Who doesn’t enjoy having a holiday cocktail¦or five? Between the endless office Christmas parties, get-togethers with friends, New Years Eve and Mom & Dad’s amazing top shelf liquor collection that only seems to make an appearance this time of year, the holidays are a time when the opportunity to booze it up is literally around every corner. Unfortunately, the downside to all this over-consumption is that it can lead to some pretty dreadful hangovers. No one likes to wake up, face down, in a brand new cocktail dress, feeling like their body is dying. Here are a few hangover cures to keep in mind before, after and while you’re enjoying the holiday bevies this year.
Drink water and stay hydrated
Alcohol is a diuretic which means that the more you drink, the more dehydrated you get. To get a handle on this early in the game, if you know you’re going to be drinking in the evening make sure you are drinking water throughout the day. Once you are into the cocktails, listen to your body and know your limits. If you start to notice that the cute bartender now has a twin or a triplet and they are all swaying from side to side, this means its time to put down the cranberry & vodka and grab a bottle of H2O instead. Drink as much water as you can and even grab a bottle for the cab ride home. The frequent bathroom breaks you’ll need to make throughout the night will be worth it when you wake up in the morning and actually don’t feel like a million tiny hockey players are playing the Stanley Cup final in your head.
Eat Something
With all the delicious holiday treats out there right now it might be tempting to skimp out on food if you know you’re going to be consuming a lot of calories in alcohol later in the night. But, starving yourself is only going to make you feel sick the next day. Plus, you will get drunk super fast. This may sound appealing now but, by drinking on an empty stomach you are putting yourself at risk doing something like passing out on the floor in front of your boss, with your skirt hiked up to your waist. We’ve all seen this happen. You do not want to be known around the office as that girl. Also, make sure you eat something at the end of the night. Give in that late night craving for greasy Chinese food or pizza! Your stomach will thank you in the morning.
Green Tea
This is a tip passed on to me by a friend who spent several years working in Asia. Long days at work were often followed by long nights of drinking. She often wondered how it was that her co-workers could drink all night but still wake up refreshed while she felt like she had been hit by the plague. Then, she figured it out: at the end of the night she noticed they all drank a couple of glasses of green tea “ an excellent and very under rated hangover cure. When you get home from your night of celebrating, grab the largest mug you can find and make a cup of green tea. Not only will the tea help hydrate your body but, it is full of helpful antioxidants that will help prevent that horrible Omg, my body is dying feeling that you get the morning after.
Antioxidants
Drinking alcohol releases free-radicals: pesky molecules that wreak havoc on your body and make you feel crappy. Consuming foods rich in anti-oxidants can help counteract some of the damage created by free-radicals. The easiest way to get your fix, is to take an anti-oxidant supplement the morning after that martini binge. We recommend a liquid supplement like the ones made by SoU Self-Health and Wellness (http://www.souboutique.com/en/products-and-services/) . Simply pour one of the anti-oxidants in a glass of juice and slam it back. It will taste a bit funny but, in about 20 minutes you will notice that your hangover symptoms feel much less severe. Don’t have access to supplements? Try drinking a glass of pomegranate juice, eating some slices of pineapple or a bowl of strawberries. These anti-oxidant rich fruits will give your body the boost it needs to start feeling better.
The Breakfast of Champions
Long before the days of Jamie Oliver, the UK’s best known contribution to the culinary world was the English Breakfast. It makes sense that a country which is famous for its pubs and Guinness, also managed to come up with a great hangover cure. A traditional fry-up consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and maybe even a few pancakes is full of protein and carbohydrates that will help get your body back to normal after a night of drinking. If you can stomach it, add in a few sauté©ed tomatoes and mushrooms “ the antioxidants in these veggies will give your body that extra push it needs to make you feel like you’re once again part of the land of the living. A hangover is a free pass to go out and eat the greasiest breakfast you can find. Now, get up and get to that diner STAT!
