The New Year is here! Welcome to the party time!
It’s that time of the year when you have endless list of parties to attend or social gatherings to look up to. Although a lot of fun, such social events can easily sabotage all the hard work you have been doing to make healthier choices throughout the year.
However, this need not be the case during parties!
Not only will you be able to enjoy the true essence of celebration, but also enter the new week without a hangover or that awful bloating feeling.
This inevitably leads to overeating and making poor food choices. Be sure to eat regular meals (every 3-4 hours) before the event.
Given below are some specific foods you can eat before a party to rescue yourself from the harmful side effects of partying too hard:
Alcohol is extremely dehydrating and there is going to be a lot of drinking for sure.
So it's wise to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day and even in-between drinks to survive the onslaught of alcohol.
If not coconut water, even the plain old lemon water with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt does the job.
You may have no control on eating choices at a party, but what you eat during the first half of the day is 100% under your control.
It will help create an alkaline environment and support better digestion of the cooked foods. Choose to have a breakfast of fruits and soaked nuts and seeds. You can even opt for a vegetable juice.
Find it boring and bland? Then how about chaats with coriander chutney like chana chaat , rajma salad or sprouts chaat.
Your liver bears the brunt of all that you eat and drink during the party.
While we can look at liver cleanse later on, it’s a good idea to add some liver-health boosting foods that support and stimulate glutathione production, at least a week before the big party. Like garlic, onions, asparagus, avocados, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, parsley and watercress.
Not only will they keep you fuller for longer, they also contain large amounts of cysteine (a component of glutathione), the substance that breaks down the hangover-causing toxin, acetaldehyde.
A handful of soaked nuts and seeds is all it takes to give you an adequate dose of omega 3 that can effectively line your stomach and slow down the rate at which alcohol enters your bloodstream.
Not only that, the fat and fibre in them can be your secret weapon to avoid overeating at a party as well.
What is the most commonly deficient vitamin found in humans, apart from vitamin D3?
It’s vitamin B12. Even low to moderate consumption of alcohol is one of the risk factors for vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.
Hence its wise to get your dose of Vitamin B12 before you head for the big night out.
Party food and alcohol can wash down the good bacteria in your gut and disturb the digestive ecology.
Think of adding probiotic rich foods during the day.
Additionally, if you want to retain B12 in your system you need a probiotic to maintain healthy gut bacteria.
Alcohol and too much meat can get a little hot for your system and cause mouth sores, ulcers, skin breakouts and boils.
In this case, consider eating cooling foods like fennel seeds, sweet basil seeds, coriander juice, sattu (roasted gram powder), cucumber, mint and pomegranates.
(Luke Coutinho is M.D. Alternative Medicine (Integrative & Lifestyle) & Holistic Nutritionist. Luke treats patients with disease and specializes in cancer with a holistic and integrative approach worldwide.)
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