(1)START THE DAY WITH FRESH GINGER TEA
Too much alcohol and foods rich in sugar and unhealthy fats can mean a significant burden for your liver, a key organ for flushing out toxins from our body and keeping us healthy.
A few spoons of freshly grated ginger covered with a cup of hot water
will support your liver detox and help filter out the toxins from your body faster. If you are not a ginger fan, you can also replace the ginger tea with a glass of warm water and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Throughout the day you can then include in your meals chopped garlic or turmeric powder which both also have potent liver-cleansing properties.
(2) FILL YOUR PLATE WITH DARK GREENS AND BEANS
Alcohol depletes our body of several nutrients that are key for our health and well-being, including B vitamins and magnesium.
To replenish these, make sure to include plenty of foods that are rich in these nutrients in your diet the day after your big night out - e.g. dark green vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale and broccoli), as well as beans, chickpeas and lentils. Spinach, beans and lentils also contain a good amount of vitamin B2, which further supports body detox.
(3)DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Alcohol also increases the rate at which our body loses fluid and can therefore contribute to dehydration. This can then lead to significant drops in energy, poorer brain performance, negative changes in our mood as well as to slower digestion.
For example, when we drink 200 ml of alcohol, our body excretes about 320 ml of fluid through urine.
It is therefore important that when we drink alcoholic beverages, we supplement each glass of alcohol with a glass of water, and additionally make sure to drink enough water (between 8-10 glasses a day on average) the next day too, to stay hydrated.
(4) INCLUDE BRAZIL NUTS IN YOUR SNACKS
Another nutrient that is essential for detoxing your body is selenium. And, there is no better food to stock up on selenium than Brazil nuts!
Only four of five of these nuts will provide you with enough selenium for the whole day,
or alternatively you can include in your meals other foods that contain a reasonable amount of this mineral, such as oats, salmon, tuna, sunflower seeds and eggs.
(5) ENJOY A BANANA OR AN AVOCADO
And finally, if you have indulged in lots of foods that are rich in added salt, you might be feeling bloated due to the water retention caused by all that extra sodium.
It is therefore time to up the potassium in your next-day diet, as potassium and sodium work together to balance the fluid levels in your body and more of this mineral will help your body excrete the extra sodium that you consumed the previous day.
Bananas and avocados are two of the foods that contain plenty of potassium, or alternatively you can indulge in a glass or two of coconut water, which will also provide you with extra magnesium to support your detox.
Other foods that can help support your body’s ability to recover after a night out, are those that are rich in antioxidants.
You can download our FREE list of 15 Powerful Antioxidant-Rich Foods to add to your diet below.
