We’ve all been there – head pounding, grogginess, the inability to stand up (the list is endless) – and I think it’s safe to say that hangovers are far from enjoyable. As fun as a Cheesy Tuesday or a Wednesday TP may be, there’s nothing worse than spending the morning (or day) after with a horrendous headache and an extremely patchy memory. Here at Her Campus Exeter, we’ve come up with five healthy hangover cures to help ease the pain…
1. Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to start the day as they provide important vitamins and minerals from ingredients such as yoghurt and fruit. Whether you choose a selection of berries or simply some banana and honey, these healthy ingredients will help repair some of the alcohol-induced damage done to your body. Bananas replenish the potassium lost through excessive drinking, whilst berries (particularly blueberries) are packed with anti-oxidants which help revive your skin!
Banana Smoothie
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp honey
½ pint of milk
2 tbsp natural yoghurt
A sprinkling of cinnamon (optional)
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth – enjoy!
2. Honey
The fructose in honey helps your body to rapidly metabolise and digest the alcohol in your system, breaking it down into harmless by-products. Whether you choose some simple honey on toast (carbs are also great for soaking up alcohol) or to merely add a teaspoon of honey to some boiling water, honey is the perfect way to provide some relief for your body and will definitely help shorten your hangover!
3. Wheatgrass
A shot of wheatgrass might seem like a rather unusual option, but it’s definitely one of the most effective. Not only does it soothe a pounding headache, but it actually energizes your body – containing approximately 90 of the 100 recognised minerals in soil, wheatgrass is extremely rich in iron, beta-carotene, protein, and vitamins A, E and K. The high iron content most importantly helps to cleanse the liver, repairing any short-term damage from the night before…
4. Water
Of course, water springs to mind as the most obvious (and cheapest) hangover remedy. However, downing a couple of glasses of water the morning after is nowhere near as effective as water consumption towards the end of your night. Some would go as far as to say you should start drinking water after you’ve had a couple of drinks, but I’m probably not alone in thinking that this isn’t too likely. Instead, make sure you drink 1 or 2 glasses of water before going to bed in order to rehydrate – alcohol is a diuretic and dehydrates the body of fluids, which must be replaced in order to help your body recover. Follow this up by drinking a glass of water every hour the next day, which will quickly flush the alcohol out of your system.
5. Exercise
Call me crazy, but this is one of my all-time favourite hangover cures. Even though you’ll most likely be wanting to take up permanent residence under the duvet, a quick jog or swim will work wonders by releasing a rush of endorphins which will lift any hangover blues. This is where the phrase “sweat it out” comes into play: by sweating and breathing (more heavily) during exercise, our body successfully gets rid of the by-products of alcohol. Remember to keep hydrated during and after exercise to replace any lost fluids!
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