How to enjoy a night out and still wake up fresh
Letting your hair down occasionally is part of a healthy lifestyle. After all, we need to enjoy ourselves and going out to have drinks and dance with your friends all night long is a great way to keep your happiness levels high, which in turn promotes lowered stress levels. Yes, life is all about balance! But sometimes one drink leads to another and another, until before you know it, you’re waking up nursing a head-splitting hangover.
We’ve all been there before and it’s definitely not pleasant, so wouldn’t you be pleased to know that FIT has the answers to preventing that old friend the hangover from coming over for a visit after every big night you have? And don’t worry, the words “avoid alcohol” are nowhere to be seen! Nutritionist Pip Reed shares these simple and effective methods:
1. Line your stomach
Always, always eat before you drink! This will allow your body to digest food and line your stomach before it has to embark on processing alcohol. Eating first will also help to decrease the alcohol absorption rates so you don’t suddenly find yourself blind after only two vodkas. No one wants to be that person.
2. Hydration is key
Start your drinking session well hydrated and drink 2 glasses of water between every alcoholic beverage. This one really works wonders! Then at the end of the night, drink at least 2 glasses of water before you go to bed and keep a bottle nearby for when you wake up.
3. Ditch the sugar
Avoid sugary drinks and mixers as these beverage choices will only further spike your blood sugar levels, stress out your liver and dehydrate you, on top of the alcohol. Vodka with fresh lime and soda water is a great choice.
4. Support your liver
Take a herbal supplement that assists the liver to function optimally, such as St Mary's Thistle or a specific liver formula, before drinking, before you go to bed and upon rising. Yes, dose up – your liver will love you for it! By assisting with the detoxification process, it helps to decrease hangover symptoms.
5. Enjoy a nutritious meal
The morning after, resist eating junk food and instead load up on a high protein meal with complex carbs and healthy fats. A good option would be eggs with wholegrain sourdough, spinach and avocado, sprinkled with sea salt. Yum!
6. Beet it!
Grab a fresh juice with plenty of beetroot in it to increase liver detoxification the next day. Carrot, celery, beetroot, lemon and ginger is a winning formula.
By nutritionist & trainer Pip Read
Pip Reed is a qualified, certified and registered nutritionist, personal trainer and Australia's first trained and qualified Yoga-Fit instructor, with over 10-years experience in the health and fitness industry. Pip specialises in weight loss, hormones, endometriosis and healthy aging.
TheHealthClinic.com.au