Hangover is the way you feel the morning after a celebration, or just a night out with friends. Sometimes called the morning after the night before, you think the celebration was definitely not worth it. My grandmother had several home remedies to make the pounding head and upset stomach better. Although she did not know about dehydration and low blood sugar, several of these home remedies rely on water and sugar or food to relieve the symptoms and, of course, increase hydration, stabilize blood sugar and thus cure the hangover.
Cure a hangover with water. Drink eight ounces of water for every alcoholic drink during the evening. The water will help control the nausea and pounding headaches which, we now know, are mainly caused by dehydration. Grandmother used to tell us to drink as much water as possible while drinking alcohol.
Cure a hangover with aspirin. Take two aspirin with a full glass of water before bed. This will help avoid the headache in the morning. Of course the water will also help the dehydration. Medical experts warn, however, that aspirin can increase blood alcohol concentrations. So take your aspirin after the celebration is over.
Cure a hangover with lemon or lime juice. Add two teaspoons of juice and one teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water with ice. Sip it slowly.
Cure a hangover with orange juice. A large glass of orange juice before retiring can help ward off the low blood sugar and dehydration caused by the alcohol.
Cure a hangover with peppermint oil. Apply one drop of peppermint oil under your nose. The scent will help control nausea.
Cure a hangover with ginger. Suck on a small piece of dried ginger root or candied ginger. It will burn your mouth, but it will also help settle an upset stomach. We know now that ginger can help with other stomach problems too.
Cure a hangover with chocolate milk. This was her favorite home remedy. Sip a tall glass of cold chocolate milk in the morning. It will immediately make you feel like you may live.
Cure a hangover with food. Although it may be the last thing you think you want when you’re actually vomiting, food will stop the nausea. Grandmother once served me a tall glass of chocolate milk, and then followed with a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It made my stomach churn when I smelled it, but the hangover was cured within an hour of eating it.
Cure a hangover with more alcohol. Although “hair of the dog” is not recommended for frequent use, a drink in the morning, of the same thing that caused the hangover in the first place, will make you feel better and let you get through your day.
We may know better than to overdo alcohol but many of us have too much occasionally. Most of my grandmother’s home remedies will help you rehydrate and increase blood sugar. With dehydration and blood sugar under control, the hangover should disappear.
