“THE DAY AFTER” - PROTOCOL
Let’s face it, sometimes we have a little too much party or even a little party is too much. And, to be fair, not all “day after” scenarios are due to over indulging in alcohol or food (or both).
For those of us with dietary challenges, even one bite or sip of something otherwise innocuous can have deleterious effects. We may be unknowingly exposed through cross-contamination provoking those all-too-familiar, unpleasant reactions, or find that “one” drink was still one drink too many. Heck, even a cast iron stomach has its limits! The result can be a range of symptoms including disrupted sleep, headache, stomach upset, indigestion, puffiness, bloating, feeling spacey, increased pulse, flu-like symptoms, or fatigue. It can happen at any time of year but holidays, summer cookouts, and special occasions seem to be most probable.
So how do we bounce back? Since, as you read through the recommendations and discern what is the best course of action for you, your head might be pounding, your stomach unsettled, or the floor might be listing just a wee bit, I will cut to the chase - but be sure to read all the way through for bonus information: Tips To Take To The Next Party, Helpful Hints, and A Big And Important Secret!
THE DAY AFTER THE PARTY
What to eat:
Fresh fruit (the juicier and the more ripe, the better) including:
Oranges, including some peel and/or orange juice
Tropical fruits (mango, pineapple, papaya, kiwi)
Plums, peaches, nectarines
Berries
Melons, watermelon being the best in this category
Grapes
Bananas
Beets, artichokes, asparagus, cucumbers - excellent for hydration and liver support
Cooked vegetables and hard fruits (such as apples) - cooked is easier on the digestive system
Eggs - any way you like them!
Sugar - not to be conflated with junk food or even the best made desserts and pastries
Protein - ideally from meats
Liver - unless you’re hungover only because, unless you really like liver, that probably won’t end well
Chicken soup, bone broth, or potassium broth or add collagen or gelatin to foods and beverages
Saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil, high quality bacon
Potatoes, any kind and any form but if fried, stay away from PUFAs
Dairy, goat’s milk or raw cow’s milk are the most agreeable forms (if you were “glutened”, avoid all dairy for a few days)
Properly prepared mushrooms - great for balancing the gut
Carrot Salad - on an empty stomach and away from a meal by 30-60 minutes
Follow the “BRAT” diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) if you are experiencing loose stools
Herbs and Spices such as:
Ginger
Fennel - seed, fronds, bulb
Caraway
Turmeric (don’t forget to add some black pepper!)
Peppermint
Nettle
What to drink in the morning:
Lemon water
Coffee, at least a little caffeinated, in the morning, with ample sugar but WITH a meal (this is critical)
OJ, preferably fresh squeezed
Adrenal Cocktail - repeat again in the afternoon
What to drink throughout the day:
Coconut Water
Lemon water
A small amount of alcohol in the morning when dealing with a hangover may work for some but that can be a slippery slope so I want to be clear that am not condoning or promoting it. (By the way, that’s where the phrase, “hair of the dog that bit ya” comes from.) Since we are all responsible for thinking for ourselves, I will simply contribute this: not more than one, small glass (such as a small Bloody Mary), in the morning, with a decent meal, and don’t make a habit of it.
Aspirin (considered a supplement in this application)
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Minerals (with a concentration on magnesium, calcium, potassium, salt)
Niacinamide
Lifestyle:
Rest - don’t overtax yourself
Take a leisurely stroll or go for an easy bike ride
Get fresh air, even if it’s cold outside
Practice grounding, unless the ground is freezing cold and covered with snow, of course
Stretch or do a bit of Tai Chi or gentle yoga
Watch a funny movie or look up some comical videos
Get to bed a little earlier
Take an Epsom Salts bath
Don’t beat yourself up. Whether your “day after” symptoms are because you went a little overboard or you accidentally consumed something that your body doesn’t tolerate, that’s in the past now. Save for anyone who might want to rib you (after all, what are friends for?) about having taken that extra helping of lasagna or sip (gulp) of that sneaky Long Island Iced Tea, let it go.
TIPS TO TAKE TO THE NEXT PARTY
Follow these tips the next time you’re celebrating to reduce the likelihood of needing “The Day After” - Protocol.
Let’s get this party started (right)!: If eating is a part of the celebration, take digestive enzymes at the start of your meal or a serving of pineapple, kiwi, or other juicy, tropical fruit. As best you can with what pickings you have, favor protein and saturated fat along with a complex carbohydrate, such as potatoes, as the centerpiece of your celebratory meal to keep your blood sugar regulated. Continue this strategy throughout the shindig with nutrient dense snacks.
If you struggle with digestive issues on the regular, consider adding HCL if the meal is particularly heavy. If your gallbladder is touchy, work with a trusted practitioner to learn how to support it in the short term and then commit to healing it in the long run through diet, lifestyle, and (likely temporary) supplements.
For the sport of it: Get your electrolytes in. I’m not talking about those chemical laden, commercial sports beverages. Go for whole fruits, citrus, salt, cooked greens and vegetables, mineral water (like Perrier or San Pellegrino), coconut water, or quality water with a slice of lemon, a few drops of trace minerals, and a dash of sea salt. Depending on the venue, you can even BYOB a homemade electrolyte preparation.
Be a two-fisted drinker: One hand has your special grown-up drink, the other has an electrolyte drink (see previous remarks). Always quench your thirst with a non-alcoholic drink first and remember, no seconds on the grown-up one until the other is empty.
Sun-n-fun: I’m a huge proponent of sunshine and love me some warm weather but if you’re going to dabble in the hooch, go easy on both. You might not feel it today but the combination of spiritus frumenti and the hot sun will make you feel crispy, like a slice of charred bacon, in the morning.
Pour some sugar: Don’t shy away from sugar, do avoid excessive desserts and stay away from them completely if you know they may cause a reaction. If you’re having a sweet tooth moment and just want to have something special to celebrate the occasion, see if you can get your hands on fruit or grab a cup of coffee/tea and add a generous helping of sugar to any of them - yes, even the fruit.
Continued support: There are a number of effective digestive enzyme formulations that are handy when you aren’t able to track down specific ingredients or rule out cross contamination ahead of time. Follow label directions taking them throughout the event and continue for 1-3 days after exposure or 2-3 days after symptoms resolve.
Medicine cabinet: For attenuating food related aftereffects, keep Cyproheptadine (found here or here or by prescription) or Benadryl in your medicine cabinet and take the prescribed dose before bed. This will help to counteract any low-grade allergic reaction and related inflammation you may be having to something you consumed.
For mitigating a wee-bit-too-much alcohol and/or food, before bed, have at least 4-6 ounces of a real sugar cola (or other real sugar, preferably caffeinated pop) and take plain aspirin. This doesn’t just prevent a hangover. The aspirin, caffeine, and carbonation combination will mitigate the effects of excessive PUFAs, counteracts the estrogen response, settles gastrointestinal distress, and helps to quiet inflammation – all of which can be caused by having eaten or drank something that doesn’t agree with you - booze or no booze. For a one-two punch in the alcohol hangover arena, add a dose of B complex.
Practice mindfulness: If the gathering is a stressful one (eustress or negative) or there is cause for sensory overload, try to employ some basic mindfulness techniques so that your body isn’t fighting an uphill battle between finding something to eat, social circumstances, and environmental surroundings. You’ll be clearer, enjoy the festivities more, and your body will be in a better physiological and phycological position to manage the experience.
HELPFUL HINTS
Before and leading up to any event, keep these tips in mind. Doing so will either prevent or greatly lessen any fall out.
Always and everywhere: Nurture a healthy digestive system and follow good practices regularly so your constitution is robust enough to weather the occasional change in diet. Doing so doesn’t mean being militant, it means being thoughtful and conscientious on a regular basis.
Start early: In the days leading up to the big event and during the party, make sure you are properly hydrated.
Address the stress: If the function you are participating in has a stressful component - maybe you are the host/hostess and there’s a lot to get ready, or it’s a corporate holiday bash and you dread stuffy encounters – then make sure you take time out for self-care, get adequate sleep, create and environment for optimal health, and have key support mechanisms in place so that, ultimately and in the moment of truth, you are not overly distracted and lose focus when it comes to making thoughtful food and beverage choices on your own behalf.
Be prepared: If you know you’re going to an affair that has “mystery” food with questionable ingredients, bring a safe snack or have a light meal ahead of time. You’ll be less tempted out of hangriness, self-consciousness, or peer pressure to throw in the towel and just eat whatever you can get your hands on just to quiet the belly beast or impatient party-goers.
Do some recon: Turn to a trusted resource for the inside scoop, do your own research, or call ahead to a venue and talk with someone personally to gain insight as to what is commonly served and how dietary considerations are typically handled. The few extra minutes this step takes will make for a smoother experience once you’re in the setting and could save you days, if not weeks, worth of fallout.
Get your fats straight: Avoid PUFAs and stick with saturated fats. Besides a bevy of benefits such as brain and nervous system health, saturated fats have a protective and potentially healing effect on the liver whereas PUFAs can actually do more harm than good. Here are just a few studies to start your research as to why:
Supplementation with (long chain) saturated fats protects liver from alcohol
Dietary saturated fatty acids: a novel treatment for alcoholic liver disease
Beef fat prevents alcoholic liver disease in the rat
Sweeten things up: Adding sugar to your diet doesn’t mean pounding cakes and cookies. It means adding sugar. By itself - not wrapped in a pastry or as the last ingredient on the list of that packaged frankenfood. Sugar is liver protectant, stress ameliorating, and hormone (especially thyroid) supportive. It isn’t evil. Really.
Eat: balanced meals that contain saturated fat and protein, and a complex carbohydrate such as a baked potato with butter or coconut oil. Instead of skipping meals, skip fasting. It’s really not good for you.
Drink: Learn the true meaning of healthy hydration and make it a part of your regular routine.
Be Merry (and take occasional supplements): Before a night out, and even a few days before, take supportive nutrients such as B Complex (B1 and B12 being most critical), NAC, Vitamin C, Progesterone (Progest-E) or Vitamin E.
A BIG AND IMPORTANT SECRET!
What few will tell you and fewer may realize is that the recommendations in this protocol (including the links to helpful extensions of the information) are things that you can do ALL the time (not the over indulging part, of course). Under stress? Follow this protocol. Feel like you’re coming down with something? Follow this protocol. Simply want to enjoy optimal health? I think you get it by now.
P.S.
Before anyone goes there, let me make it clear up front, I’m not condoning excessive drinking or gluttony. I’m simply being realistic, recognizing we are all human, and understanding we don’t live in a controlled environment. Charity and mercy go a long way in helping anyone who has been (over) exposed (whether by their own hand or unknowingly) and I expect it’s happened to everyone, in some way, at least once.
Bounce back,
Marie Stumphauzer, FNTP
fineartamerica.com
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