Early in my single days, I could never find a way to make my body feel better after a night of drinking. I was like many who thought a greasy meal and some pain killer would help my condition. It wasn’t until one day after reading a running magazine that I discovered a solution.
In the “Ask the nutritionist” section, a reader had written in to find out what’s the best food to eat after a marathon. The nutritionist replied that since the body is dehydrated, your stomach is sensitive, and you need nutrition right away, the best thing to consume is a fruit smoothie. Not only would it hydrate you quickly, but the nutrients would quickly make it into your bloodstream. It dawned on me these were the same conditions that one experienced while hungover.–you’re dehydrated, your stomach is sensitive, and you need something in your body besides all that alcohol from the night before.
My theory was soon put to the test when after a long night of drinking, my body was desperate for relief. My head was pounding, and I couldn’t eat anything because my stomach was so sensitive. I also didn’t want to take a pain medication until I had something solid in my stomach. It’s not like me to crave fruit when hungover but I was desperate. I headed to the local smoothie shop and I ordered a flavor that sounded most appealing. I took the first sip and my body immediately felt a sense of relief. The coolness soothed my head and throat, and the iciness calmed my sensitive stomach. While I usually wait to see how my body reacts to food, my initial response was that I needed more. It seemed the more I drank, the better I felt. I could sense my body slowly coming back to normal. And since I finally had something in my stomach, I could take a pain reliever to help out even more. While sometimes it takes me a half a day for my body to accept food, I was able to eat something else shortly after.
I am now making my own smoothies and it’s usually a common ritual after a night of drinking. My usual combination is frozen strawberries, blueberries and bananas. Sometimes I switch it up with frozen mangos or cherries. I make sure to include yogurt to provide some creaminess, and fruit juice to make it blend easier. I make sure to use bananas regardless since it provides a nice base to the other fruits. As you probably already know, they’re also an excellent source of potassium, which have been proven to be helpful for hydration. I never include ice since it’s just a cheap filler that smoothie chains add in to fill up the cup more. Since the fruit that I add is already frozen, it provides plenty of frostiness. I will say that sometimes I slightly defrost some of the larger chunks in the microwave so that they’re a little easier to blend.
What’s great about a smoothie is that not only does it help with a hangover, but it’s a very healthy meal. It’s all-natural with whole fruits, yogurt and fruit juice. It’s also full of fiber, vitamins, and anti-oxidants. While I mentioned in my previous blog that electrolytes help with dehydration, fruit smoothies provide natural electrolytes, which are probably even better than the ones that are added to sports drinks. The cool flavorful fruit also wakes up your taste buds after a night of drinking. It’s also a great summer treat instead of your usual breakfast or have one for a mid-day snack. They tend to be high in calories so don’t make it a regular meal unless you’re burning calories from an active lifestyle. The good part is that they’re natural sugars instead of refined.