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As we head into the holidays, there are lots of parties, events, and social gatherings. And in many groups, that means there’s going to be a lot of drinking.
I’m certainly not going to encourage you to consume alcohol. ALL alcohol is acidic and drives up the inflammation in your body. And although people tout the benefits of antioxidants in wine, the truth is, there are better ways to fight free radicals.
I’m the first to skip out on a drink even if others around me are imbibing. But I understand that there are going to be times when you may want to celebrate and have a cocktail. Plus, there are the office parties and family meals where Uncle Ned won’t stop talking about politics that make you want to arm yourself with a glass of wine.
So if you’re going to imbibe, I want to give you the tools to lessen the effects of the alcohol on your body so you wake up the next day feeling great, rather than feeling groggy and queasy with your head pounding.
The common symptoms of a hangover include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Excess thirst or hunger
- Irritability
- Poor sleep quality
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
If you leave a bar or a party and you realize you might have had too much to drink, first off, never drive after consuming more than 1 drink of alcohol per hour.
Once you’re safely in an Uber, you might think, “I’ll just take a couple of Tylenol before bed and I’ll wake up feeling fine.” But what you don’t know is that you are causing harmful and potentially long-term liver damage by combining alcohol with acetaminophen drugs.
You’re much better off taking steps to naturally prevent the hangover in the first place.
Hangovers happen because of a combination of dehydration, excess acid, inflammation, and a crash of your blood sugar levels.
So the way to prevent a hangover is:
- Prevent dehydration
- Consume less acid
- Stabilize your blood sugar
Because hydration is also a tool to fight acid, by preventing dehydration, you’re also leaving less acid in your system. Less acid means less of a hangover in the morning and more energy to power through your day.
What You Drink Matters
Before we get to my 5 tips to prevent a hangover, let’s get on the same page about what you’re drinking because that can make a huge difference in how you feel as a result.
Drinking certain beverages – beer, which is full of yeast, hard cider, which is full of sugar, or premixed liqueurs like Bailey’s or margarita mixes, which are full of sugar and other nasty ingredients – will increase hangover symptoms compared to other options.
Wine is okay every once in a while, although it contains some sugar and a lot of yeast as well. Try to choose wines that are described as dry or crisp rather than sweet to get less sugar content, and buy organic, sulfite-free wine whenever possible.
Whiskey, bourbons, and scotches are also okay as a rare treat.
Gin, tequila, rum, and vodka made from grapes or vegetables are the best choices in moderation, especially with a garnish of lemon or lime, which will give you minerals to neutralize some of the acid.
Read: The Bad, Better & Best of Alcohol (If You Drink At All, You Need to Read This)
My 5 Tips to Prevent a Hangover Naturally
- Only drink in moderation.
This is the most important preemptive step to prevent a hangover. One drink in an evening is an ideal limit. Beyond 2 and you’re asking for a hangover. The more you drink, the worse your hangover will be.
I should also point out an important side note about excessive drinking... Alcohol poisoning can happen to anyone. If you suspect someone you’re with may have alcohol poisoning – whether they are unconscious, vomiting, stumbling, or breathing irregularly – call 911 immediately.
- Fully rehydrate.
Drink a full glass of filtered alkaline water, or better yet, molecular hydrogen water, with a slice of lemon before and after each alcoholic beverage. Then drink another glass of water just before going to bed. (We’ll talk about that more in #3 and 5 below.)Alcohol depletes your body of hydration for 2 reasons. Alcohol itself is dehydrating, and it a diuretic which leads to excessive urination. So you really have to guard against this because dehydration is one of the top factors for a hangover.
When you wake up in the morning, drink more water. Ideally, this is when you’ll add a scoop of Alkamind Daily Greens to replenish your energy with 5 whole servings of raw organic super foods in less than 30 seconds.
Raw coconut water or ginger tea are great alternatives or additions to water that will also help hydrate you and soothe an upset stomach if you have one.
- Sleep it off.
It’s important you get plenty of rest after drinking to fight the acid in the alcohol you ingested. Of course, the problem with this prevention tip is that increased alcohol consumption leads to poor sleep quality.
That’s why Alkamind Daily Minerals is a trusty hangover cure-all. In fact, some lower-quality mineral supplements out there actually market themselves primarily as hangover prevention. Too bad they don’t deliver the ideal ratio of minerals to prevent insufficiencies or provide the highest quality of each mineral available like our Daily Minerals does.
When you take minerals before bed, you’re helping to ease restlessness while you sleep, ensuring you sleep well and wake up refreshed.
- Eat foods that will help regulate your blood sugar.
While pizza might seem like a good idea after a couple of drinks, it’s only going to make your hangover symptoms worse in the morning because simple carbs and sugars exacerbate the blood sugar spike then crash brought on by alcohol. Avoid gluten, white potatoes, and foods containing sugar to lessen that effect.
Instead, opt for foods that naturally stabilize blood sugar levels. Prepare something, have it plated and ready to go, JUST in case you have a case of the munchies. This will give you the advantage that you need to make a BETTER decision in the moment when you may not be quite as capable of making a better decision 😊
Here are some great options :
- Wild-caught salmon
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Dark, leafy greens
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Almonds, cashews, and other tree nuts
- Flax, chia, and sunflower seeds
- Green beans
- Coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- Parsley
- Turmeric
- Replenish magnesium and potassium.
Because alcohol causes excessive urination, it depletes your body of essential minerals, chief among them magnesium and potassium. In fact, research has found that frequent drinkers and alcoholics often have low levels of both magnesium and potassium.
Some health gurus would say, “Just eat a banana,” but the problem with that is your blood sugar level. The sugar in the banana is only going to make things worse. So if you want to eat foods to replenish your minerals, opt for avocado (as my wife Chelsea calls it, the ‘new banana’), leafy greens, nuts, beans, and seeds.
The #1 single best thing you can do to prevent a hangover is go home and drink a tall glass of water with a scoop of Alkamind Daily Minerals 30 minutes before bed. It’s going to replenish the minerals that your body needs to sleep well and wake up refreshed and hangover-free.
It’s also a good idea to take another dose first thing in the morning with a full glass of water. You might be surprised how this powerful alkaline drink will save you from a hangover.
GET OFF YOUR ACID!
Dr. Daryl
