Day After Drinking Survival Guide
It occurs to me that I should write you all up a plan for what to do the day after you’ve done some drinking. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, right? Well, the last two times I’ve done drunk videos for science the next day has been filled mostly with dark chocolate with almonds in it, juice, yogurt with jam…
And I’m otherwise extremely strict on a low carb way of eating. It fits my goals and I don’t recommend it unless it fits your goals too. But this here survival guide is what to do the next day when you might not feel your best and you want to stick to your goals and not feel like crap when you’ve been socially drinking online for a week straight.
And not eat jam out of the jar with a spoon.
The first big thing to focus on is electrolytes, primarily salt and potassium. You know how drinking makes you pee? It rips all those electrolytes out in the process. So your first morning drink (and if you’re really smart, last drink before you go to bed…) should include sodium and potassium. My magic recipe is a lemonade, as it usually is. Lemon juice, a dash of monk fruit, ¼ tsp Himalayan salt, and ¼ tsp potassium bicarbonate in about 20 ounces of water, drunk over the span of the first hour of the morning, and I keep having more electrolyte drinks through the day.
Or, you can skip the DIY recipe (because really, who is going to even try when your head hurts, you’ve got no energy, and sounds make you homicidal) and just get the Key Nutrients electrolyte powder. It’s got the best ratio of electrolyte minerals, is 100% natural, and sweetened with stevia so it’s keto. The lemonade flavor is a staple in my kitchen, but really, they’re all good. This is also the easiest option to make before you go to bed, since you just have to scoop it into a glass, stir, and drink, no measuring necessary.
Electrolytes are key. If you stop reading here, this is the biggest point I need to drive home to you. More electrolytes will make the biggest difference. This is true whether or not you’re doing low carb.
Of course, OF COURSE the morning will include coffee! For me a small cup of coffee with 2 aspirin is the ticket to make me feel like a human pretty fast, but AFTER starting the electrolytes. I use specifically aspirin because in this case it’s safest for your stomach and your liver. Aspirin has some well-studied health benefits I like to think I’m enjoying too, and we’ll get into that some other time. I don’t stop at a small cup of coffee obviously, but that first cup is like a balm to my soul. Avoid dairy cream though, it can unsettle your stomach when it’s a little delicate, like I suspect it is if you’re reading this.
You probably want a carby, greasy breakfast like you had in your college days. Well, you can fake it, and you’re smart enough that you know you shouldn’t overdo it because food still has calories. Fat head bread is one of my top answers, and I pair it with one or two sausages or a little bacon. Better yet, toast it and cover it with avocado and an egg. Your digestion will be a little compromised so really, don’t go overboard. Small snacks are better than a big meal. And if you don’t feel like eating, focus on hydration and worry about food when you’re hungry. Don’t force it.
For me, even that is too heavy. Celery with hummus is great, celery with chicken salad, celery with peanut butter…you get the picture. Celery has water and minerals. Crunchy veggies and fruits will help you. Apples are awesome too in this situation.
A very easy small meal is some kind of wrap. I keep carb-friendly wraps on hand, and fill them with greens and a protein. 5 minutes, no cooking. Spinach and pre-cooked salmon with a teriyaki sauce, or eggs with onions, peppers, a little cheese, and some salsa happen often. You can use lettuce wraps instead of the tortilla kind if you’re an overachiever, but today might not be the day for that.
FOOD PREP, friends. Have easy and delicious food already made that takes very little or no effort to prepare because you might not want to cook something. That’s one of the reasons I like fat head bread. I can make a double batch and keep it around for a few days for easy food. Play around with variations and flavor additions to keep it interesting. Rosemary, sundried tomato, and onion are favorites for me. So are fat head cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.
If you’re very prepared, you’ve made fresh bone broth that you can warm up and sip the next morning. Bone broth is amazing. It’s full of nutrients, is soothing, and has those electrolytes you desperately need. It’s also delicious.
I also need to warn you that on a low carb diet, when you drink, you’re likely to get way drunker way faster so you need way less alcohol for an effect. Be mindful! Drinking can make you feel like crap the next day so it will negatively impact your training if you plan on a workout. Drinking can also alter your decision making abilities, so practice saying NO to off-plan snacks (and other offers…) when you’re sober so you don’t have regrets later.
If you’re going to indulge in the alcohols, you’re also going to indulge in the waters. Hail hydrate! Drinking a cup of water between each non-water drink isn’t optional, it’s required. Alcohol dehydrates you and drinking water while you’re having adult beverages will help you immensely to, one, get less inebriated, and two, not feel like steamrolled shit the next day.
May this help you to survive through whatever alcohol-laden events you participate in, and feel like yourself the next day. Your fun shouldn’t have to ruin your health, your energy, your mood, and your ability to think. Questions, comments, or other super-secret tips to recover from indulgence? Drop your words below!