Nursing a holiday hangover? My top 3 tips.
Festive season and excess often go hand in hand. You'll see countless articles about exercising restraint over the holidays, but it's pretty easy to get carried away once the celebrations kick off. I'm certainly no expert, but I have had more hangovers than I'd care to admit to my mother. Hopefully you can benefit from my tried and tested hangover go-tos:
1. Stock Up on Supplies
When you feel like death warmed up, venturing to the shops can be torturous. Even if you're not planning on a bender, it's wise to have the following close to hand - you'll thank yourself when you wake up feeling dusty.
- Dissolveable multivitamins, such as Berocca or Hairy Lemon
- An electrolyte supplement such as Hydralyte
- Ibuprofen or paracetamol
- Coffee*
*As a Melbourne gal, I appreciate a good coffee as much (if not more) than most people. But sometimes coffee is about survival. If you don't have a coffee machine, plunger or aeropress take a hard look at yourself, you call yourself a coffee drinker? Even if you have no intention of bringing your single origin, almond latte habit in-house, consider buying some instant *gasp* to hide in the back of a cupboard for emergencies.
2. Clean Up You Act
If you're lucky, you'll have the whole day to wallow in self-pity. If you are hungover on a Tuesday morning and have to work, you probably don't need my advice - you're either a hardened drinker or too foolhardy to listen. For the rest of you, I strongly recommend you attend to your personal cleanliness as a matter or priority - even if you go straight back to bed afterwards. This obviously extends to the basics - shower, hair washing, tooth brushing, flossing etc. If you can muster the enthusiasm also do a mud mask, put eyedrops in and slap a bit of body lotion on. You'll feel so much better for it!
3. Don't Keep Digging
When you find yourself in a hole, don't keep digging. Resist the temptation to indulge your craving for unhealthy junk food. Our bodies crave fat and sugar when we're zapped for energy, but drinking high sugar soft drink or greasy takeaway will only make you feel worse in the long run. You don't need to steer clear of comfort food all together, but opt for healthier options like Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, corn fritters or veggie sausages with salad. You can find lighter options on Uber Eats, Deliveroo etc. if you're keen to outsource your food preparation for the day (which is entirely justifiable).
'Hair of the dog' is a popular hangover cure, but a pretty shortsighted one. Drinking more booze might help you to feel better in the short term, but it is really delaying the inevitable. Drinking the next day will also probably compound the problem, as you're likely to be dehydrated and sleep deprived already. Aside from the obvious (i.e. lots of water), I also drink sparkling water and kombucha when feeling worse for wear.
Have a great festive season friends, and be gentle with yourselves. I hope you enjoy some amazing local produce, cooking and cocktails with friends and quality time outside in the sunshine.
Kat x
Neither the content of this blog, or any linked materials, are intended as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, they should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other health care worker.
