Traditional Mexican hangover cure
It’s Saturday and I’m wearing my wine hat. Not sure what that is? Maybe you call it a hangover. Steamrolled. Lying in bed wanting to die. Whatever the case, it means you had one glass (uh, bottle?) of wine too many last night, and now you’re just hoping for hours upon hours in a dark room.
Here are 5 hangover cures that may not bring you back to your A game, but will at least get you out of bed and moving again.
1. Mexican Food. Apparently, the cultural hangover cure in Mexico is tripe soup, loaded with salt and chili. Check out Casa Alvarez. If eating tripe makes you even more queasy than you already are, I find that huevos rancheros or the 1200-calorie Chipotle chicken burrito with hot salsa, corn salsa, cheese, and sour cream pretty much do the trick. Granted, this could be because it sends me into a food coma and forces me to sleep it off.
2. Pedialyte. A few years ago, I was on a short flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. My row mate came on thoroughly disheveled, wearing sunglasses, and moving slowly. After take-off, he leaned over to me and said, “Want to know the best hangover cure ever? Pedialyte. I couldn’t find it in Vegas. But I know where to get it in LA.” A couple weeks later I had the opportunity to test his theory, and it worked. Turns out the little kid rehydration trick has a place among poorly behaved adults.
3. Bloody Mary. Ok, so this is so cliché that Willie Nelson wrote a freaking song about it. But it’s a cliché for a reason, because it works. I like mine extra spicy and extra salty- I think the combo of sweat and electrolyte replacement combined with a little alcohol provide a trifecta of hangover solution. My favorite bloodies in town? If I’m not tossing the best ones in Colorado back at The Sixth Alley Bar at A Basin on a ski day, I’m hitting The Kitchen or Foolish Craig’s.
4. Something high in salt and grease in the middle of the night. The most surefire way to get rid of a hangover is to avoid it altogether. Proactively preempting a bad morning with a crepe, pizza, or burrito at one of Boulder’s late night establishments is the closest thing to a guarantee that you’ll have a functional morning. Or you can find the gyro guy on the Pearl Street Mall.
5. Physical Activity. With the worst hangovers, there’s nothing I can do other than go on a 6-mile run. I realize this is about the grossest thing most people have ever heard, especially when they’re at that point where they can barely stand up without throwing up. For the first 15 minutes of my run, I’m absolutely miserable- then I either barf or sweat it out. Either way, even my gnarliest hangovers are gone (or almost gone), and I can get on with my life.
Comments
Ms. Shunk,
I appreciate your undoubtedly sound advice on a topic affecting so many of us. I do, however, have a follow-up question: the worst of hang-overs are often accompanied by something I call "The Fear," which is when you lie awake covered in sweat, unable to escape your thoughts and fears about what you must certainly have done the night before but can't remember. You are literally too fearful to move, fixated on how your entire life is a waste -- and it's only because you are hung-over. Have you ever suffered The Fear, and if yes, could you please address cures for this specific hang-over symptom? Also, where can we overcome our hang-overs in Pittsburgh, Pa.?
Warm regards from a reader.
Gurman,
While I can't comment on the ins and outs of hangover cure locales in Pittsburgh, PA having not been there since I was underage, I can give you a couple of suggestions for "The Fear."
1. Check phone logs and cameras for evidence of last night's antics.
2. Go to brunch- food always makes me feel better.
3. Do not ask questions. If it was bad, you'll know. Someone will tell you.
We all have a rough night or two. Rest easier knowing that everyone experiences The Fear from time to time (but please enjoy responsibly- call a cab, and let The Fear teach you when enough's enough).
I am out here in Colorado as well. I have been using a product called Zaca. Its an organic hangover patch and it works!! This thing is amazing when you go out drinking. I know people who can't even drink because of their hangovers but with this product they can now.
Here is there site:
zacalife.com
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