With St. Patrick’s Day excesses still vivid in the minds of many celebraters, I thought today might be a good day to talk about nutrition for hangover alleviation. While you might be tempted to have a “hair of the dog that bit you” (only delays the inevitable) or something big and greasy (never your best choice), there are some better alternatives for helping your body recuperate from an alcohol overindulgence.

First—hydration while the party is still going on will save you a world of head pain. Alternating water in between drinks and drinking water before bed can really help. Keep some by your bed as well for when you wake up wishing you had a servant to bring you some. Avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen before going to sleep because these stress the liver, and are even more problematic when mixed with alcohol still in your system (Tylenol and Excedrin being the worst offenders). If you need a headache remedy, it is better to take one in the morning.

Avoid known dehydrators, such as coffee. I know, I know, it’s all you want when “the morning after” comes. If you do choose to have coffee, drink even more water, in addition to the coffee. Reducing salt intake for the rest of the day can also help while trying to rehydrate.

My husband tells me that when he lived in Belize the breakfast of choice for hangover cures was green mango with chili pepper. This makes sense from a nutritional standpoint, since antioxidants and vitamin C in particular (abundant in both mangos and chili) can really help the body heal. If your stomach can’t handle chili peppers, you might consider a smoothie or juice made with any combination of vitamin C-rich foods you have on hand. Foods rich in vitamin C include: cherries, grapes, guava, kiwi, orange, grapefruit, papaya, persimmon, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, banana, apples, watermelon, and avocado (better than you’d ever imagine in a fruit smoothie). If by any chance you can get your hands on a prickly pear, you’re really in luck. A recent study shows that prickly pear extract eases hangover symptoms such as nausea, dry mouth and loss of appetite.

Slow the rate at which your body absorbs the sugars in your smoothie or fruit juice by having some whole wheat toast with nut butter.

Ginger is an anti-inflammatory that can really help with nausea. Get some into your system by drinking ginger tea, eating fresh ginger slices, grating some ginger into soups or on top of salads, or even a small portion of ginger snaps or gingerbread.

Eat small amounts of healthy foods throughout the rest of the day to keep up your strength—vegetables, whole grains, perhaps a little yogurt to help rebalance intestinal flora. Be nice to your liver with these cleansing foods: dandelion greens, mustard greens, bitter melon, arugula, dill, caraway seeds, garlic, onions, turmeric and cayenne.