To help the spring break hangovers, forget taking a hair of the dog that bit you. Greasy food and coffee might make you more comfortable, but vitamins and minerals will make you well again.
According to HowStuffWorks.com’s science page, we lose four times as much liquid as the amount of alcoholic beverages we drink. To translate, take the number of drinks you have and multiply it by four to calculate the amount of urine you pass. This is why there is always a line to the bathroom at house parties. When alcohol enters the bloodstream, the pituitary gland in our brain stops the creation of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin.
The website states frequent urination depletes water, salt and potassium levels. The alcohol also turns glycogen into glucose, which is a vital energy source, and flushes it out. These losses amount to the morning-after headache, fatigue, nausea, weakness and lack of coordination.
To rejuvenate your potassium levels, eat foods rich in potassium such as bananas and potatoes. The website recommends eating eggs because they contain large amounts of cysteine, which breaks down acetaldehyde, the hangover-causing toxin in the liver.
Latkes, or potato pancakes, combine the hangover-healing powers of potatoes, salt and eggs. Below is the recipe, which is cheap and easy to make, although you might consider grating the potato the night before when you have the strength to do so — it’s really difficult.
To rehydrate, you can drink water and eat foods with high water content. This also replenishes vitamins, minerals and energy stores you lost in your six trips to the bathroom, according to the website.
While you’re waiting for the latkes to fry up, you can munch on fruits such as cantaloupe (90 percent water), strawberries (92 percent water), apples (84 percent), oranges (87 percent) and bananas (74 percent water). These percentages are taken from a document composed by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, titled “Water Content of Fruits and Vegetables.”
Latkes (potato pancakes)
Yield: Four latkes
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
You’ll need:
One large potato
One teaspoon grated or chopped onion
One large egg
One teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Skin the potato and grate it. Press the shreds or wrap them in a cloth and squeeze out as much water as you can.
Grate or chop the onion, and mix it with the potato. Add the egg, flour and salt and stir well.
Put the oil in a pan and heat it on medium high. Drop a large spoonful of the mixture into the pan and press it into a small patty. Let it brown, then flip to brown the other side. Use a spatula; don’t toss the pan as you might with a buttermilk pancake, because the oil could splatter and burn you.
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Once browned on both sides, lay the latke on a paper towel-covered plate to sop up excess oil.
Continue with the rest of mixture.
Garnish with applesauce, sour cream or any tasty potato accompaniment you can stomach.
