Oh, My Aching Head!

What are some suggestions to naturally cure the symptoms of a hangover? My personal favorite is “don’t get one in the first place”–that sure isn’t helpful when you’re feeling low and slow the day after imbibing a little too much.

Vitamin up: Vitamin C in large doses can help the body normalize itself, likewise citrus juice which is high in Vitamin C is beneficial. Orange juice and grapefruit or tomato juice are usually in the fridge, or can be easily gotten from the store. Maybe this is one of the reasons that cold pizza is legend in it’s ability to ease hangover symptoms.

Essential oils may help. A drop of the following oils: fennel, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, rose, rosemary or sandalwood taken with a spoon of Blue Agave (available at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods) or Honey will immediately have a rejuvenating effect. Peppermint oil behind the ears (sounds weird but it’s true) will naturally chase away headache symptoms like magic and a drop of peppermint in some water is very soothing to the stomach. A drop of therapeutic-grade peppermint has the properties of 28 cups of peppermint tea,

Bananas or Gatorade. These provide a quick hit of sugar in the form of fructose, which is easily digestible, and potassium, which are lost when you drink too much alcohol. Bananas help with the nausea, and are high in magnesium which can help headache symptoms. Maybe this is why Elvis was so into peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Try some coffee? To ease a hangover coffee should be fortified with honey because fructose is easier to digest than table sugar (sucrose).

Other suggestions abound on the internet. For best results though nutrition and time are the best healers. By fortifying the body with Vitamin C rich solutions and quelling nausea with Peppermint, the hangover will soon be a distant memory.