This is how you recover from carnival
Good morning, girlfriends. For me, it's just an ordinary Wednesday, which means the week is already halfway through. For you, it might be a Wednesday with a serious hangover because 1. you have to wait another year for your favorite party of the year, and 2. you've worked hard for five days, or better said: your liver has had to work hard. A day like today is tough, I feel you. So especially for you: how do I best get through the day after carnival (and without the help of the big yellow M)?
1. Throbbing headache, a stomach that has already done three rounds, and a set of bags under your eyes down to your armpits. Carnival, as fun as it was, is an assault on your body. It's your task today to ensure that your body gets everything it needs to recover. Of course, you would now prefer to reach for that pack of bacon that's winking at you in the fridge, and a cola sounds the best right now. But don't do it. You're probably not going to feel much better from it.
2. Start your day with a banana or at least something that contains banana. Bananas are high in potassium, which helps restore the fluid balance in your body. Eating one of those yellow wonders can help drive away dehydration caused by alcohol. Can't handle solid food yet? Then throw a banana in the blender with almond milk, a scoop of oatmeal, and a spoonful of honey. Because that last one also helps you survive that hangover.
3. A tradition in the south of the country is ‘haring bijten’ on the Wednesday after carnival. And that's allowed. Your body is screaming for fatty food, and that's perfectly fine as long as it's the right fats. So you can definitely continue that tradition, but do leave that white roll around it aside.
4. Have lunch with a hearty omelet packed with lots of vegetables. The cysteine in eggs helps you break down ethanol. That's a substance that your liver has converted from alcohol. And if you've been standing with a beer in your hand for five days, then the concentration of this substance is a bit too high, causing it to end up in your blood.
Rest is the most important thing
5. It's important to replenish those vitamins well today. You and I both know that you haven't been living on lettuce and carrots for the past few days. An extra boost is therefore not entirely unnecessary. Reach for fruits that are high in vitamin C, such as grapefruit, orange, and kiwi.
6. Your body is dehydrated and could use some extra fluids. Place a pitcher of water and half a lemon on your desk and make sure it's constantly filled. The lemon in the water gives you those extra vitamins.
7. Miso helps you recover, whether you're in bed with a flu or recovering from a hangover. In the evening, make a large steaming bowl of miso soup filled with a ton of vegetables, a handful of glass noodles, some crispy fried tempeh, and a red chili to sweat out the alcohol. Bet you'll feel better from this?
8. There's a good chance that after five days of partying, you want to sprint to the gym as quickly as possible to work it all off. Don't do it, girlfriend. The damage is already done; it's better to give your body another day of rest. Can't help it? Then go for a pilates or yoga class, so you've still moved and will go to bed completely zen.
9. Rest is the most important thing. Crawl under the covers early tonight. Your body needs rest to process all those toxins in your body.
10. Perhaps an unnecessary point, but that bottle of wine that will surely be winking at you from the fridge tomorrow, let's leave that one for now... Maybe it's time for a little detox?
Image sources: Toa Heftiba and Brooke Lark.
