Going to a bar with friends or coworkers or getting drinks at a restaurant is a great way to treat yourself after a long week. If you’re prone to stomach problems and headaches the next day, a hangover detox drink can keep you from wishing you’d stayed in. For best results, pair your cleansing drink with a soothing glass of juice or a smoothie.
Detoxing on an Empty Stomach
If you’re wondering how to detox after drinking too much, the answer is not to detox on an empty stomach. Especially if you’ve been drinking, your body craves a return to balance. Depriving your body of nutrients will make it hard to get over your headache or settle your stomach.
At the same time, filling your body with fast food (which is many people’s go-to after a night of drinking) or scarfing down processed snacks reduces the benefits of detoxing. Instead, choose a healthy juice or smoothie to start your detoxing day.
Detoxifying Ingredients To Incorporate Into Your Smoothies or Juices
When you make your own pre-detox drink, prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables. Oranges, kiwis, pineapples, strawberries, and blueberries all contain high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. These substances boost your immune system and help you relax, making it easier for your hangover detox to work. If you have frozen fruit, simply toss your favorite combination into a blender, or if you have fresh fruit, add ice.
Leafy greens are a great addition to any detoxifying smoothie, and if you combine them with fruit, you won’t even taste them. Kale and spinach are the most popular options, but you can also experiment with chard and other dark greens. The fiber that these vegetables provide helps ease alcohol and other toxins out of your body.
If you prefer a thinner smoothie, add some water, unsweetened green tea, coconut water, or plain almond milk. These fluids are low in calories and help rehydrate you after a night of drinking. If you like your smoothies to have the consistency of ice cream, chop up bananas and freeze them. Add a few chunks to your other ingredients in the blender for a rich and creamy sensation.
If you’re not hungry enough for a smoothie, juices are another great way to kickstart your digestive system for a detox. Lemon juicers work well with grapefruit and oranges, and it’s easy to squeeze juice out of other fresh fruits with a spoon or knife. Leave the pulp in to get the most health benefits.
Finally, consider adding spices such as mint, ginger, and parsley to your smoothies and juices. Mint helps your digestive system, and it also helps mask any bitter greens you’ve added. If you add enough ginger to make your drink spicy, the resulting sweat further eliminates toxins from your body. As an antioxidant, parsley also speeds up the toxin removal process.
The next time you’re detoxing to get rid of a hangover, use these ingredients to make a nutritious smoothie or juice.
