Top Tips to Avoid a Hangover During the Festive Season

You  need  to  eat before  you  drink.  If  you  drink  on  an  empty  stomach  the  alcohol  passes  straight  into  your  intestines  where  it  is  quickly  absorbed  into  the  bloodstream, meaning you’ll get drunk faster and feel worse  the  day  after.  All  foods,  especially  fatty  ones,  help  delay  the  absorption  of  alcohol.  Expert  advice  suggests you fill up on avocados, shellfish and chicken which  are  rich  in  zinc  and  nicotinic  acid  known  to  reduce  the  severity  of  hangovers,  and  high  fibre  foods such as lentils and popcorn which break down and  absorb alcohol,  preventing  it  from  entering  the  bloodstream as quickly.

Drinking  lowers  your  willpower  and  can  see  you  reaching  for  sugar-laden  sweets  and  cakes.  Don’t.  Sugar  causes  inflammation,  the  same  with  alcohol,  and inflammation is one of the factors that contributes to your horrible hangover. It’s also worth noting that mixing sugar and alcohol means the sugar will enter your  bloodstream  faster.  You  know  what  they  say,  a  moment on the lips...

When  you  are  out  really  try  to  stick  to  one  type  of  drink  to  help  you  keep  track  of  exactly  how  much  alcohol  you  are  taking  on  board.  If  you  are  really  worried,  keep  a  note  on  your  phone  every  time  you  are  given  a  new  drink.  As  the  night  wears  on  it  is  so  easy  to  lose  track  –  and  we  often  underestimate  just  how much we have consumed.

If  you  can,  stick  to  lighter  liquids.  Clear  liquids  contain fewer congeners (the compounds that give the drink  its  flavour  but  have  been  linked  to  hangovers)  than say red wine or rum. And whilst it doesn’t mean you  can  drink  as  much  white  wine,  vodka  or  gin  as  you  want,  they  are  less  noxious.  Also  be  aware  that  the  more  filtered  the  drink  the  less  congeners  it  will  contain, and it tends to be the more expensive drink brands which can claim higher filtration.

Research has also shown that the presence of bubbles, whether  in  Champagne  or  in  a  mixer,  can  speed  up  the rate of alcohol absorption. Carbonation can cause the  surface  area  of  the  stomach  to  expand  which  results in an increase in alcohol absorption. So whilst a  white  wine  spritzer  may  sound  like  a  good  idea  as  you are diluting the alcohol, it probably isn’t. 

Experts  will  tell  you  to  try  to  stick  to  one  drink  an  hour.  If  you  can’t  do  that  then  try  and  alternate  every  alcoholic  drink  with  a  non-alcoholic  one.  By  alternating with water, not only do you pace yourself better and give your body more time to process each drink,  you  will  also  re-hydrate  your  system,  keeping  that hangover at bay.

Wine  drinkers  should  stick  to  organic  wines  when  possible.  It  is  the  preservatives  in  wine  which  often  contribute  to  a  hangover.  It’s  why  drinking  wine  in  the  States  is  more  likely  to  cause  hangover  issues  as  it  generally  tends  to  contain  more  preservatives  and  pesticides, and has a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) than that we are used to drinking in Europe. 

Read More: Our Pick of the Top Places to Dine This Christmas in the North East

When  you  do  get  home,  there  are  several  things  you  can do to avoid – or at least minimise – the effects of your  night  out.  Alcohol  is  a  diuretic  which  means  it  makes  your  body  push  out  fluids  far  faster,  so  once  home  drink  more  water  than  you  would  usually  do  around  bedtime.  Coconut  water  is  also  good  as  it  replenishes  electrolytes  lost  when  you  drink,  and  some  experts  suggest  fruit  juice  as  there  is  evidence  that the fructose in fruit burns alcohol. 

Plain carbs such as dry toast will also help absorb the alcohol left in your stomach and will help combat any lingering nausea.

The  morning  after  means  loading  up  on  breakfast.  Eggs  are  rich  in  N-acetyl-cysteine  which  helps  clear  the liver so an omelette, preferably with vitamin-rich spinach is the go-to cure, but eggs any way you choose should be on the menu. Orange juice is good too as it will replace blood sugars, and with vitamin B1 help clear your head, but avoid herbal teas. Research shows that  they  can  actually  slow  down  the  alcohol  being  processed by the body so your hangover will just last longer.

It is probably the last thing you feel like after you’ve over indulged the night before but research does show that exercise will clear a hangover more quickly than just  lying  around.  By  increasing  the circulation  and metabolism you will feel better faster by working out.