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Drink, be merry but don't overdo it
Self help tips to avoid the effects of a festive hangover
'Tis the season to be jolly – but for some the jolliness results in the mother of all headaches, dehydration, nausea and generally feeling very unfestive; in other words, a hangover.
Alcohol in excess is poisonous, and cannot therefore be recommended, but, for the occasion when a little excess has its ill-effects, here are some tips for reducing the damage.
On the day If you are partying, drink plenty of water before going out and continue to drink water between alcoholic beverages to keep the body hydrated. A strong vitamin C and B complex will also help counter effects. Make sure you have a good meal beforehand, and don't drink on an empty stomach.
Water
Alcohol is very dehydrating, so drink some water when you get home and take some more to bed with you to drink if you wake in the night. Drink plenty of water the next day too.
Bananas
As alcohol forces water out of the body, so its
balance can be upset, and minerals like
potassium and magnesium lost. Bananas are a good source of these minerals and vitamin C.
Juice
A glass of fruit juice will replenish blood sugar, which is usually low when you have a hangover, and provide some vitamin C. Ayurvedic doctors (traditional Indian medicine) recommend
stirring a teaspoon of lime juice and a pinch of cumin into a glass of fresh orange juice first thing in the morning.
Supplements
A good multi B complex will help revive flagging energy, and a high dose of vitamin C, such as 500 or 1,000mgs, will replace this vital vitamin, usually lost through drinking and smoke
exposure. Milk thistle is a herbal supplement that has regenerative and detoxifying properties to support the liver.
Ginger
This is a well known method of offsetting nausea, taken either in a tea, chewing a bit of ginger root or stem ginger, or inhaling a little of the oil. Peppermint tea and gentian bitters are also good stomach and digestive soothers.
Homeopathic
A homeopathic remedy (nux vomica) can also settle a troubled tummy. In cases of serious illness, or possible alcoholic poisoning, it is important to be seen by a medical professional. All remedies and supplements need to checked for individual suitability and contra-indications.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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