Yikes. Not sure about everyone else out there, but I’d say a fair majority of the population is nursing a hangover today. This is what happens when you put a holiday dedicated to alcohol and blowing things up in the middle of the week. How could we have avoided these splitting headaches which are being nursed with copious amounts of water and pizza today? We could have eaten the right shit while drinking yesterday. Luckily, I researched (a day too late) what to eat before day drinking to help you immensely the next day in terms of not feeling like shit.
Next time a daytime bender is on the radar (I see you, Saturday Labor Day), here’s what to eat before day drinking so you don’t die.
1. Pears
Yep, according to Spoon University, Asian pear juice has been shown to reduce the shittiness you experience after drinking by about 20 percent. Eating a shitload of pears before day drinking helps your body get rid of the alcohol more quickly later, so you won’t be captain of the struggle bus. Also, Rick Ross credits eating pears to his massive weight loss, so I mean, if it’s good enough for the bawss it’s good enough for me.
2. Green Juice
Since you’re already planning on having nothing but a smoothie for breakfast before your day drinking adventure, make it a green juice instead. Eating things like broccoli and kale before drinking will give your liver an extra boost, and mixing those into a green juice can help boost your electrolytes, which will be depleted after your take four to ten shots.
3. Avocado
God, is there anything avocado CAN’T do? Since these trendy bitches are full of healthy fats and B vitamins, they can help stave off the spins tomorrow morning. Add some to a smoothie, eat some guacamole, or just embrace your basic bitch and nom on some avocado toast.
4. Cucumbers
Yay! Cucumbers are literally on all of our lists for healthy this or that, but they’re especially helpful for those of us who are not all about that hangover life. Since they’re about 95 percent water, cucumbers will keep you super hydrated AND help flush out toxins hanging out in your bod. According to Men’s Journal, “cucumbers also contain small amounts of sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes, which could help prevent or lessen the intensity of your headache the next day.”
5. Salmon
Like our good friend the avocado, salmon has a shitton of healthy fats and vitamins that can prevent you from, like, dying after drinking all day. Nutritionist Marina Chaparro, MPH, RDN, CDE, LD (fuck, that’s a lot of letters), says that the B vitamins in salmon help replenish or keep up the ones you’ll lose when chugging beer through a funnel (I paraphrase that last part a bit). Eating salmon can also promote short term memory and general brain function, so maybe you’ll have a better chance at remembering who you texted.
6. Pickles
Sounds weird, but it’s totally true. Eating a handful of pickles before drinking will save you some pain later. Why? According to USA Today, drinking causes us to fuck up our water balance (duh), but pickles are rich in electrolytes and help maintain that water balance. In other words, it’s like a vinegary Gatorade that’ll prevent that head-exploding feeling the next day.
7. Quinoa
Thanks to the fiber and protein in this ancient grain, eating quinoa before drinking can slow down alcohol’s effect on your body. In other words, because fiber fills you up, you’re less likely to become a lightweight and get drunk in record time if you eat some black, red, or white quinoa before that game of pong.
8. Eggs
Obv, if you’re day drinking, you need a hearty, healthy breakfast. While you’re chugging your green juice and nomming your avocado toast, fry up some eggs, too. They’re a bitchin’ source of protein and are rich in cysteine, an essential amino acid that’ll give your liver a much-needed boost.
Bottom line, make sure you’re eating SOMETHING before you day drink, even if it isn’t on this list. And, it goes without saying, but chugging a few bottles of water before playing Stump or Pong or Power Hour is going to help a lot, too.
Images: Tom Masat, Unsplash; Giphy (4)
