WE’VE all been there – well at least most of us have. You remember arriving at the party feeling fabulous – everybody complemented your new look, you had a few glasses of wine and chatted to a few people.
The next thing you know it’s morning, you’ve woken up in the bath with half a kebab in your hand and mistletoe Sellotaped to your head. You scramble around frantically for your phone. Phew! “You have... 15... new messages.” “Oh. My. God. What happened to you last night? You were wasted! And who’s was that stuffed reindeer you were riding around on when they played Slade? Call me when you get this....”
With all those parties to go to, who wouldn’t be tempted with a little over indulgence during the festive season.
But too much Christmas spirit isn’t always a good thing. If you’re off for a night out and don’t want to wake up feeling like you’ve been on a week-long bender with Pete Doherty, there are a few steps you can take to minimise the hangover fallout.
Eating a good meal before you go out will slow down the absorption rate of any alcohol you drink and even a glass of milk will help. When you’re out, Avoid drinks that contain large amounts of congeners as these tend to cause more severe hangovers. These are typically darker coloured drinks such as red wine, brandy and port. Don’t mix your drinks as this just adds to the number of toxins your body has to deal with.
Make sure you pace yourself. Drinking games might seem like a barrel of laughs at the time but you’re friends won’t see the funny side when you throw up on their shoes in the taxi. Try and have a glass of water or non-fizzy soft drink between alcoholic ones.
When you get home after a boozy night out, drink as much water as you can before going to sleep, and put some beside the bed too. Alcohol has diuretic properties, which means it makes the body lose water, and dehydration is the main reason why you feel so bad the morning after.
Your blood sugar levels also drop in the wake of an alcohol onslaught, which can contribute to the reason why you feel so sick and shaky. Alcohol is also a depressant and the next day you’re going to be suffering with a comedown.
The thought of eating might be the last thing on your mind, but you won’t feel any better until you get your glucose levels back to normal. Bananas, cereal, or egg on toast are all good morning-after snacks and if you think you can stomach it, many people still swear by a full English breakfast.
Caffeine can give you a quick fix but causes dehydration, so whenever possible, ditch the tea and coffee for water, orange juice or a sports drink. Ibuprofen and aspirin can irritate your stomach, so if you’ve got a pounding headache that you really can’t stand, opt for paracetamol instead.
Don’t resort to ‘hair of the dog’ the next day. Your body needs 48 hours to rest and all you’re doing is delaying the alcohol comedown. Drinking responsibly can be very enjoyable so next time don’t get so drunk in the first place!
