Before you start drinking:
Prevention is the best cure, so make sure your body is in tip-top condition before you head out for a night on the tiles.
Have veggies in your dinner:
We all know if you embark on an evening of carnage after skipping dinner it’ll end in tears the next morning. But what you eat also counts – vegetables will provide antioxidants to protect your cells.
Chew the fat:
This is one of the few times you can justify eating something fatty, as fat is digested slowly and it protects your stomach from being irritated by the alcohol.
Booze to avoid:
It’s not always how much you drink that can make you feel rough the next day, but what you guzzle.
Avoid the cheap stuff:
Australia’s National Drug Research Institute has found that bargain booze, especially whisky and champers, contains more congeners (toxic chemicals that give you hangovers) than the pricier stuff.
Drink more vodka:
Clear spirits like voddy are supposed to have fewer congeners in them, so they’re less likely to cause hangovers than coloured drinks, which have more additives.
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When you stumble in:
Damage limitation is key when you’ve just arrived home, ultra-lashed.
Reach for the OJ:
Not only will it hydrate you, but having a glass of orange juice just before you crash out in bed will help replenish blood sugar and vitamin C stocks.
…or the milk:
It’ll probably seem disgusting at the time, but milk contains a chemical that produces serotonin, which helps you get a good night’s sleep.
Or you could just rub yourself with a lemon:
In Puerto Rico, they swear by rubbing lemon juice into their armpits to stop dehydration through sweating. Anything’s worth a shot…
The morning after:
When you feel like a bag of spanners, and probably look a lot like one too, here’s how to get back on form.
Rehydrate:
Getting hydrated is the only way to shift that pounding headache. GP Dr Roger Henderson recommends drinking fluid replacement drinks, such as Oralyte. These aren’t just made of water, they’re filled with electrolytes and essential minerals that you’ll have lost the night before.
Ditch the bacon sarnies:
Contrary to popular belief – and cravings – this meatilicious hangover Holy Grail will actually make you feel worse. West London-based celebrity personal trainer Mark Anthony always advises against a bacon sandwich because the amount of salt inside will dehydrate you even more.
Go bananas:
Alcohol saps potassium from the body, which regulates the fluid balance and aids nerve and muscle function. So, to help you feel better, cosy up on the sofa with some bananas, which are packed with the stuff.
