Eating Your Way Out Of A Hangover

Jordan Pervere|Sept. 2, 2011 10:19 am EST

You know the feeling.

Waking up, eyes crusted over, clothes half-on, your head feeling like two circus animals are fighting inside.

These are the quintessential symptoms of a good old-fashioned hangover. Sure, last night was awesome... Even though you left your credit card at the bar and sent out a mass text meant for your ex. But now, the repercussions of careless fun are taking effect.

What can you do? There are a lot of suggestions out there for combatting hangovers but it's hard to know what really works.

I mean, not all of us are Zach Galifinakis. We can't just strap a baby to our chests and engage in lawless hijinks with Bradley Cooper and "The Nard Dog" to mend our pain. We need real, tangible, preferably chewable cures.

Some say the best way to alleviate the pain is by drinking a bit of the same stuff that got you to your current state. Sure, you'll feel a bit better; I mean you're getting drunk again. But in the end, you are only delaying the inevitable. You feel bad because your body is full of toxins, and is trying to filter them out. Drinking more only piles on the bad stuff and will end up hurting you more, only a little later.

Lots of people just grab a cup of coffee for a quick fix. Coffee helps a bit because it has caffeine so it makes you feel more alert and able. But it also dehydrates you and could lead to a worsened state of hangover.

Luckily for us Milton Crawford wrote The Hungover Cookbook, which includes the best ways to eat your way out of the head-pounding haze you might find yourself in.

Crawford relies heavily on breakfast foods, which makes sense because lots of the ingredients used in breakfast dishes actually can help you overcome a hangover.

Eggs, for instance, are the perfect food cure. They are packed with protein, providing the body with some much needed energy. Eggs also contain something called cysteine, now I don't want to get all scientific, but cysteine will help your body break down the toxins left over from the booze.

Bananas are another breakfast-time trick to feeling better. The potassium in bananas will replenish that which was lost through the previous night's debauchery, and the natural fructose speeds up the body's filtering process so you'll be back on feet (without wobbling) in no time.

Now these are just a couple remedies to help you in your time of need, but check out these recipes from Crawford's cookbook, plus more breakfast favorites in order to be fully equipped to conquer the pain.

Shakshuka