Bananas: When it comes to home hangover remedies, reaching for a humble banana or two is one of the most effective ways to combat a case of the post-Champagne nasties. Excessive alcohol intake can eliminate your body’s supply of potassium. Bananas fill you back up with this essential mineral quickly, safely and cheaply. If you anticipate that the morning after is going to be a rough one, place a couple of bananas on your bedside table.
Water: Even though you’re filling your body with liquids, boozin’ is a surefire way to become uncomfortably dehydrated. We recommend following the “two carafe rule": If you plan on imbibing, keep two carafes of tap water by your bed (alongside those bananas). Drink one before you go to sleep, and drink the other when you wake up the next morning. Many folks drink water only when taking aspirin, ibuprofen or other pain-relieving medicines. We say skip ‘em when treating a hangover, since they can only complicate things and make you feel worse if there’s still alcohol in your system. Opt to take B-vitamins instead.
Fruit juice: Guzzling fructose- and glucose-heavy fruit juices, particularly freshly squeezed varieties, raises blood-sugar levels and replenishes your body with the essential vitamins depleted during drinking. But if a sour stomach accompanies your raging hangover, it’s best to avoid O.J. due to its high acidity. Drink stomach-soothing ginger ale instead. Whatever you do, avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages. They may make you feel a bit less groggy, but they aren't helpful in conquering hangovers since they're diuretics, which will dehydrate you even more.
Honey: This potassium- and antioxidant-rich pantry staple boasts numerous hangover-helping qualities. Ingest it by itself or, better yet, spread it over a piece of dry toast or a cracker, since you do need to eat something during a hangover (even if your appetite tells you otherwise). In fact, the Royal Society of Chemistry believes eating a breakfast of honey-on-toast is one of the best ways to beat a New Year's Day hangover.
Soup: Does the sight of bacon and eggs — edibles that you’d normally scramble toward — make you feel even more nauseated while hungover? If honey-on-toast and bananas aren’t cutting it but you’d rather stay away from grease, opt for soup. Filled with vitamins and nutrients and that familiar “feel-good” taste that warms the senses, eating rehydrating soup is beneficial when battling hangovers. Something as basic as chicken soup can do the trick, but if you’re feeling ambitious, try experimenting with traditional “hangover soups” from around the globe, such as pho (Vietnam), haejangguk (Korea), pancita (Mexico) or borscht (Ukraine). It also helps to add a bit of spice to your hangover soup of choice, since sweating eliminate toxins from the body.
