lambert, a Registered Nutritionist and founder of leading Harley Street clinic Rhitrition:

“I’m never a big drinker, so it doesn’t take a lot for me to feel the impact of alcohol! With hydration being a cornerstone of health living, I always remind myself to drink far more water on the day after drinking that I would normally so it could easily be over 2 litres. On the menu would be a refreshing smoothie bowl or a filling porridge with nut butter and berries.”

2.”Carbs are a must”

Katharina Kaiser, Nutrition Specialist at fitness company Freeletics:

“When I am hungover, I basically focus on two things: first, I try to ‘flood’ my body with minerals to help it a bit with detoxification processes. Therefore, I drink a green smoothie or coconut water. The second thing is quite pragmatic. I have to eat something savoury (and not too spicy, to give the stomach a chance to relax). For me personally, carbs are a must when I am hungover. Often, I’ll eat something with potatoes and beans, like a stew.”

3.”I drink lots of fluids”

Steph Williams, Nutritionist at Weight Watchers:

“While I’d love to binge on beige food all day like pizza, crisps and ice cream, I have found (from suffering through one hangover too many) that I actually feel better when I drink lots of fluids and opt for something nutritious. For example, scrambled eggs and avocado on toast always works a dream and sets me up to make better food choices for the rest of the day. It provides carbohydrates, protein and good fats to nourish my body. Of course, the only real cure for a hangover is time and rehydration so I always make sure to have a glass of water handy.”

4.”Guacamole on toast”

Manal Chouchane, Clinical Nutritionist at BioCare:

“Guacamole on toast and coconut water. This would satisfy our cravings for high carbohydrate and fat foods when we are hungover, yet still providing good quality fats for nourishing our bodies. Coconut water is ideal for hydration and providing electrolyte balance. ”

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5.”Dippy eggs”

Dr Emma Derbyshire, registered Public Health Nutritionist:

“After a few too many wines or piña coladas I have plenty of water and dippy egg on toast.”

6. “An egg mayo sandwich”

Kim Pearson, Nutritionist working in partnership with BetterYou:

“Porridge, free range egg mayo sandwich on granary bread or smoked haddock fishcakes. It depends on the time of the day and how hungover I am!”

7.”Smoked salmon, eggs and asparagus”

Faye Townsend, Nutritionist at Protein World:

“Often after a night of heavy drinking, I crave a greasy fry up, but I can’t stomach it. In the past, I’ve gone to the nearest café to my house and gorged, but this food always irritates my stomach and makes me feel bad for the rest of the day.

The reason we get typical hangover symptoms such as headaches, nausea, achy muscles and diarrhoea is mainly because we are dehydrated. Alcohol has a diuretic effect which flushes you out, so water is essential to help cure a hangover. I try to stay hydrated on a night out by having water in between alcoholic drinks, before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning.

Loss of appetite is common after a night out but it’s important to restore your blood sugar levels and electrolytes. Smoked salmon, eggs and asparagus would be my ideal hangover breakfast. Eggs contain two amino acids (Taurine and Cysteine) which help to fight the hangovers. Taurine has been shown to reverse the effect of alcohol damage on the liver by flushing out toxins quicker and Cysteine helps to break down acetaldehyde, which is a by-product of alcohol metabolism. Acetaldehyde is more toxic than alcohol itself, and it’s the component responsible for thoseterrible hangovers.”

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8.”Eggs on toast”

Alexis Poole, Registered Associate Nutritionist and Nutrition Manager at Spoon Guru:

“Eggs on toast. I love a plain and simple meal after a night out, and eggs on toast never fails to disappoint. Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. A large single egg will contain vitamin A, D, E, K, B12, B2, B5, folate, phosphorus,selenium, calcium and zinc as well as 6 grams of protein, all for only 77 calories.Notorious for their high cholesterol content, eggs have received some bad press in the past. However, despite the fact that eggs are naturally high in cholesterol,research indicates that the amount of saturated fat we eat will affect our blood cholesterol more so than the cholesterol that comes from eggs.

Another misconception is the idea that bread, and carbohydrates as a whole, are bad for you. Carbohydrates are a broad category. The government recommends that we cut down on the amount of free sugars, which is the simplest form of carbohydrate, in our diet. ‘Free sugars’ are sugars that are added to food or drinks,and includes sugars in biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and soft drinks. Sugars in honey, syrups (agave, maple and golden) and fruit juices and smoothies also count as free sugars. Sugars found in milk, fruit and vegetables do not count as free sugars, so we don’t need to be cutting down on these however we should still be aware that these contribute to total sugar intake.

Other types of carbohydrates such as starches and whole grain varieties, which includes bread as well as potatoes and other grains, should form the basis of our meals. Fibre, which is another type of carbohydrate, is good for our health and there is strong evidence to support this. Having bread, hungover or not, is not a bad thing!”

 

 

Credit: Harper’s bazaar

 

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