How to Get Over a Hangover
Let’s face it, all of us girls (and boys) absolutely love having a cocktail or two. However we don’t quite love the morning after when we have to deal with the after effects that alcohol brings with it. *Please note that alcohol should always be enjoyed responsibly and the weekly allowance of units adhered to.
The number one way to ensure you never encounter this is of course avoid alcohol altogether. I don’t know about you, but when I read that sentence it makes me feel slightly sad. I really do enjoy nothing more than a few glasses of Prosecco with my friends, and if it’s enjoyed responsibly, then having this as part of your lifestyle is perfectly ok!
Below are my top 5 tips to prevent and help with any morning after effects that you may experience.
1. One for one
This is by far the simplest but most effective strategy to help prevent any ill effects with alcohol. One of the major reasons that we experience hangovers is due to dehydration. Having a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have will help to prevent the dehydration and can also help to flush the alcohol out a little quicker. You could even try adding some extra soda water into your wine or spirit based drink.
“You may have significant junk food cravings in the morning to normalize your blood sugar levels back out.”
2. Avoid sugary drinks
Alcohol influences our blood sugar levels by lowering it. A drop in blood sugar brings with it cravings especially for sugary or savory based junk foods such as candy or chips. The sugary drinks can then make this worse by the morning after. Although initially they’ll cause the blood sugar level to spike, the sugar contained in cocktails often have a high glycemic index (aka they spike sugar levels quickly). This means that a drastic drop will occur a few hours after having them. This coupled with the impact of alcohol as well, means you may have significant junk food cravings in the morning to normalize the blood sugar levels back out.
Added tip: to minimize the effect of alcohol on blood sugar, make sure you eat a good solid meal based on real foods before drinking.
3. Rehydration tactics
Again, alcohol has a significant impact on the hydration status of the body. This has a lot to do with the impact on certain hormones in the body which causes excess urination when you’re drinking. If you haven’t followed step one then this step is even more important for you the morning after.
To help rehydrate yourself and quickly you can try using a simple rehydration salt in the morning. Try taking this either before you go to bed with a large pint of water or at least within 30 minutes of waking up. Throughout the day, use other natural rehydration methods that include a cup of bone broth for the minerals and some coconut water for the electrolytes that they contain.
“Throughout the day, sip a cup of bone broth for minerals and some coconut water for electrolytes.”
4. Activated charcoal tablets
It’s no surprise that alcohol is a toxin to the body, hence its impact and symptoms that it can cause. To help get rid of the alcohol from the body, it releases an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. Unfortunately though, it breaks it down into a compound known as acetaldehyde which is far more toxic to the body (and what causes the hangovers). Your body can only process around 1 unit of alcohol per hour (e.g. one standard shot of whisky or half a glass of wine), so consuming more than this overwhelms the body and its ability to get rid of the toxic substances. Activated charcoal is a potent natural treatment that can be used to help trap such toxins allowing the body to trap them and flush them out faster. It does not absorb the alcohol but it can help to remove it quicker. Natural forms based on coconut for example should be use and one tablet taken with one drink or have a couple of tablets before going to bed. Please note that too much activated charcoal can cause nausea and in some cases vomiting.
5. Replenish with a vitamin + mineral cocktail
To help break the toxins contained within alcohol down, the liver releases powerful antioxidants to help with the process. Drinking too much alcohol can deplete these stores much quicker than the body can replenish with. Likewise, it has been shown that alcohol can cause the body to be depleted in vitamins B and C as well as the mineral magnesium. These are required to help cleave the body of alcohol and to help prevent the oxidative stress occurred. Supplementing with these three before drinking can help to protect from this depletion impact. Likewise supplementing with milk thistle has also been shown to help as it contains natural antioxidants that can protect the liver from the toxins associated with alcohol. The morning after, be sure to then eat foods naturally high in vitamin B’s (including meat, poultry, starchy carbs, eggs and green leafy veg) as well as vitamin C (any form of fresh fruit). Making a large smoothie with added coconut water can help to super charge this process.
*Always ask your doctor about any supplements first!
