Dr. Zac Turner: How to Prevent a Hangover: What You Need to Eat Before You Drink

Dr. Zac Turner delves into the world of superfoods and whether chia seeds can really cure a hangover.

QUESTION: Hi Dr. Zac, how good are superfoods? I was recently walking up and down the health food section of the supermarket aisle and found “superfoods” labeled everywhere! All my friends have a superfood that they obsessively eat; I even have a partner who eats chia seeds by the handful after a great night of drinking because he thinks it stops the hangover and reverses much of the damage.

What do you think of these foods? I’m 21 years old and pretty healthy, but should I be aiming for certain superfoods so I can stay healthy for the rest of my life? And should I give my mom and dad certain superfoods, none of them are particularly healthy! Lillian – 21 years old, Sydney.

ANSWER: It is a plane? It is a bird? No, it’s a superfood craze!

Lillian, superfoods are not the superheroes of our diets and the sooner we all recognize this, the better. Members of the health and wellness community have developed the Gwyneth Paltrow Complexes, which claim that superfoods save lives from our diet. I have nothing against superfoods, but I believe that a balanced diet, mixing normal foods, is much better for you nutritionally.

Let’s use your friend’s chia seed habit as an example. He believes that a handful of seeds will rid his body of toxins from excessive alcohol consumption the night before. You have had this idea because certain foods are labeled with a big green “super healthy” mark.

Chia seeds have a reasonably high amount of omega three, but they are primarily active fiber. It will help you “pass” the kebab you ate the night before, but I’m afraid it won’t relieve your hangover.

You should live by Dr. Zac’s hangover cure: drink water, lots of water at night, and then lots of water before you go to bed. You will be surprised how you feel the next day!

Another tip to avoid a hangover is to eat before. It is well known that you should not drink on an empty stomach, but the right foods make a big difference.

Before going out at night, increase your natural fats. These will slow down your gastric motility. The longer food stays in the stomach, the more slowly alcohol is absorbed in the stomach. So load up on salmon and avocado.

While drinking, have a couple of nuts that provide a selection of B vitamins, which are quickly depleted when you drink. Just be careful not to load up on salty nuts which will dehydrate you even more. When you wake up feeling worse from wear and tear, drink a glass of cold coconut water to boost your potassium. It’s nature’s electrolyte drink that puts Gatorade to shame.

You should also always make sure to drink responsibly and remember that the best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink at all.

Going back to superfoods, it’s important to note that most superfoods need to be properly prepared to get the most nutrients out of them. Chia seeds, walnuts, and other nut / seed superfoods need to be soaked before eating or very finely ground. Our bodies struggle to digest raw nuts and seeds. If anything, your friend is putting his body under stress similar to eating a KFC hangover meal.

As we age, our bodies tend to be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. It is part of life, and therefore your doctor may tell your parents to focus on one or the other. This is why superfoods are great, they are dense in certain nutrients. Someone who needs to fill up on a particular nutrient can probably find a superfood to help.

Since you are so young (ah, to be 21 again), I highly doubt that you are deficient in any important nutrient. Instead of adding superfoods to your diet, focus on eating nutritious, unprocessed foods and learn how to prepare them. The way we cook our food can alter its nutritional value. You don’t need to eat everything “raw,” as others in the community believe, but you also don’t need to overcook all the goodness of those nutrient-rich veggies by putting them in a microwave.

The crunchier the vegetable, the better! If your meat is black, give it back. Nuts and legumes should be soaked in water! There is a library of information on the Internet on how to prepare food correctly, I recommend that you research it.

Superfoods tend not to be sourced responsibly and sustainably, which means they cause problems for our environment and the countries from which they are imported. A balanced, locally sourced organic meal is usually much better than a bowl of acai.

My other tip for you is to mix your foods! Tomatoes and avocados is my best advice for a nutritional combination. All you need to do is add some whole grain multigrain toast and you have a great breakfast! Don’t be fooled by the superfood label and stick to your usual foods. It will help your diet habits and your pocketbook in the long run.