Natural Hangover Prevention and Cures

Have you ever said to yourself that you’re only going to have one drink but that good intention turned to bad decisions later on?

We’ve been there – and it’s not fun the next morning!

We understand that there are times when we celebrate with friends, drown our sorrows by ourselves, or just have a night out with our spouse in which we can easily tip the scales to the “too much” category when it comes to drinking alcohol.

And, as we get older we can find ourselves much more sensitive to the dreaded “hangover.”

But what if there were a few things we could do to try and prevent those unpleasant repercussions?  We’re here to share some that just might do the trick!

Here are our tips for trying to avoid and/or rid a hangover:

Prevention
Alcohol is taxing on the body.  It uses up our B vitamins by trying to process the toxins alcohol creates in our bodies and the liver goes into overtime detoxifying it all. Because of this, we can become dehydrated and feel sluggish, have a pounding headache, have difficulty sleeping, and suffer from nausea – just to name a few symptoms!

But there are a few things you can do to try and ward off a hangover!

1. Eat Salty Foods. Hmmm…maybe those french fries or that extra slice of pizza can be of actual help after all! By eating salty foods when you are drinking, your body may retain the water that is in it, therefore, leading to less severe hydration.

2. Have One Glass of Water Per Drink. You can’t just eat salty foods and think you will stay hydrated!  Continue to replenish your body with one full glass of water per alcoholic drink.

3. Eat Protein Before Bed. Alcohol can turn into sugar in our bodies in which our sleep can easily get disrupted. If you have ever fallen asleep easily and then woke up in the middle of the night wide awake, you can attest to that!  Eating a serving of protein before going to bed can help regulate your blood sugar through the night rather than having it spike.

4. Take a Probiotic. A daily probiotic can prepare your system to digest the alcohol and protect the gut from uncomfortable side effects. If you suffer from acid reflux or irritable bowels when drinking, this may help control those symptoms.

5. Take a B Complex. Remember when we mentioned that alcohol sucks up our Vitamin B? Make sure to restore the body with a B Complex vitamin right before drinking and one the next day to help your body flush out toxins.

6. Take a Liver Supplement. Your liver is your most important friend when it comes to detoxifying your alcohol, so take good care of it. By taking a supplement such as Liver C Formula™ by Mountain Peak Nutritionals®, your liver can get support for the heavy detoxification process.

7. Try Activated Charcoal. Sounds weird, huh? But this supplement in pill form can help soak up toxins elating throughout the body and may lead to helping prevent an awful hangover!

Remedies
While there may not be a one-size-fits-all miracle cure for a hangover, there are certainly some natural options to help you feel better!  If you wake up feeling awful, you may want to try some of these holistic remedies…

1. Hydrate with Water and Electrolytes. Chances are you are very dehydrated, especially if you have a headache. Drink half water and half an electrolyte drink such as Gatorade to replenish hydrations.

2. Move. It may be the last thing you want to do, but light exercise and movement can help the body process the alcoholic toxins quicker. And you do want to feel better faster, right?!

3. Sleep. If you just don’t feel yourself, a good nap can do wonders. If you know you are going to drink, try to clear your schedule for a nap the next day if needed.

4. Support Your Adrenals. Drinking can increase our cortisol and adrenaline which can wreak havoc on our systems – one of the reasons why we can feel so “out of it” the next day.

Support your adrenals to getting back to normal with Cortisol Manager™ by Integrative Therapuetics®.

Drinking can be fun while we are in the midst of it, but with all things, moderation and safety is key. As we get older, our livers may not be able to process toxins as well as they once did (think hot flashes, racing heart beat, or disruptive sleep) which means we have to be mindful of how we take care of ourselves before, during, and after we drink.

If you find your body is having an unusually difficult time processing alcohol or any other food or beverage and you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Centennial, Lone Tree, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the Greater Denver Metro area, please contact our offices at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute consultation with Dr. Graves to discuss further.

So the next time you raise a glass, cheers to taking care of yourself while enjoying!