Good morning, sunshine!
Oh, what? You’re not your usual cheery, rosy self this morning? Overindulge a bit last night, did we?
I’ll take that feeble little head nod as a sign that you could use some help today to get back to feeling your best.
I’ll even spare you the rhetoric on why overindulging is not a recipe for long term health, the dirty details on the damaging effects of alcohol on the liver and the revelation that if you want to be vibrant, look radiant and feel fantastic well into your golden years, you need to take it easy on the partying.
Oh, that was a little sneaky, huh? I worked a little truth smackdown in there anyway, didn’t I? And after promising to help you feel better…
Ok, ok. The truth is that it happens to the best of us.
And during the holidays, it’s especially easy to have that extra glass of wine (or two) or a martini (or four). Couple that with some crappy processed party food and you have the recipe for a wicked hangover.
So, now that we’re here, what to do? (You know, besides that whole time machine plan…)
Here come my best tips for nursing that hangover naturally and feeling better fast.
You can enact one of them or all of them, depending upon your situation. If the kids are jumping on the bed at 7am, it’s going to be hard to work in that extra rest or soothing detox bath, but try to do what you can.
And if you don’t have some of this stuff on hand, then send a friend (no, not her, she feels terrible today too) or other loved one out to hunt and gather for you.
Natural Hangover Cures- Easy Home Remedies for Hangovers
1. Kombucha
This stuff is magic in a bottle, seriously. Especially for hangovers. Yeah, it might taste a bit strong, and the smell might be slightly off-putting when you aren’t feeling super shiny, but do what you have to do to get it down! A powerhouse of probiotics, B vitamins, liver supporting detoxifiers and a laundry list of other nutrients, this alone might do the trick for you.
Super smart tip– drink some kombucha the night OF the partying, especially right before bed. If I’ve overindulged, I’ll have some kombucha and a big glass of water right before bed, and 9 times out of 10, I feel right as rain in the morning.
But we’re not in that time machine, are we?
We’re in morning after mode and so drink some today and see how it goes for you. If you are new to kombucha, start slow. Have a few sips. Start with a fruity flavor, like mango, guava or passionfruit. I love GT’s Kombucha, which can be found at many health food stores nationwide.
Bonus points for having your own homemade kombucha, but it’s not essential right this second.
2. Homemade Chicken Stock
Also called chicken broth or bone broth.
And it doesn’t have to be chicken, could be beef or even fish. (Please don’t run to the bathroom, I won’t say fish again).
But it does have to be HOMEMADE. Why?
Because the store-bought chicken broth (yes, even organic) is just junk. Sorry, but it is. It’s full of artificial ingredients (read the label) and most contain MSG (super nasty stuff), artificial colors or flavors and the wrong kind of salt (table salt is bad, unrefined sea salt is good!) Plus, the chickens the bones came from were not healthy chickens.
Make your own chicken stock with high quality chicken (or beef or that other word), veggie scraps and healthy unrefined sea salt and you’ll never go back to those cans or cartons again. Promise!
So, now that you know the dealio with bone broth, sip on some when you aren’t feeling well. The minerals will give you a much-needed boost and the gelatin will soothe your tummy.
You can season your mug of homemade chicken broth with a few dashes of unrefined sea salt and if you are up to it, add a spoonful or ghee (clarified butter) or even stir in a pasture-raised egg yolk. (Depending on how you feel)
3. Nux Vomica
Weird name, right? Sounds a little bit like what you feel like doing right now… I know.
But this stuff… oh yeah…it’s GOOD. So important to keep on hand. It’s a homeopathic remedy specifically for overindulgence, nausea and indigestion.
Perfect, right?
Take the recommended amount every 15-30 minutes, for about 4 hours or until you feel better.
The cool thing about homeopathic remedies is that they are super gentle, don’t react with other meds and have a long, long history of safety and effectiveness. I think every home should have a homeopathic remedy kit. They are pretty inexpensive and contain the most often used remedies, which comes in extremely handy quite often!
4. Detox Bath
These are a godsend. I love relaxing baths anyway…for tight muscles, sore joints, when I have a headache…but they are crazy helpful for hangovers.
You can do a simple hot bath, drinking cool (not cold) water while splashing cool water on your face every once in a while. But you can easily bump it up with a couple cups of Epsom salts (available at the drugstore) or a specially formulated detox bath salt or herb blend.
Dr Singha’s Mustard Bath blend (totally NOT as gross as it sounds) is awesome and fairly easy to find at health food stores. A local herb shop will almost certainly have a few blends to choose from.
Just make sure that any herb blends are contained in a cloth bag or wrap them in cheesecloth to avoid a messy clean up. Clogged pipes are certainly not going to help you feel better right now!
Or, just make your own detoxifying bath blend with some Epsom or sea salts, baking soda, raw apple cider vinegar, bentonite clay and essential oils like lavender, tea tree, oregano, lemon or thyme.
Bonus tip– Essential oils are also good to have on hand. You can pick up a few of the most often used ones or buy a kit that has several single oils and blends. Just make sure they are pure essential oils and not fragrance oils. If you are going to buy just a few, I recommend starting with Lavender, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Thyme and Eucalyptus.
5. Water
Pure drinking water is so vitally important to your health. We should be ensuring that we are getting plenty of water in our daily diets anyway, but because of the dehydrating effects of alcohol and processed foods, it’s especially important to include water in a morning after hangover or overindulgence plan.
When you’re hungover, sip on cool (not cold) water and if you can handle it, add a sprinkle of unrefined sea salt to the water along with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
6. Rest- and lots of it
Make sure to get plenty of rest today. This is not the day to take on big projects or stressful tasks.
Sleep in, take a nap and take it easy. You didn’t sleep very good last night because your body was working hard to remove those party toxins out of your system.
7. Once you start eating again, eat really, really well
Today is not the day to eat more crappy food. Forget the “hair of the dog”. Eat really, really well today.
Keep the sugar out, focus on healthy fats and nourishing proteins, cleansing greens and other veggies.
Eat something cultured. Rephrasing- eat lots and lots of cultured food! (Real pickles, naturally cultured sauerkraut, real plain whole fat yogurt, kombucha, water kefir… something!)
Give yourself a day or two to really rebuild.
8. Liver
Yep. Liver.
If you have some grassfed beef liver, then find a way to eat it or if that statement practically made you want to pass out (again) then at least take some desiccated liver tablets. (Just make sure they are from healthy grassfed animals)
Taking your fermented cod liver oil would be great, but I understand there might be no way for that to happen today. Take it tonight or tomorrow.
——
And as you’re doing all this and feeling back to your rockstar self, make a note to try to prevent this whole mess from happening in the first place.
No, I don’t mean you can’t ever go to a party or have a glass of wine. But you can indulge responsibly and still have a fabulous time (even better, actually!). As a bonus, you’ll skip a whole day of recuperating… won’t that be fun?
Easy Tips for Preventing Hangovers
- Eat a real food diet the rest of the time to keep you healthy and strong so slight mis-steps here and there aren’t major setbacks
- Indulge sensibly and responsibly by aiming for organic wines and spirits. There are a lot of the market these days and many are extremely good. Skip the sugary drinks, chemical laden mixers and overly processed junk. Opt for those cocktails that have freshly squeezed fruit juices (like lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit) and herbs for flavor. If you’re drinking beer, try craft, artisanal brews that are more responsibly made.
- Eat AND Drink. Don’t drink on an empty stomach- include some good quality food along with your libations. If you’re going to a party and all they are going to have is processed crap, then eat really well before you go, take a snack if it’s appropriate and be choosy when filling your plate. Go for healthy fats like butter and nuts, good proteins like meat and seafood, fresh fruits and veggies and high quality cheeses. Skip the breads, fried foods and overly sugary stuff. A cookie or two won’t send you over the edge, but keep it reasonable.
- Drink water with drinks! This is an oft-repeated tip, but for good reason. Try to have a glass of water for each and every alcoholic drink you consume. Drink water before you go to the party and have a big glass when you get home.
- Kombucha and water before bed. Don’t forget this amazing duo. Seriously. You’ll thank me later.
- Take liver support BEFORE drinking or partying, the night after and the next day. If you’ve got these magical supplements, take them! If you need help figuring this one out, then contact me!
- Digestive support/bitters. Again, doing anything you can to remove other burdens from your system will minimize damage and therefore minimize how bad you feel afterwards. Taking REAL bitters (not the artificial stuff at the bar) and other digestive aids (hydrochloric acid, gallbladder support, enzymes) will certainly help, especially when you are eating food that is less than optimal. Again, if you are in need of support here, consult with me.
I hope that you’ve found this helpful and that you’re already starting to feel better. By being a bit prepared and taking easy, healthful steps after a night of overindulgence, you can enjoy yourself and stay on a path to whole health!
oh my gosh, these tips are great. thank u so much amy!!
oh my gosh, these tips are great. thank u so much amy!!
I’ve tried kombucha before with great success, but love all these other ideas. I don’t overindulge often but it is good to be prepared. Love your website!
I’ve tried kombucha before with great success, but love all these other ideas. I don’t overindulge often but it is good to be prepared. Love your website!
Why did you say drink cool water vs cold water? I heard that cold water is only good to drink if you are extremely hot ( so in the summertime)… Is this true? If you don’t have access to a spring or well, what is a good water to drink?
Cold water on an upset tummy is not a great idea- it’s best to keep it cool. The majority of water intake should be room temperature/coolish, not ice cold. We rarely put ice in our drinks, but sometimes in the summer. It’s generally away from food, however, as super ice cold water is rumored to possibly interfere with digestion. I know it makes my stomach hurt sometimes, so I just skip the ice. You can easily filter your water if you don’t have well or spring water. I use a Berkey filter and highly recommend it for drinking water. We also have well water, but have a filter on it for the whole house. If you live in the city, and have chlorinated and fluoridated water, you’ll want to filter it as much as possible. When we lived in the city, I used a Berkey for my drinking and cooking water, and point of use filters on the showers, washing machine and garden hose. Hope that helps!
Why did you say drink cool water vs cold water? I heard that cold water is only good to drink if you are extremely hot ( so in the summertime)… Is this true? If you don’t have access to a spring or well, what is a good water to drink?
Cold water on an upset tummy is not a great idea- it’s best to keep it cool. The majority of water intake should be room temperature/coolish, not ice cold. We rarely put ice in our drinks, but sometimes in the summer. It’s generally away from food, however, as super ice cold water is rumored to possibly interfere with digestion. I know it makes my stomach hurt sometimes, so I just skip the ice. You can easily filter your water if you don’t have well or spring water. I use a Berkey filter and highly recommend it for drinking water. We also have well water, but have a filter on it for the whole house. If you live in the city, and have chlorinated and fluoridated water, you’ll want to filter it as much as possible. When we lived in the city, I used a Berkey for my drinking and cooking water, and point of use filters on the showers, washing machine and garden hose. Hope that helps!