Enjoy the festive season without the head-pounding hangover, with a little help from our friends in the know.
With the booze fuelled festive season well underway, many of us will be battling with the head-pounding, nausea-inducing beast of a hangover that inevitably follows an epic Christmas party with friends or colleagues. So to help get you through the month, without swearing off alcohol altogether – well, at least until next Christmas anyway – we ask our friends in the know to share their secrets on how to beat a hangover and defeat the monster.
1. Eat Grease – and Exercise
Life is all about balance – and so are hangovers, according to Ash Wayburne, director of Iso Fit Pilates and Gyrotonic Studio.
“There are two things that work for me, which are both pretty simple and standard I guess. One is to eat lots of grease, either a burger or a pizza. The other is to get some exercise to get the body moving and sweat it out! Some sort of sport (usually touch rugby) or a low-impact Pilates workout, works for me, as I can take better care of my body. Aside from that, I have been thinking about getting my own IV drip as well!”
2. Tacos, Beer, and Baking Soda
The team at WINE MOMENTS like to think of themselves as hangover connoisseurs – after all, with so many wine tasting events held throughout the year, they end up with more hangovers than they’d like to admit! The savvy team have an international playbook of handy hangover cures to share with us:
Katy from the USA: Nothing fixes a hangover like breakfast tacos. In Texas we take breakfast tacos very seriously, they must be massive, with lots of meat, eggs, and totally covered in cheese and salsa. The spicier and greasier the better.
Chris from Germany: In Germany everyone says to have a Konterbier which literally means “counter beer”, but this just postpones the hangover. So, I’d suggest the Bavaria tradition of eating white sausage with bread and the favourite German drink Apfelschorle, which is apple juice mixed with mineral water – for some much-needed sodium and potassium.
Tania from France: In France the way we say we’re hungover is “J’ai la gueule de bois”, which literally translates to “I’ve got a wooden mouth”. This is rather fitting, given how dehydrated you are, so I always start with lots of water and one spoon of baking soda, or lemon tea. While it’s not my own hangover cure, French onion soup has been the traditional remedy in France for hundreds of years.
3. Drink Cider
For some people, the thought of drinking more alcohol during a hangover is unbearable, but for our Localiiz editor in chief, Sophie, a cold pint of Magners does the trick every time.
“I know I should suggest something sensible like drink tons of coconut water and soak up those electrolytes, but to be totally honest, the old “hair of the dog” trick works for me every time. A cold pint of cider – with loads of ice – makes me feel human again in no time. I figured this out years ago when I was camping at a cider festival back in Somerset, England and they only had Magners left on tap by the end of the weekend when I needed a quick remedy. Just one pint does it, so don’t go overboard, because you’ll end up with a double hangover – and that ain’t pretty!”
4. Take Vitamins
You can always count on Mother Nature to ease your woes, according to Graeme Bradshaw, founding director of Integrated Medicine Institute.
“When we drink alcohol, our blood sugar levels soar then sink, leading to inflammation, which causes hangovers. High doses of vitamin C and B can help you process alcohol, so readily available vitamin C drinks such as Berocca or Emergen-C are a good help to recover from a hangover. Emergen-C provides electrolytes and helps hydration since it’s taken with water. I especially recommend Ola Loa, which is a stronger detox version of the above vitamin drinks, as it provides active vitamin B, magnesium, and zinc, along with 1,000mg of vitamin C. Your liver needs all these nutrients to detoxify alcohol, and milk thistle is a herb that fortifies the liver, so try taking 2 or 3 liver support capsules before you head out – our clients swear by it.”
5. Get it On!
Yep, you read that right! Award-winning bartender and co-owner of The Pontiac, Beckaly Franks, is a firm believer that some quality time between the sheets is the best way to beat a hangover.
“This may sound silly, but it is actually scientifically sound – not to mention good for the mind, body, and soul. Research has shown that ‘sexual activity can lead to partial or complete relief of headache in some migraine and a few cluster headache patients.’ The long and short is that the best cure for hangovers – that isn’t one of my preferred methods commonly knows as “hair of the dog” – is nookie. So get your blood flowing and get all that oxygen in your lungs – and drink all the water!”
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