Tips for the morning after the night before...

We’ve all done it, and we’ll all do it again no doubt… but there are definitely ways to lessen the effects of a night out. Discover the ways to reduce the effects of Christmas festivities, but still have fun! 

They happen because of the overload on your liver, and it’s capacity to detoxify the alcohol. And the more overload on the liver, the worse the effects. Anything you can do to support it and reduce the load will help to lessen the morning after symptoms: throbbing head, sickness, nausea and of course the post party blues.
Here are some things you can do to reduce those symptoms…

1. Hydrate yourself AHEAD of a boozie night by drinking lots of water and herbal teas throughout the day. If you kick off the night already dehydrated, you’re asking for a headache the following day!​
2. Avoid drinking on an empty tum. Yes, it’s true, it does make a difference. Why? Because food slows the absorption time of the alcohol, plus lines the stomach to help reduce gut lining irritation. A nice meal of protein, slow release carbs and some good fats is the best meal to have.
3. Dilute your drinks as much as you can e.g. a white wine spritzer and spirits with mixers is one way to do this. Try avoiding sugary mixers like tonics and colas, and avoid diet fizzy drinks which add to the toxic load. If you don’t like to water down wine, or you are a bubbles fan, make sure you pace yourself. Yes, a glass of water between each drink does help!  
4. The cleanest (and least weight gaining) drink you can have is a vodka, fresh lime and soda. Darker spirits will definitely affect more than white ones such as gin and vodka. With wines, go for quality, and choose lighter rather than darker wines. A good quality white is going to contain less toxins than a cheap red for example. And choose organic if it is available.
5. Yes, you’ve heard it before but it really is true…. Mixing your drinks will make you feel much worse the next day. Choose your drink and try to stick to it.
6. Vitamin C helps your liver to do its job so pop a Vitamin C supplement before heading for bed, and on waking, do the same again.  It’s also a good idea to take a good quality multivitamin / mineral supplement to top up on other nutrients that will be depleted.
7. Food grade Lemon essential oil is a wonderful detoxifier for the whole body, and especially the liver. A glass of water with some lemon oil in before bed, and one on waking, will certainly help. Add to that some peppermint oil, applied to the temples, and the headache will most certainly be reduced from someone playing drums in your head, to a light tapping…
8. When we drink and get dehydrated we lose electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. Bananas and spinach are a good to replenish the stores. A smoothie with banana, spinach, blueberries, flaxseeds and some almond milk is a perfect drink when you first wake up, rather than coffee or tea which just adds to the dehydration!
9. Make sure you have a good breakfast, without too much saturated fat in the morning. Your blood sugar is likely to be low so a combination of slow release carbs with some good protein and fats will definitely help. A huge fry up is only going to add to the liver’s already tough job –some scrambled eggs on wilted spinach and a piece of whole grain toast with grilled tomatoes and some avocado slices would be much better. And a piece of grilled bacon or two won’t hurt…
10. Before reaching for the painkillers, do all of the above first to see if it helps. Painkillers just add to the liver’s job again. Lots of water and a good breakfast will often put you straight. If things are too bad and you need painkillers, opt for paracetamol over than ibuprofen or aspirin which can irritate the stomach even more.

Whatever you’re doing, have fun and a wonderful Christmas!
Vee xx