As we enter the Christmas period I get many people asking for advice for Christmas party hangover cures so I thought now was a great time to write a blog about it…
Most of us will be familiar with that dreaded hangover feeling after a night on the booze. We certainly know it’s not doing us any good, but what does the horrible headache and the aching body actually mean for our health and is there anything that can help it go away?
Drinking alcohol in excess affects our bodies in a number of ways. Even irregular consumption of excess alcohol or ‘binge drinking’ can have a tremendous effect on our health. The parts of the body most affected by excess alcohol are: the heart, the liver, the pancreas, the brain and our immune system.
After a night on the booze, the first thing most people notice tends to be the throbbing pain in their head. This throbbing is mainly caused by inflammation, which occurs throughout our body cells in response to toxins which are released as the liver attempts to break down alcohol.
Of course being heavily dehydrated doesn’t exactly help either. Most people know that alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it encourages us to excrete more fluids than we need to, resulting in dehydration and a desperation for fluids the next day.
Nausea and a ‘dodgy stomach’ are also common complaints during a hangover and are due, to a large extent, to the high intake of toxic substances consumed, which irritates the stomach lining and causes vomiting, stomach aches and sometimes diarrhoea.
The ‘morning after’ we also tend to feel pretty exhausted; this isn’t just because we had a late night, it’s also because alcohol affects our sleep and can stop us settling into a deep sleep over night, which consequently leaves us feeling tired for the next 24 hours.
So what can we do about a hangover? Are there any magic potions or ‘superfoods’ to bring us back to life? Unfortunately not.
The best thing to do for a hangover is to replace fluids as soon as possible – try sipping on some water to rehydrate the body without making you feel sick.
Eat little and often – you need to replace electrolytes lost and boost your immune system again to help the body to fight off toxins. Snacking on foods such as fruit and vegetables will help to do this, as well as providing some additional fluid.
Your body also needs energy – opt for plain carbohydrate foods such as dry crackers or a piece of plain toast which can help boost energy levels without making you feel too nauseous.
For more information on Alcohol, including making the right drink choice see my article from Harper’s Bazaar Magazine.