Your Healthy St Patrick's Day Guide: Healthiest Drinks and Nutrition 101 for Getting Over a Hangover

Guys. St Patrick's day is next week. Maybe it's a holiday that's not on your radar (unless you're in college). Or maybe you get so jazzed about a holiday known for drinking in your adult life that you are WAY excited. For me, it's the holiday where my Grandma sends us a card reminding us we are officially 1/16th Irish (which has been clearly stomped upon by a ridiculous quantity of German genetics) and where we eat lots of Rubens (which are also not Irish, but Irish-ish because they have corned beef but none the less try my tofu version!). 

ANYWAY- however you feel about St Patrick's day you probably do have some celebrations coming up in your life. We're entering bachelorette season for all of the Spring weddings. We're coming up on graduation season. It's also retirement season. And spring break. Basically the long winter months grant you a celebratory hoo-hah in excess. And with celebrations there's drinking. 

In my latest video I give you the scoop on the healthiest, lowest calorie cocktails and your cardinal rules for avoiding a hangover. And also getting over a hangover if you go a little bat shit crazy after being cooped up this winter. 

Some Main Points:

• Calories, whether they're liquid or solid, are still calories. You can't think you're going to have a beer or a cocktail and think you're just going to pee out the calories. 
• A shot of liquor is 1.5 ounces= 95 calories and if you are looking for the most calorie economical way to drink try a shot plus seltzer or club soda (which have no calories).
• A four ounce margarita is 190 calories. So if you think about what that adds up to if you have three of those a night... yikes
• Pick smart cocktails! Need inspiration? Check out the 48 clean, healthier cocktails I made! 
• Eating the bar snacks? You may not realize how much you're actually eating at the bar. Don't mindlessly munch. Those are actually meant to get you to buy more drinks because they're usually salty and crunchy.

Prevent Your Hangover:

1. Eat before going out. Fill your body with protein and veggies and fiber which will help you stay full. If you have food already in your stomach it takes that alcohol longer to absorb so it's not going to hit you all at one time.
2. Hydration is key. You need to alternate an alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage, preferably water or club soda. 
3. Drink in moderation. Just because you haven't had a daily cocktail since Monday, you can't save them up to binge drink.
4.  A drink is considered 1.5 ounces of liquor, 12 ounces of beer or 4 ounces of wine. Just because it comes in one cup, it doesn't mean it's one serving. Always think about the number of ounces because that's the true determinant: NOT how big that glass is.

Deal With The Hangover:

•  DO NOT go for the fast fix charcoal pills. They're not FDA regulated they can be super dangerous in fact, charcoal is non-discriminatory about what it removes from your body. So if you're taking medication, be extra careful. 
• Rehydrate and get electrolytes. Think water, sports drinks, chicken stock/soup.