First aid for hangovers and breakfast of champions recipe

by | Dec 31, 2015 | Detoxification, Recipes

However you choose to bring in the new year, chances are for most it involves alcohol. Nothing wrong with a drink and a dance, it’s the excess that leads you to waking up feeling like you’ve been run over by a bus. So, in an effort to make your hangover less painful, I have some ideas to help you bounce back on new years day and not spend the whole day in bed feeling woefully sorry for yourself.

1. Coconut water before your night out – alcohol depletes your stores of potassium, so sipping on unsweetened coconut water before your night out is an excellent way to boost your levels. Soup or broth is also a good option for this.

2. Drink swaps – beer, wine and champagne are high in sulphites, which many people are sensitive too, and can lead to a monster headache the next day.  Mixers such as coke and lemonade are ridiculously high in sugar and can lead to a sugar hangover as well as an alcohol hangover. Good alternatives are whiskey/vodka with soda water and a slice of lime. The soda water will help hydrate you, and your drink will be sulphite free, sugar free and is a good option for those who are watching their waistlines.

3. Eat something with fat – eating a meal that incorporates a decent amount of good fats such as coconut oil, ghee, animal fat, olive oil, nuts etc is an excellent way to slow down the absorption of alcohol in your intestines.  Another option is to simply swallow 1 tbsp of olive oil before you begin your night.

4. Drink 1 litre of water before bed and take 1000mg vitamin C and 40mg zinc – rehydrating is very important after a night of boozing as alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing your body to let go of water, leading to dehydration. Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant and zinc is a wonderful mineral to help protect against alcohol damage.

5. Have a this drink when you wake up – lemon in water is an age old remedy to help cleanse your liver and kick start your digestion; it also contains vitamin C. Try to avoid caffeine as it will dehydrate you further. To make the drink – add the juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp honey, a small pinch of salt and pour over hot water, then stir with a spoon. Add slices of fresh ginger if you are feeling nauseous, it is one of the best natural anti-nausea remedies around.

6. Have a hearty breakfast (see my suggestion below) – include an abundance of good quality protein and fat to get your wobbly blood sugar levels back into balance.

7. Boost your circulation through exercise – nothing overly intense though, your body has enough to deal with in trying to process the toxins and deal with the inflammation as a result of the drinking. A light jog, a walk in the fresh air, or a swim would be excellent choices. If you can throw a sauna into the mix to help sweat out the byproducts from alcohol metabolism or some dry skin brushing to stimulate your lymphatic system you’ll be well on your way to recovery

8. Drink fluids throughout the day – try to have a large glass of water strapped to your hand throughout the day and keep refilling – it will help you to flush out the excess alcohol more quickly. Electrolytes are important here also, as alcohol causes you to not only lose water but also important minerals such as potassium and sodium, which your body desperately needs. Coconut water, soup, or a homemade electrolyte drink would be excellent to sip on throughout the day.

9. Have a hot bath with epsom salts before bed – put 2 large mugfuls of epsom salts into a hot bath and soak for 25 minutes. This will sooth your aching muscles and replenish your magnesium stores. Then have an early night and be grateful that tomorrow you will feel a whole lot better.

Breakfast of champions - buckwheat pancakes (including vegetarian alternative)
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Healthy cooked breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
  • 5 eggs
  • 4 rashers free-range bacon
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Coconut oil/ ghee/ animal fat/ olive oil
  • Small handful parsley
  • Maple syrup/ honey
Instructions
  1. Whisk 4 eggs in a bowl and put to the side - these you will scramble near the end.
  2. For the pancakes, crack the remaining egg into a large cup and add the milk - beating together.
  3. To a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder - mixing together.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined.
  5. Meanwhile turn your grill to medium and place your bacon on a tray under the heat to cook.
  6. Place a pan on medium heat, add about 1tbsp of fat and let it melt (coconut oil, ghee or animal fat is best - use olive oil if you don't have any of these).
  7. Using a ladle, pour small amounts of the mixture into the pan to make little circles for each pancake. They are better when kept small.
  8. Cook until slightly golden underneath (about 2 minutes), then flip them over and brown the other side.
  9. In a separate pan, add 1tsp fat and let it melt. Add the whisked eggs and stir on a medium heat until cooked to desired consistency.
  10. Serve the pancakes with the scrambled egg, bacon, slices of avocado on the side. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. Any extra pancakes will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Notes
For a vegetarian alternative - add ½ tsp cinnamon to the pancake mix before cooking and serve with a generous dollop of natural yoghurt or coconut yoghurt, fresh berries, chopped walnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, and maybe even a cheeky bit of chopped fresh mint for good measure.

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