#NewYear’s: Foods to eat/ avoid before boozing
What you should avoid eating before a night of heavy drinking on New Year's ... and what you should rather eat/ drink before you do.
What you should and shouldn’t eat before a night of heavy drinking at this New Year’s Eve party could be the difference between enjoying your New Year’s Day or sitting with a pounding headache instead.
Foods to avoid:
• Salty snacks: One of the worst things alcohol does to your body is dehydrate you. So snacking on treats like popcorn, chips and pretzels, which are known for drying your mouth and body out is a no-no! Instead, eat something that’s filled with water, like cucumber slices or watermelon.
• Salad: Eating a simple salad before you go on a party spree is like going out on an empty stomach. Make sure your salad at least has some form of protein in it like chicken, which takes longer to digest.
• Sushi: Once again, the crunchy tuna roll in soya sauce contains a lot of salt which causes more dehydration.
• French fries: The grease from french fries causes a layer of grease in your stomach and only ensures that it’s going to come up later.
• Spicy wings: We all know what spicy food does to the tummy when you are sober, now imagine how it will upset the stomach during a night of heavy-drinking? Bad idea.
Food to eat:
• Pear juice: According to research from Australia’s CSIRO – the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia – specifically “Asian pear juice can reduce the side effects of drinking by up to 20 per cent”.
• Green juice: Liquidise or extract the juice from any green vegetables or fruit you may have in the house, and drink the result. It’s said to flood your body with vitamins and minerals, boosting your defenses when you switch over to alcohol.
• Sweet potatoes: According to Kerry Bajaj, a certified health coach at Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, “Taking the time to cook a hearty meal before you go out will keep your blood sugar stable and give you lasting energy. Always drink on a full stomach. Eat a [balanced] meal with some low-glycemic carbs, like sweet potato or brown rice”.
• Chicken breast: Combined with low-glycemic carbs, it will help keep your blood sugar steady.
• Cucumber: Cucumber is 95 per cent water, so munching on a few slices of cucumber before you go out will not only hydrate you, it will also help flush out any toxins lingering in your body.
• Water: Alternating water with your alcoholic drinks is a no-brainer.
• Sources: www.delish.com and www.mensfitness.com
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