Hangovers 101: The Big Greasy Breakfast

May 17, 2018

Breakfast of Champions

In the late ‘aughts (circa 2006), I traveled to Ireland with some friends. We stayed exclusively in Bed and Breakfasts. Adorable and reasonably priced B&B’s are a dime a dozen there, and they all have something in common that made them very attractive to my mid-20’s, wallet-light self: a big, hearty, Irish Breakfast was included.

For those of you in the audience who aren’t familiar, an Irish Breakfast includes fried eggs, bacon (much like Canadian bacon, and less like American bacon), sausage, pudding (black and red), and a fried tomato, with fruit, cheese, yogurt, and bread on the side.

It is a HUGE undertaking to eat an entire Irish Breakfast. But when you’re intent on experiencing a day of adventures in a foreign country, and don’t want to be bothered with stopping to eat food, you cram it in, and hope for the best.

 

The Big Greasy Breakfast as a Hangover cure?

I promise that my trip to Ireland is relevant here. Chances are if you’re in Ireland, you’re going to visit some pubs. And some distilleries. And the Guinness Factory. And you might overindulge on some mead while singing drinking songs with a bunch of your new best friends at a Medieval Castle theme park. And if you’re, say, 24 years old, your hangover isn’t going to stop you from doing it all again the next evening. 

So you see, gentle reader, my trip to Ireland was an exercise in this very Hangover Cure, because I had at my disposal two glorious weeks of hangovers and enormous, greasy breakfasts.

 

The Science

Now that I’m in my late-mid 30’s, the mere thought of a full Irish Breakfast is enough to make me run to the toilet. Why on earth would we choose to indulge in this after a night of overindulgence?

When we experience the unpleasant sensations of a hangover, we just want it to end. The sooner the better. Since hangovers often start upon waking, breakfast is a logical place to start.

The theory is that the grease somehow counteracts the sick feeling by coating your stomach, thus settling it. Because you’ve likely not eaten in many hours, breaking your fast will also give you much needed calories and carbs, which gets your body on the road to homeostasis faster.

 

But Does it Work?

From personal experience…this one is a resounding NO. Good God, no it does not.

After 6 or 7 days on my trip, my full Irish Breakfast got to be too much for my poor body to handle. It was greasy. It was heavy. It made *me* feel greasy and heavy. And in reality, it didn’t curb my hangovers in the slightest. When I woke up with a sour stomach, it actually made me feel a whole lot worse. A week in to a two-week trip, I started eating cereals and fruit for breakfast. I opted to get lunch instead of holding out all day. That was a good decision.

 

Here’s how it went down at our house…

OK, I’ll be honest. It didn’t. After last weeks vomitous episode, it was difficult (read: impossible) to talk my husband into taking yet another one for the team. Can’t say I blame the guy.

Next week, I’m going to blog about my tried-and-true college remedy: The Fruit Smoothie/Multivitamin/Caffeine combo. We’ll see if he comes around for that one, cause I’m living proof that it works!

Looking at our scale where 10 is “works like a charm” and 1 is “I feel worse now than ever,” I give this Hangover Cure a -6. And that’s because I’m feeling generous.

What’s your go-to breakfast for a hangover? Let us know!

 

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