Avoiding ‘the morning-after-the-night-before’!

The older I get, the less I am able to drink and the less I want to drink. Now, I am no saint and I have to say I am rather partial to a gin and tonic (Hendricks preferably) and I love bubbly and I enjoy a few glasses of red wine with a meal. Not necessarily all together! In fact, drinking all of the above (in moderation, I hasten to add) is known to have certain health benefits.  I previously wrote about the health benefits of a few glasses of bubbly a week. Read about it here.

And I wrote on the goodness in both G&T here and obviously red wine has some benefits. I will get working on that post, all in the interests of research, of course!

But, in today’s post I give you a few simple rules to help you look after your liver and also to help avoid the horrible hangover. Who wants to waste a day recovering when there is life to be living!

Before

It all begins before you have your first drink:

• Do not go out on an empty stomach…have a snack
• Have a glass or two of water
• Take 20 drops of milk thistle in water to protect your liver. I have written about its benefits in a previous post so read about it here
• Take vitamins B and C (alcohol depletes these vitamins)
• Take a Magnesium supplement (alcohol depletes magnesium)
• When you are out, match each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water.
• Try not to mix your drinks.
• Also the stylist daughter (the one without the baby and who has a social life) informs me that it is healthier to drink clear spirits (I almost wrote white spirits) such as gin or vodka with clear mixers or sparkling water. So who knew? I need to get out more!

When you return, have a drink of coconut water to replenish your electrolytes. My personal favourite is Vita Coco.

After (the next morning!)

If you have over-indulged, then it is time for remedial action:

• More milk thistle and vitamin C and fluids
• Eat a protein-based breakfast
• Get some fresh air
• Avoid the ‘hair of the dog’ and stodgy carbs
• Promise yourself you will never be so silly again and remember that alcohol is not good for your skin because it dehydrates.

Obviously you can avoid drink altogether and not bother with any of the above and have just as much fun. But if like me you can’t resist, then perhaps you should  follow my advice. I promise I will also!