Happy Friday, Koko Nation! It is “The Day After St. Patrick’s” here in Boston.

In this neck of the woods, it doesn’t seem to matter if you have Irish ancestry or not. St. Patrick’s Day has everyone reveling like leprechauns. Did you celebrate St. Patty’s Day yesterday? And more importantly, did you wake up this morning feeling sprightly or just GREEN? Here are a few ideas to get you feeling better and back on track.

All things are better in moderation. But, in case you forgot Michael Wood’s advice to stay hydrated by following each Guinness or Jameson’s with a tall glass of water, or you remembered his suggestion to control portions by eating off a small plate, but made far too many trips back for more all-you-could eat corned beef and cabbage, you are in recovery mode. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help get you through the day.

• Don’t exercise. You are already dehydrated. Trying to sweat out the corned beef and green beer isn’t a good idea. Relax, rehydrate and get back to your Koko Smartraining routine tomorrow.
• Drink lots and lots of water. The bubbles in mineral water can also help settle your stomach and replace some of the minerals your body lost.
• Do not drink excess caffeine! Caffeine can actually make you feel worse by exacerbating the dehydration caused by alcohol and sodium laden foods. One cup of coffee is ok if you need to perk up your brain. A better choice is something more gently caffeinated- black tea is a great option.
• Eat some fruit to start your day. A banana will be easy on your stomach and will replace lost electrolytes and potassium. The natural sugars and water in fruit is also easier for your body to digest than processed food.
• Skip the grease. You may think some bacon or a cheeseburger is going to make you feel better. It won’t. (Remember, you went down this road yesterday!) Your body needs to replace lost nutrients- and nutritionally, these are a big ZERO.
• Eat some eggs. Healthy protein is another thing your body is craving, and eggs also have the chemical cysteine which breaks down the hangover causing toxin acetaldehyde. (And remember, the USDA recently found eggs to have 14% less cholesterol and 64% more Vitamin D than previously thought!)
• Go to bed early tonight. Michael Wood has told us more than once about how critical sleep is to a body’s recovery.

Obviously, moderation is the true solution here. Michael Wood posted some great ideas over the holidays to help avoid excess eating and drinking during celebrations. Have a read and arm yourself with some great strategies for the next big party!