What can you do to beat a hangover?Hangovers occur for two main reasons: dehydration and loss of nutrients. And as most people are aware, the liver is the main organ implicated in making you feel ill after drinking. Symptoms of a hangover can be : feeling exhausted, drained, unable to concentrate, headache (with sensitivity to noise), nausea, bloating, loss of appetite, thirst, weakness, frequent urination etc.
The main solution is obviously not to drink so much that it makes you ill!
However, when you do drink:
Drink soft drinks and water in between alcoholic drinks.
People suffering from Candida and yeast intolerances, beware of beer and red wine. Also, remember white wine has alot of sugar in it. Drink spirits instead.
If you are a wine drinker, try to drink organic. Many chemicals and preservatives are also what constitute the very nasty after-effects of drinking.
Drink with food or after eating. Never drink on an empty stomach.
Ladies, alcohol will affect you more strongly while you have your period. So drink less, if anything at all during this time.
However, in the case where you have had a few too many. Here are some tips:
Most obviously drink plenty of water. But the best time to do this is before you go to sleep after drinking, rather than just the next day.
Take both Vitamin C and a B-Complex vitamin before sleeping and after drinking. The liver uses nutrients it has stored, to do the work of detoxing. Replacing these will help the liver process alcohol faster. (You can buy handy soluble hangover packs containing these at till counters in health food shops)
Take a liver herb such as Milk Thistle Complex. Do this especially if you are feeling nauseous and unable to eat the next day.
Eat crystallised ginger for any waves of nausea.
Drink Peppermint tea to soothe your stomach and also heartburn, and you may also take Peppermint Oil capsules.
Homeopathic remedies work a treat!You do not need to have all the below-mentioned symptoms listed for each one but see which fits you the best: Nux-vomica 30c if you are irritable, nauseous, impatient (queues or road rage or snappiness), senses acute or generally nervy and agitated with heartburn, bloating and constipation or cramping pains. China 30c if you are just wiped out, exhausted and faint accompanied by alot of trapped wind or bloating and possible diarrhoea and your mind is in the clouds. Arnica 30c if you are absolutely wrecked and worn out but with no real stomach symptoms. More a generalised aching all over your body. This state will arise if you have been overdoing it before going out drinking. If your main symptom is a headache and you are like a bear with a sore head; you want to be left alone, and are thirsty for large quantities of water, then try Bryonia 30c.
