How to cure a hangover
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Your support makes all the difference.It's party season, which means almost nightly boozy bashes which will both expand your waistline and hammer your head.
Waking up with a hangover is bad enough, but when it's a weekday and you've got a day of work ahead of you then it's even worse.
There's no actual cure for a hangover - no magic bullet that'll cure your sore head and weak limbs - but there are foods and drinks which can alleviate some of the symptoms.
The most important one is water. It's simple but it works. Glugging a pint glass of the stuff before you hit the sack after a boozy night will generally work wonders.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it pushes liquids out of the body. That means your brain will start drawing water from parts of your body such as your brain and stomach - leading to headaches and upset tummies respectively.
The low-key hangover saviour is the humble egg; boil it, scramble it, poach it or fry it. They contain amino acids like taurine, which boosts your liver function, and cysteine which zaps the headache-causing chemical acetaldehyde.
As well as amino acids, you'll need potassium. It's an electrolyte that can become depleted as a result of fluid loss.
You'll find a bunch of it in leafy greens but if you've got an early-morning sweet tooth then try some bananas, dates and yoghurt instead.
You'll likely be low on sodium too - that's where salty soupy dishes like chicken noodle soup or miso soup can help. Miso can be particularly helpful, because its fermented and therefore helps digestion.
Given you're likely feeling fragile after a big night out, raising your blood sugar levels by eating without upsetting your stomach can be a challenge.
The trick is to eat bland carbohydrates which raise low blood sugar slowly - a little drizzle of honey on something like a cracker or whole-wheat toast is a good option.
Those are all good things to eat - so what are the things you should avoid?
Well, as tempting as it may be, you should probably skip the fry up. Fatty foods can irritate the stomach, and are best eaten before a night out to line the stomach and slow alcohol absorption into the bloodstream.
Don't be tempted by the 'hair of the dog' either - it'll only make you feel worse in the long run.
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