I don’t advocate drinking alcohol, but I do advocate protecting your body against it. There are many ways to fight the effects of alcohol both on the preparation side and the recovery side. Here are a few of the most practical tips:
DURING THE DAY PRIOR TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION:
-Eat choline (found in egg yolks)
-Exercise
-Hydrate
1 HOUR BEFORE ALCOHOL:
-1tbsp of olive oil. Polyphenols in olive oil protect against oxidative stress. And monounsaturated and saturated fats protect the liver. Avoid vegetable and seed oils
-Take take 500-600 mg of NAC (precursor to glutathione – which is the chief antioxidant responsible for metabolizing alcohol)
-1000mg of vitamin c.
-300-400mg of magnesium. You can wait for afterwards with this because it can loosen stools and/or make you sleepy.
-Consume collagen or bone broth. This reduces oxidation.
WHILE DRINKING:
-Consume water
– Avoid vegetable and seed oils. PUFA’s in vegetable and seed oils (canola, soy, sunflower, safflower,etc) increase liver damage in response to alcohol intake. While fats like coconut and olive oil protect against it. Vegetable oils are rampant in restaurants and are in most packaged foods like chips and desserts. Limit these to the best of your ability when ingesting alcohol.
-Don’t drink on an empty stomach
-Take electrolytes (LMNT is a clean brand)
-Avoid alcohol additives (margarita mix, sodas, fruit juices that aren’t freshly squeezed)
AT NIGHT / POST ALCOHOL:
-Quinton seawater.
-1000mg Vitamin c.
-More Magnesium – 200mg.
-Activated charcoal. It’s a binder that absorbs toxins in gut. It doesn’t absorb alcohol, but it can expedite detox.
-3-10mg of melatonin for deeper sleep and improved recovery.
MORNING AFTER ALCOHOL:
-More quinton seawater.
- -Breakfast with choline (egg yolks)
- -Exercise, sunlight and/or sauna.
- -More charcoal.
- -Cold therapy or hot/cold contrast.
- -More electrolytes
- -Consume probiotic foods or supplements
HANGOVER SMOOTHIE:
Blend 1 cup coconut water, half avocado, half lemon juice 1 1 to 2 inch piece of ginger chopped, pinch of sea salt, two egg yolks, teaspoon of chlorella.
I don’t always go with that smoothie. But I usually make sure to have some type of nutritious smoothie. It’s a tasty way to get antioxidants (berries), fiber (flax), probiotics (yogurt), superfoods (Maca), and anti-inflammatory foods (spinach) down the hatch.
If this seems like too much, you can always simplify things by….NOT drinking!
Another alternative is dry vaping organic cbd or cannabis, which is exponentially healthier than alcohol. If used properly, these can elevate us above our state of consciousness, whereas alcohol tends to lower our state of consciousness. And there’s no hangover. Why? because it’s not poison.
Cheers!