Can Eating Carbs Help With A Hangover?
Many of us have been in this predicament. You're lying on the sofa after a big night out, and you can't decide what is the best thing to eat. The mere thought of whipping up a healthy meal from scratch is nixed quicker than you downed your first cocktail. Who has the energy? Somehow, you have to find something tasty that will be easy to digest. The barrage of symptoms that comes with a hangover can feel like grenades you desperately want to avoid as you map out the rest of the day's meals.
Not aggravating your hangover is no easy feat. The Mayo Clinic reminds us that a hangover can include many symptoms, such as nausea, shakiness, moodiness, decreased focus, weakness, vomiting, and stomach pain. Many of us tend to go for the greasy cheeseburger and fries combo post-party. Sure, these options may be delicious, but we may be craving these carb-loaded choices for a reason.
Eating healthy carbs can help you maintain your energy
You may be ordering that extra side of fries in an effort to soak up the excess alcohol from your system. However, this is a popular myth that we need to debunk. "Most people think that they need to eat greasy food to absorb the alcohol but that isn't true," Amy Shapiro, founder and director of Real Nutrition, told NBC News. "By then the alcohol has been digested and processed by your body so there is nothing to 'absorb.' To bring your blood sugar back up to normal, you really just need to eat anything with some carbs, but balance it out with protein or healthy fats to prevent further blood sugar drops." Medical News Today concurs, stating that carbohydrates might be good to snack on after a big night out because they offer quick energy and are easy to digest.
Carbohydrates certainly get their negative share of press from well-known media outlets and, ahem, nearly all of Hollywood. But the truth is good carbs — think oatmeal and whole-grain bread — may be just what you need to roll off that couch and move on with the rest of your day. Keep it light and hold back on the milkshake and double order of fries if you want to stay off the couch.