Taking the headache out of party season
CHRISTMAS is coming with its whirlwind of parties and late nights. Some of you are thrilled with the thought of what’s to come but others are dreading the inevitable hangovers.
Is this really all there is to look forward to? A festive fortnight of hangovers followed by a January of regret-fuelled abstinence as you try to lose the 2kgs (4.5lbs) most of us gain by eating and drinking too much at Christmas?
There’s no point preaching abstinence at Christmas. It’s the only time of year we can indulge ourselves without being made to feel guilty. So go ahead and treat yourself to that extra mince pie or glass of wine. All we suggest is that you take steps to minimise the morning after. Follow our strategies and you’ll experience that rarest of things— a fun-filled Christmas followed by a regret-free January.
Start by getting your body ready for the onslaught to come. By bolstering your liver function and adrenal glands (which govern energy, stress and sleep), you will ensure your body is fighting fit.
Magnesium and chromium are vital to adrenal function. Magnesium is found in avocados, almonds, fish and red meat; chromium in brown rice, dried beans, chicken, eggs and mushrooms. Add some of these to your daily diet and you should soon find yourself sleeping better at night.
Your liver is constantly battling to expel fat, alcohol and chemicals from your system. When you add a few nights on the tiles into the mix, it makes its job a whole lot harder. But you can give it a helping hand.
Dandelion is a potent liver cleanser that can be taken as a herbal tincture. Beetroot supports detoxification and can be grated raw in salads or juiced. Try it with carrot, apple, cucumber and ginger for a twice-weekly power cleanse. Even something as simple as drinking warm water with lemon juice on waking in the morning helps the liver.
Now you’re ready to party. But don’t think all this preparation will necessarily protect you from hangovers. You still need strategies.
“Don’t starve yourself at lunchtime because you know you will be eating out later,” advises dietitian Aveen Bannon. “Doing that will result in you making poor food choices at your evening meal. Having a warming bowl of soup or a wholegrain sandwich to keep you going during the day and snack on some fruit in the afternoon to avoid any early evening energy dips and give you a vitamin boost.”
Always make a plan before the party. Decide what you are going to drink and how much. Your body can process a unit of alcohol an hour, so one drink an hour is a good guideline.
When it comes to getting ready, lots of us like to do this with friends. Getting dolled up with the girls, dancing to music and sipping champagne is all part of the fun, right? It’s certainly fun but these drinks often amount to forgotten units and calories. Limit yourself to one drink while getting ready and focus on lining your stomach with healthy fats and proteins instead.
By eating now, you’ll stabilise your blood sugar, prevent alcohol from being absorbed into the bloodstream too fast and ensure you won’t be tempted to tuck into fat-filled offerings later on.
Almonds, chicken breast or crackers with humus make perfect pre-party snacks.
Drinking water at this stage also ensures you won’t arrive at the party thirsty. If you do, you’ll drink too fast and scupper your plans for a pain-free party.
What is best to drink once you get to the party? When it comes to putting on weight, all alcohol is high in calories. “A gram of alcohol has seven calories, nearly as much as a gram of fat and twice the calories of a gram of carbohydrate or protein,” says Bannon. But there are strategies you can follow here too.
Mixed drinks contain hidden sugars, so stick to light beer or wine (which has between 100 and 150 calories per measure). If you do decide to have a mixer, choose sparkling water, fresh lemon juice, diet tonic or soda.
Don’t mix your drinks. It’s not that mixing makes you drunker, it aggravates the hangover. Mixing upsets your stomach so you’re going to feel all the worse come morning.
Pace yourself while drinking. Drink Aware is running a campaign on this issue, teaching 18 to 24-year-olds the importance of drinking at their own pace and not feeling pressurised to keep up with others, particularly when buying rounds of drinks.
So, stick to one type of drink and alternate with low-calorie, non-alcoholic drinks, preferably water. Don’t make the mistake of having your glass refilled before you’ve finished. You’ll lose track of how much you’re drinking if you do and you’ll inevitably drink too much. And never drink through a straw as you’ll drink too quickly.
It’s all too easy to overindulge on tasty party nibbles. “Studies have shown that the greater the choice of food on offer, the more calories we tend to consume,” says Bannon. “So, when faced with the buffet table, rather than trying a little of everything, stick to a couple of smart choices.”
She recommends avoiding standing beside the buffet table or bar while you’re talking.
“Easy access to food or beverages will be more of a temptation during any lulls in the conversation,” she says.
“And in order to quit while you’re ahead, get rid of your plate and napkin as soon as you’re full. That way, you won’t be tempted to load up with more. Grab a glass of water too. Most party goodies are full of sugar and salt and you’ll want to stay well hydrated.”
Start the detox process as soon as the party is over. Eat a banana. They are full of potassium, which is lost when we drink, contributing to dehydration.
Brew some detox tea or take some milk thistle supplement to restore your liver.
Most importantly, get some sleep. “Milk thistle is well known for its recovery-enhancing properties,” says Dr Dilis Clare, a Galway-based GP and herbalist. “It increases liver enzymes and it’s a good idea to take it before going to bed and again in the morning.”
If you don’t wake up feeling fully restored, we have strategies here too. The ethanol in drinks increases urine production, leading to dehydration, nausea, dry mouth and all those other stomach-turning symptoms we associate with a hangover. You will need to rehydrate and replenish lost nutrients.
Some recommend foods rich in fructose such as apples, bananas and honey because they help metabolise alcohol more quickly.
Others think eggs contain an amino acid that breaks down the toxins causing the hangover. And still more people think simple carbohydrates are best. Aveen Bannon recommends avoiding the traditional fry-up. “They are very salty, which will make you feel thirstier, and high fatty foods can make your nausea worse,” she says.
Dr Clare recommends foods containing sulphur, such as apples, garlic and onions. “Instead of a fry-up, have an omelette containing onions,” she suggests. “Throw in a glass of pressed apple juice too. It’ll help restore those lost blood sugars.”
Finally, don’t spend the day moping on the sofa. Experts agree that gentle exercise helps hangovers by raising the metabolic rate and thereby increasing the speed at which you detoxify. Drag your tried body from that sofa and go for a gentle walk.
Exercising might just be your key to surviving Christmas, according to Bannon. “Anyone can survive the party season if they keep active and get fresh air,” she says. “Wrap up and get out for a brisk walk. This will help you burn off any extra calories you may have enjoyed over the party season.”
Follow our advice and you’ll be raring to go to the next party.
Watching the weight gain? Here are some low-calorie options when drinking:
* Wine, light beers and clear spirits are the least calorific options when it comes to party drinks. Avoid sugar and cream-laden cocktails at all costs.
* Cut calories even further by adding sparkling water to your wine to make a spritzer.
* If you want to have a mixer, choose a light one such as lemon juice, lime juice, light cranberry juice or a small amount of cordial.
* Avoid fruit juice, sugary syrups and full-fat sodas such as cola or other fizzy drinks. Choose the sugar-free or diet options instead.
* Don’t fall for the common misconception that tonic is low calorie. It’s full of sugar. Choose the slim-line version instead.
Here are some natural treatments to treat or prevent a hangover:
* Drink plenty of water on returning from the party and again when you wake in the morning.
* Replenish your store of vitamins B and C, both of which will have been lost through dehydration.
* Kelkin Revive for Women contains a balance of these vitamins and other minerals which help to reduce tiredness. Vitamin B6 supports the immune system. B5 enhances mental performance. Zinc contributes to regulating the fertility system and vitamin C improves the bones and skin. It will help you look and feel better.
* Dr Dilis Clare, pictured above, has a formula called Dr Clare’s Bitters, which includes a blend of ginger, peppermint, meadowsweet, gentian and dandelion. Take it before you go out, after you come home and again in the morning and it will calm your central nervous system, balance your stomach acids and help your body recover from its hangover.
* Teas containing burdock root, artichoke leaf and dandelion root boost liver function and help the detoxification process.
* Milk thistle complex speeds up the detoxification process too, treating your hangover in the process.
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