Hangover

BEST TIPS FOR YOU!

By Nadine Mano

No party, especially such as one for Christmas or the New Year, for example, can go without alcohol. We drink to health, friendship or just to relax and have a good time. But the next day we wish we were somebody else. Headaches, nausea, severe pain, sensitivity to light, diarrhoea and thirst are typical effects of alcohol intoxication and they usually occur in the morning, right after the previous night of heavy drinking. To make things worse, physical symptoms can be mixed with psychological ones like depression and anxiety. All these symptoms can last for many days. Some people are resistant to hangover effects but most of us are not.

Hypoglycemia, dehydration, acetaldehyde intoxication and glutamine rebound are the possible causes of hangover symptoms. Dehydration occurs because of alcohol’s ability to inhibit the effect of anti-diuretic hormone on kidney tubules, leading to an interruption of the body’s Krebs cycle and the swelling of the brain against the lining of the skull. Your body loses vitamins and minerals.

But how to get rid of such symptoms, what to do to make your miserable day cheerful and productive?

TAKE PAINKILLERS

If you hangover is too overwhelming, then, perhaps, you can try some painkillers, such as Ibuprofen, Paracetamol or Aspirin, but be sure you don’t take it right after drinking, as this may cause worse symptoms to your body.

DRINK

Drink plenty of liquid to flush out alcoholic toxins. It can be water or juices, especially tomato juice with pepper. Orange juice can also help you in this situation. According to some medical professionals, it would be more helpful if in the first place you were drinking water while consuming alcohol in order to minimise the hangover symptoms the next morning.

Coffee is also good for you in this situation, as it contains caffeine, responsible for sharpening your mind. But, caution! Coffee also has diuretic effect and won’t be good if you are already dehydrated.
You can also drink some Coca-cola, cold tea with lemon or sparkling mineral water.

EAT

You would also need to raise your blood sugar levels in order to help your body to get back to normal. Basically, you will need to eat some protein and carbohydrates such as eggs, bacon and a piece of toast (don’t forget to add some vegetables, especially tomatoes), in order to prevent Hypoglycemia. Fatty food like sausages or bacon, activate hormones which slow down the absorption of alcohol by your organism. Eggs contain cysteine to produce glutathione, which cleanses organism from harmful free radicals and tomatoes, which contain antioxidants.

If you have time and ingredients, you can quickly make Tomato Soup (see below the recipe) or use ready made one from a shop.
If you can’t stand the sight of bacon or sausages, then replace them with bananas. They will “calm down” your unsettled stomach and will restore potassium salts in your organism.

GO FOR A WALK

Go for a walk and enrich your organism with oxygen, which will help to accelerate metabolism to detox your body.

TAKE VITAMINS

Some suggest take vitamins for prophylactic purposes, as measure of prevention of severe hangover effects.

After hot soup you can take a hot shower. All toxins accumulated on your skin will be washed away.

Dr. Jeff from Tulane University in New Orleans, came up with a new remedy for hangover, derived from cactus Opuntia Ficus Indica, which accelerates digestion of alcohol by the organism.

People of Puerto-Rica rub pieces of lemon into armpits.

Russian scientists invented The Oxygen Cocktail, which is a foamy substance containing a beverage (juice, milk, etc.) enriched in gaseous oxygen, which supplies oxygen into organism, reduces chronic fatigue symptoms and accelerates metabolism.

 

To help fight Hangover,

we recommend the following products:

 

Zipfizz Healthy Energy Drink Mix, Variety Pack, 30-Tubes
 

Drinkwel - The Multivitamin for People Who Drink (With Kudzu Flower, Milk Thistle, N-acetyl Cysteine)

 

NOHO - The Hangover Defense Dietary Supplement, 2-Ounce (Pack of 24)

 

Berocca 45 Orange Flavour Effervescent Tablets

 

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Tea, 20-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 6)

  

Please see our Nutrition page for more information

 Tomato soup

A jar of processed tomatoes 400 ml.

A cube of chicken or vegetable stock
Some garlic, black pepper, salt
50gr cheese (mature cheddar, parmesan or similar)
Herbs of your choice (I prefer tarragon and coriander)

Add processed tomatoes out of the can into a blender, add some garlic, black pepper and salt. Whisk well.

Put a pan on the hob, dissolve a cube of dry stock (vegetable or chicken), add tomatoes from the blender and bring to boil, but don’t boil. As soon as you see first tiny bubbles, add grated cheeses, bit by bit into soup, stirring continuously.
When all cheese is dissolved, serve the soup adding some chopped fresh herbs according to your tastes and preferences. Enjoy!