We know how much they hurt, but still we do it. Janey Holliday gives her top ten tips on how to cure the dreaded hangover from hell
Don’t drink so much. Sounds obvious, but many places serve doubles as standards and 350ml glasses of wine – lethal for calories and hangovers! Once it’s in the glass it’s easily swigged, so always ask for smaller servings.
Think pure. Gin and vodka are the purest form of alcohol. They are also the lowest in calories – a shot of vodka, natural mineral water and fresh lime is one of the cleanest drinks to have.
Tall drinks. Make your alcoholic drinks last longer by having them in a taller glass, have lots of ice to water it down and sip slowly too.
Water, water, water! Dehydration is the one of the main reasons we feel so lousy in the mornings, and another reason why we get the hunger pangs (our brains can’t determine whether we are hungry or thirsty when we're dehydrated). Drink before, in between and after your drinks and the following day eat water rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Lemon and water is a great way to help cleanse and detox the body. Lemon actually helps to neutralise the body because it’s alkaline and alcohol is acidic and the water helps to hydrate you – double whammy!
Juice the morning after. Juicing is the best way to get nutrients into our bodies double quick. If you start the day with a carrot, apple, celery and ginger juice, you’ll really be helping yourself out.
Hangover munchies. As blood sugar levels are affected when you drink alcohol, you get the sugar and carb cravings the next day. Try to eat little and often to keep blood sugar levels stable and try to eat slow releasing carbs such as sweet potatoes or oats. Avoid caffeine and sugary drinks and if you do have a chocolate carving go for a more pure chocolate such as Green & Blacks or Booja Booja.
Sleep. When you are asleep your body is able to repair itself better – so curl up, chill out and snooooooze!
Exercise. Although going for a run is the last thing you probably want to do, a long power walk can really help to kick start your body into normality and sweat out some of those toxins! Swimming is also fantastic for having a calming effect on the body and as it’s non weight bearing, it’s a bit more manageable.
Listen to your well-being. If you are scoring yourself a 3/10 for your well-being that day, three drinks will affect you much worse than if your well-being is 8 or 9/10. If you are feeling low or tired, avoid hitting the booze, your body is pretty good at telling you when to slow down.
Janey Holliday is a food and fitness consultant and runs www.fitforaprincess.co.uk Janey has written for the Daily Mail for over two years - with Fitness Q&A, Food News & Five Minute Fitness series and health related features in the Good Health Section every Tuesday.
