Hangover helpers!

We've all gone out celebrating with friends, significant others, family...only to wake up the next morning realizing we had a few too many. The dreaded feeling of knowing you should've called it quits a little sooner and now there's nothing you can do! Or is there? That may not be entirely true, there are a few things you can do to help ease some of the uncomfortable symptoms.

<p> Banans are life savers. When you are hungover, your body is depleted of potassium which banans are a great source of. Replenishing that lost potassium will help return you back to normal. My favorite is to make a smoothie with banans, strawberries, greek yogurt (plain or vanilla), almond milk, honey (if I don't use vanilla yogurt) and ice.

<p> B-vitamins are next. Since alcohol is a diuretic, our bodies lose crucial B-vitamins so replenishing them is very important. Taking a B-complex or at the very least, just B-12 may help to shorten that hangover.

<p> Water, and lots of it! It's no secret that your body is severely dehydrated after drinking. Hangover headaches are caused from the brain not getting enough water, so rehydrating is a definite must! I always say, the colder the better, since colder water revs the metabolism.

<p> Sweating out the toxins with a light workout is another one. You have to be careful with this one and monitor your heart rate because you do not want to raise it too high since blood pressure is typically already elevated.

<p> Milk thistle

<p> In addition to some of the positive things we can do, there are also a few to stay away from. Everyone talks about craving greasy, bad food that next morning. Some people even swear it helps, but in reality, too much grease can lead to indigestion, heartburn and further nausea. Also, avoid caffeine, another diuretic that will further dehydrate the body. And lastly, stay far away from Acetaminophen.  The liver is aleeady under excess strain, trying to remove all the alcohol and extra toxins, acetaminophen will put extra, umnecessary strain in the liver. If necessary, stick with Ibuprofen.