Hangover ‘til it’s over: Foodie shortcuts
Better than burgers phô your survival
The blinds were left open and, like the merciless sun, the wrath of grapes burns through your skull at the pace of your heartbeat. The need to apologise to someone, anyone, arises slowly beneath the cosmic feeling of guilt that flutters in your gut, how many decades has it been since you last ate and who is that?
Ethanol’s got you again, my friend, it’s Sunday’s divine punishment, or as the Swedes would say, you have been “smacked from behind” (?). Worry not. Since I’m a what type of wine is that, sure, here let me finish this gin kind of person, I’ve discovered there are Muuucho ways out of a physical hangover, all while pampering your taste buds. And since thy must learn not to cheat thyself by swearing to the Lord of Abstinence (tip: don’t Google “Lord of Abstinence”), thy must start by bringing the A-game to the after after-party.
Irish flu
Inappropriately known as the Irish flu, a hangover, and also medically known as veisalgia (by no one), is caused by a build-up of toxins in your bloodstream, some even released by your own body — a pretty toxic mess. The biology of this ominous state is not well understood by scientists (come on, major source of misery here!) although there are some agreements on what exactly provokes that half-a-dozen symptoms that cause you to, well, Netflix.
Sure, anyone can advise you to take multivitamins, eat a full meal and drink plenty of water, but where’s the fun in all that? If you’ve heard of us at Mucho, we’re like a personal stylist for your taste buds, and we help you shop according to your likes and needs. In this case, your survival needs are pretty much some molecules called cysteine, protein, electrolytes, fructose and vitamin B. And since a good night is deserving of a good recovery, read on to find some yummy packages for these molecules.
Come to think of it, as soon as I finish writing this I’ll take this idea to our developers: the Beta-hangover version of the Mucho app.
The foooooooood
Ok, let’s talk about soup broths because they = miracles. From the direst of hangovers to a slight concentration deficit, Phô or Miso soups have just about everything you need, the true heroes when it comes to the loss of liquids. Hydration is essential for that toxic internal cocktail of yours — drink cocktails, become an evil cocktail — to dilute all the toxins in your bloodstream. There is a mechanism in your intestines through which they absorb a certain amount of water per gram of sugar and salt you drink. The salt, a sodium-source, and bean sprouts and herbs, which add some extra sweetness to the soup (think South Vietnamese phô), will make the hydration mechanism of your suffering intestines much more efficient, and happy. Not to forget about the protein and cysteine from the chicken, beef or tofu in the soup, which will help your liver calm down a little.
I’ve also found that a simple black bean stew is just the ticket out of incoherence-land. It’s particularly rich in protein, sodium and potassium. The latter two being electrolytes, so they’ll be in charge of re-wiring your muscles and nerves. You’ll need those to regain some form of co-ordination.
Another molecule-bean-wonder is our tofu-spinach laksa, a multi-ingredient yet simple recipe that will bring many vitamins: K, A, B2, B6, B1 and E, iron, copper, magnesium, protein, phosphorus… I could go on and on! Team this with some sparkling water, and see how your headache likes that one, huh!
If you’re feeling particularly in slow-response mode, you can have a side of avocado, drizzled in olive oil and salt, or an orange juice, the best potassium gold mine, for brunch. If you are beyond this slow-response mode though, just turn on Discovery Channel (everything is going to be alright) and tell someone to whip you up an avocado banana smoothie, the electrolyte bomb. And for other milky lovers like myself — oh, I know many who will curse me for suggesting this on a hangover — adding some milk will bring about some protein, which is another way to put a halt to your liver’s terrible attitude.
These are recipes intended to help you negotiate with your body on that Sunday hangover (or the Friday one, the agony we’ve all known at work, or the Tuesday one — hey, been there!). The one tip though — keep eating, folks, keep eating. Ok, sooooo maybe that’s our tip for everything…
May your recovery be steady and fast!
