BRITS will collectively drink almost six billion units of alcohol between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
That’s a lot of sore heads over the course of a week.
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And while there’s no instant miracle cure just yet, there are few things you can do to alleviate those awful hangover symptoms.
The key is to focus on replacing the essential vitamins and minerals your entire day drinking wiped out in a flash.
But first, it’s worth understanding exactly what a hangover is – aside from a sign you had a little too much the night before.
Nutritionist Amanda Hamilton explains that it’s a whole series of things that combine to drain our bodies of all the goodness they need.
“A hangover is a combination of toxin overload coupled with dehydration and vitamin depletion, caused by that harmless ‘one too many’,” she told The Sun.
“All alcohol contains toxins and, in fact, the whole experience of getting intoxicated is simply giving your body so many toxins that it can’t process them quickly enough.”
So, how do we get rid of that dreadful feeling?
Here are just some of the ways you can give your hangover a kicking…
1. Hydrate BEFORE drinking
It may seem a little obvious, but try and stay hydrated throughout the day, making sure you get the daily two to three litres.
Another trick that can be really helpful is to have a large glass of water before you start drinking.
Minerals are easily lost in sweat and urine – so if you’re going to be doing a lot of dancing or constantly nipping to the loo then it’s good to give yourself a head start on the hydration stations.
Amanda said: “Sip throughout the day, aiming for approximately two litres each day, but remember you’ll get some of this from food.
“Keep urine straw coloured as the yardstick of being well hydrated.”
2. Down a glass of water before bed
Alcohol is a diuretic, making you pee often and ultimately leading to dehydration.
Although dehydration is not considered a main cause of hangovers, it may contribute to symptoms like thirst, headache, fatigue and dry mouth.
That is why there is no harm in downing a pint of water before you go to sleep.
This will help top up your hydration levels, to lessen or even stop that imminent pounding head.
3. Have a brew
They say a cup of tea solves everything.
And Amanda says that if you’re feeling a little worse for wear, caffeine might be a good idea for a hangover.
“If you need to be mentally sharp, try coconut oil in a boosting coffee,” she said.
Herbal teas, like ginger tea can take the edge of the nausea.
While milk thistle tea cleanses the battered liver, while hot water with honey and lemon can help boost blood sugar levels.
4. Try pickle juice
Eastern Europeans and Russians are renowned for their drinking ability so they should have a good cure too, right?
In the midst of bleak Baltic winter, vodka-swiggers swear by drinking pickle juice — which allegedly replenishes the electrolytes your body lost the night before and perks you up a bit.
Just don’t forget to pinch your nose.
5. Go for run
It’s probably the last thing you want to do, especially at this time of year.
But if you make sure you’ve rehydrated a bit of light exercise sparks up your metabolism and releases endorphins.
Amanda said: “If you want to feel more alert, fitting in short high intensity interval training can help.
“It won’t speed up the rate that alcohol is metabolised or detoxified but the endorphin release can boost your mood.
“Just keep water handy so you don’t become even more dehydrated.”
6. Admit defeat
If you really have over done it and simply can’t face the day, getting plenty of rest is your best bet.
“If nothing else works, magnesium salts for a long, hot bath and go back to bed,” Amanda added.
“Last but not least, if you’ve partied the whole night then try to repay the sleep debt quickly.
“Research published in the American Journal of Physiology showed that six nights of sleep deprivation has a negative effect on attention, inflammation as well as impacting on will power – not helpful for the next time the mince pies come around.”
But…can you avoid a hangover in the first place?
Of course the best way to avoid a hangover is simple – don’t drink.
But at Christmas time that can be easier said that done.
If you are going to indulge in a few festive tipples then make sure you eat plenty too.
And what with all the turkey, stuffing and puddings, we don’t think that should be too hard.
Amanda said: “Alcohol diffuses through the walls of the stomach very quickly so if you haven’t eaten for a while, it will enter your bloodstream and be absorbed into your body faster.
“The best choice of food before drinking is something that has a healthy fat content to help slow down the rate at which food leaves the stomach.”
