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Depending on which day it is and what you were doing the night before, the right drink to balance you out and bounce you back can differ greatly. Luckily, we here at Mandatory are extremists and can handle almost any situation. Read on to find the best drink for you to start the day.
Water (lemon, coconut or otherwise)
Let's start simple with something everyone should be drinking every morning no matter how they feel: water. A general lack of water has been known to cause a majority of internal problems, like depression, pain and obvious dehydration.
Save yourself the suffering and keep water close by at all times. Take it up a notch and get one of those refillable jugs for your room or office and toss a couple lemon slices in there to boost your immunity and alkalize that body.
Coconut water, however, might be the best water of all. Although many brands are a little hokey on what theirs offers, Zinc's coconut water is the honest way of hydrating your body. There's always the option of just buying a coconut and straight up cracking it open yourself to let that sweetness pour right into your mouth, Tom Hanks "Cast Away" style, plus it's a little more exciting than just plain water.
It's cool to drink the beer all weekend long, but with age, the water has to be there too, unless you enjoy looking and feeling like hell all the time. -
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Bloody Mary
Some days just don't start as well as others and call for drastic measures. It might sound cliché, but it's all right there, your hangover cure and some solid nutrients. And so what if you have to show up someplace important with a slight buzz; at least now you're less likely to be vomiting in a trashcan in front of strangers. Just go easy on the vodka or swap it for a beer and make it a Michelada.
A good Bloody Mary is typically made from scratch or at least has a good Blood Mary mix involved. For folks who aren't fans of its tomatoey-ness or spice, lighten it up with extra lemon juice and lay off the hot sauce. Soy sauce goes well with the horseradish and Worcestershire sauce, too.
However you like it, make it your own. If you don't like celery, switch it up with a pickle spear. Just get your body the vitamins it needs, then you may return to your life of nonstop debauchery. -
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Herbal Tea With Honey
If everything is going according to plan when you wake up, the right way to keep it going is all natural herbal tea. Typically made hot to give your body the slight nudge into the day it needs, herbal tea is the best practice of keeping the body and mind on even levels.
Whether hibiscus or green tea, lemongrass, lavender or peppermint ingredients, these are all good ways to go, and by adding honey for a little sweetness, you're only aiding in fighting off sickness and disease. Don't fret over finding and concocting these ingredients together, just buy a good loose-leaf tea that has it done for you already, or just buy quality herbal tea bags. Do yourself a favor and lay off the cheap stuff.
Some people combine herbal teas with juices, like orange juice. Not that you need to do it, but that combination can be a tea-like smoothie just to mix it up, but if you're like most men, you like things simple and straight to the point. -
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Chai Tea Instead of Coffee
All you really need in the morning is something warm to wake you up. Sure your hands are shaking from caffeine withdrawal, but you can move past that. The best way to wean yourself off caffeine is with a nice hot spiced chai tea.
The natural ingredients, including ginger root and cloves, provide not only an arguably more interesting flavor than coffee; it's also healthy and sickness-fighting drink.
If you're dead set on having your coffee, get half and half with decaf. Do what you can to implement healthy drinks into your repertoire before having coffee, unless of course if you're hung over. In that case, get yourself some coffee stat to get your brain functioning again, but don't take down the whole pot. Remember, everything in moderation in order to not fall prey to the caffeine monster. -
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Fruit Smoothie With Protein
Simple, refreshing and all the fruit you need in one quick drink. There are a number of manly smoothies you can make on a routine basis to keep the routine from getting dull and yet still continuously getting everything you need.
If you're feeling adventurous or just like green things, throw some spinach in there too while you're at it. Adding a little booster like protein powder can help you get protein that might be lacking in your meals, and if you work out, it'll work to your advantage. Just consult with a vitamin specialist first so you don't get carried away and turn into the Hulk. -
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Vegetable Juice
If you're a real trooper who doesn't need the comfort of sweets and fruits, you can get right into the heart of freshness with veggie juice. Carrots, beets and celery will be your best friends, giving off the good vitamins. You can always lighten it up with some carrot juice or orange juice, or even just a banana.
There are a number of combinations you can go with, but any smoothie shop will have it down to a science for you. Or you can always just take your favorite veggies and do a little trial and error blending from home. You really can't go wrong with produce. -
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Homemade Almond Milk
For the lactose intolerant and the soy haters, almond milk is your new savior. You can pick it up at any decent grocery store, vanilla or regular, and it's as simple as that. Or, you could wow yourself and your lady too by making the best almond milk around, homemade. It's like trying to go back to store-bought milk after you've had the pleasure of milking those udders with your own bare hands (a cow's udders, not your lady's).
It's obviously more work, but worth the time and a therapeutic activity if you don't mind spending a few extra minutes this way, plus it's a fun learning activity for you to do with your gal. All you need are almonds and filtered water, along with optional ingredients like vanilla and spices. Here's a simple routine recipe you can try out and see if it's something your into. This is a promise though, if you're wondering why on Earth you'd ever consider doing this, your lady will love it. -
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Aloe Vera Juice
Considered the ultimate in healthy drinking, Aloe Vera juice is probably one of the lesser-known drinks to many men. Just to give you an idea, aloe vera juice is keening linked to helping with unhealthy manly symptoms of high cholesterol, hair loss and constipation, along with its knack for pain and inflammation relief. Why, if we didn't have those wretched things in our lives, we'd practically be women, right?
Well, maybe, but more importantly you'll be healthier and running a lower risk of diabetes if you drink this stuff on a regular basis, not to mention it's very fresh and a nice way to switch up the morning drink routine. -
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Honey Ginger Lemonade
Ginger-based drinks are good for a lot of things, especially the stomach in particular, aiding in digestion and calming upset tummies. A highly enjoyed virgin cocktail is a tall glass of honey ginger lemonade.
It's simply honey and fresh, peeled ginger added to fresh squeezed lemon juice and water on top of ice. You can add a little mint to freshen it up more, but regardless, you're sitting pretty if you can throw this together on a sunny afternoon. -
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Beermosa
Last but certainly not least is one of the most refreshing ways to start a weekend morning, the beermosa. You've worked hard all week and now responsibility has flown the coop for a couple days, leaving you with free hands and a nice lawn chair. If mimosas and drinks alike are a bit too girly for your man hands, man up the mimosa by just throwing some OJ in with your beer. It's simple, delicious and intoxicating, and so refreshing it's hard to tell you've been drinking beer at all, a real man's dream come true. By the end of the 12-pack, you'll be confused as to how you misspelled your name on the front lawn when you were mowing.
