It’s New Year’s Day 2016 and providing you made it home, getting out of bed feels tougher than climbing out of a lovo pit. Old-school wisdom preaches reaching for cold pizza or leftover barbecue from the roadside but some foods are scientifically proven to help cure a hangover and some are simply myths! Chef Seeto explains which foods can alleviate post-party symptoms and which should be avoided like that bottle of leftover beer with a cigarette butt inside.
First thing’s first, let’s talk science. Typical hangover symptoms-nausea, sensitivity to light, headache, achy muscles, diarrhoea, and decreased motor skills-are all caused by changes in body chemistry, including hormones, chemical reactions within the body, and the toxic chemicals in alcohol. Most people of Asian descent (including me!) have a defected gene that doesn’t breakdown alcohol as quickly, leaving us red faced, itchy and yawning all night as the alcohol poisons the body fast. The science of hangovers (and how to prevent them) is largely unstudied, which is why people have been inventing their own “cures” for centuries. Though no one meal or drink can cure a hangover, certain foods are better for refuelling than others, and some unlikely foods are better at prevention than cure. After waking up with a pounding head, aim to restock the body with necessary fluids and nutrients like fructose, vitamins, animo acids, and minerals that can help break down toxins or lessen the body’s negative reaction to the chemicals in booze.
Drinks that help
H2O — water
The elixir of life should be your number one priority after waking up with a pounding head. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it pushes liquids out of the body. When nothing’s left in the tank, the body will draw water from any available source, including the brain-which is why we get a headache after drinking. Drinking some H20 before heading to bed can help prevent some painful hangover symptoms, but grabbing the water bottle in the morning doesn’t hurt either.
Coconut water
If water is the elixir of life then coconut bu water is the “fluid of life” as it contains the same five electrolytes found in human blood. It is well known that during time of war overseas, coconut water was used intravenously when conventional hydration fluids were not available. Fiji’s bu also comes straight from the trees and not a box from a far distant Asian country, so it is even more natural to drink after a big night out. At just a few dollars from the roadside vendors, the coconut water helps replace fluids and also gives that multi shot of electrolytes the booze has taken away.
Ginger or peppermint tea
For a soothing brew, look no further than your favourite herbal tea. Studies show that ginger tea may reduce nausea and motion sickness. Peppermint tea (a common morning sickness cure for pregnant ladies) may also ease stomach pain and decrease nausea. If you are feeling restless or an insomniac, yaqona tea from FRIEND is guaranteed to knock you out fast and it doesn’t even taste like kava.
Fruit juice
Drink apple, cucumber or pawpaw juice (just stay away from orange and tomato juice!) to kick start the recovery process. The fructose in sweet fruity drinks gives the body some instant energy, and juice also contains vitamins and plenty of water to help rehydrate the body.
Pickle juice
This hangover remedy is weird, but some people swear it works! The sour liquid contains vinegar, salt, and water, which can help rehydrate and replenish electrolyte and sodium levels. To make the most of it, taki a shotglass of this pickles juice before hitting the bars and another shot in the morning.
Foods that help
Eggs
This breakfast staple is a brunch all-star for good reason. Eggs are full of hardworking amino acids like cysteine and taurine. Taurine boosts liver function and cysteine breaks down acetaldehyde, the yucky headache-causing chemical that’s left over when the liver breaks down ethanol.
Bananas, avocado,
dates, and leafy greens
These brightly coloured foods contain potassium, an important electrolyte that is often depleted due to alcohol’s diuretic effect. A couple of hangover-fighting smoothies include banana, avocado and yoghurt, or if you want to go completely green, blend some kale (or moca spinach) with cucumber and honey for a plant-based boost.
Homemade chicken soup
It is one of the most universal cures for hangovers and a cold and easily made by boiling a whole chicken with bones with onions, carrot, ginger and some salt. While the ginger helps calm the tummy, chicken also contains cysteine which will give the liver a much-needed boost.
Miso soup
Sushi is the last thing most people want to eat with a hangover, but Japanese miso soup is a great morning-after remedy as the broth rehydrates and restocks sodium levels while the fermented soybeans can help aid digestion.
Breakfast crackers
or toast with honey
Crackers and wholemeal toast are both bland carbs that raise low blood sugar, without upsetting the stomach. Add a drizzle of fructose-laden honey for even more instant energy. Just remember to follow it with some protein later in the day to offset the blood-sugar surge.
Rolled oats
Take this superfood for a spin when you’re feeling less than stellar in the morning. A hot bowl of oatmeal has plenty of essential nutrients like B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Plus oats can help neutralise acids in the body and raise blood sugar levels, giving you an instant energy boost.
Food and
drinks to avoid
Greasy food
Contrary to popular knowledge, heading to the local greasy café or roadside barbecue stand may not be a great idea. It turns out that a large, fatty meal is better at preventing a hangover than curing one, as fried foods can irritate the stomach. But, chowing down on a burger or fried chicken before the booze starts flowing can help insulate the stomach, preventing alcohol from being absorbed into the stomach lining and bloodstream too fast
Hair of the dog
This wacky expression comes from a Norwegian folk saying that claims the best cure incorporates the substance that did the damage in the first place. Scandinavian wisdom aside, boozing in the morning is not the solution to a hangover. An alcoholic beverage can help take the edge off in the morning, but it will further dehydrate the body and lead to even worse hangover symptoms later in the day.
Orange and tomato juice
Lastly, stay away from OJ after a night on the town. Sour citrus like orange and grapefruit can irritate an already sensitive stomach and the aim is to not upset your body any further. Also, skip tomato juice too as it is also acidic, making a Bloody Mary at brunch probably the worst choice for a hungover morning.
If you’re planning a huge New Year’s Eve then keep these pages handy and try these recipes to settle your stomach, quiet your headache, and rehydrate your body. There is no one cure for hangovers as everyone’s metabolism is different, but these ideas may get you to start feeling like a normal, functioning human again.
Happy new year!
* Lance Seeto is the award winning chef based on Mana Island, and is Fiji Airways’ culinary ambassador and host of Fiji TV’s Taste of Paradise. Watch online at tasteofparadise.tv
