Eat This and Feel Better: Hangover Remedy Recipe

Who else is excited for football season? We don’t have a team here in LA (yet) but I love getting together with friends and watching a game. I admit…I enjoy the occasional beer when I’m watching a game with friends, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that I feel lousy even after drinking just ONE beer…so I came up with this hangover remedy recipe that could help you bounce back from that hangover.

Believe it or not…this so-called hangover remedy is avocado hummus. Huge bonus…it’s great to bring to a backyard cookout.

But why is it such a good choice for times when you’ve had a drink? Let’s take a look at the three main ingredients:

Avocado: Avocado is a powerful protector of the liver. A study published by the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry (May 2001) found that avocados help prevent toxicity of the liver associated with drinking.

Garbanzo Beans: Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can cause vitamin B-6 depletion.Lucky for you, the garbanzo beans in this recipe are a good source of B-6, which helps you process alcohol and keeps your immune system running correctly.

Garbanzo beans are also a great source of prebiotics. Since consuming alcohol can deplete the probiotic strains in your system, it’s a good idea to eat a healthy dose of prebiotic-rich food to help the good bacteria in your gut bounce back.

Sesame Seeds: The third powerful ingredient in this recipe is the tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are rich in amino acids, which help the body metabolize alcohol more quickly. This can lead to milder hangovers or even eliminate your hangover altogether.

Ingredients for Avocado Hummus hangover remedy:

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed.
2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste – available in most well-stocked grocery stores)
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 ice cube
2 ripe avocados
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
Salt and Pepper (to your taste)
1 teaspoon paprika, optional.

Instructions:

Step 1:Put the garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice in the work bowl of a food processor or blender.

Step 2:Process until well-combined. At this point, it may still be a little chunky. That’s ok.

Step 3:Add the ice cube, avocados and 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Process until smooth and vibrant green throughout.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
To serve, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, and the remainder of the parsley. Serve with a veggie tray – this dip is fantastic with carrots, celery, red peppers, and broccoli. You can also serve this with whole wheat pita or as a spread on burgers from the grill.

I hope you enjoyed the first games of the season, and that your team continues to do well. Remember, drinking dehydrates you and obliterates the probiotics in your system. Make sure to take your BIO-X4 with 16 oz of water.

I also suggest you to drink at least one full glass of water between each alcoholic beverage to keep yourself hydrated, and one big glass of water before bed. It’ll make all the difference the next morning.

About the Author

Dr. Amy Lee

Dr. Amy Lee has board certifications in internal medicine, physician nutrition and obesity medicine specialty. She practices internal medicine with a heavy emphasis on nutrition, wellness and weight management. Her Clinical nutrition fellowship training at UCLA has allowed her to incorporate realistic lifestyle modification in all her medicine patients.