3 Tips to Survive a Festive Hangover

By Joash Guevarra

As the holiday season draws closer, you will most likely attend celebrations, reunions, and catch-ups. Give yourself a break from the hassles of daily life and hit the snooze on your morning gym sessions, eat your favourite sugary treats, or laze around all day. Don’t feel guilty about these pleasures. After all, it is the time to relax and be merry.

Of course, some of the parties you’ll attend will involve alcoholic drinks. Don’t let yourself miss out on the fun and enjoy your favourites, be it mulled wine, whiskey on the rocks, or a glass of bubbly or eggnog. But as we know, drinking too much alcohol results in a hangover the next day. So here are 3 tips you can follow to minimise the effects of alcohol.

1. Have a Glass of Water During Each Session

You’ve probably noticed that as you consume alcoholic drinks while talking with friends or family, you might need to nip to the bathroom more often. This is because they are a powerful diuretic that drains your body fluids. And since your blood is around 70% water, low body fluid levels can make you feel dehydrated and weak, affecting your Christmas experience.

Exercise Physiologist Pete McCall explains that drinking water helps restore the necessary fluids, allowing your blood to carry nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and removing the wastes produced after a night of drinking. Aside from water, there are other refreshing drinks that you can take to help rehydrate your body: coconut and cactus water.

Much like sports drinks, coconut water contains electrolytes, essential to maintaining the balance of your bodily fluids, moving nutrients into your cells, and more. Moreover, it also has fibre, vitamins, and minerals. These benefits make this drink an excellent and delicious alternative to avoid a hangover this holiday season.

Cactus water is another great alternative drink for a hangover that you might want to try. Derived from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, the beverage is packed with plenty of health and skin benefits, making them a delicious, healthy drink to add to your Christmas menu. According to Scotty Schellner, Lead Nutritionist for Eat Clean Phx, cactus water contains high levels of antioxidants, which play a significant role in your body. The presence of these nutrients allows you to fight off inflammation, which can come from oxidative stress.

2. Prepare Some Tea

While Christmas is the time to party and celebrate, you shouldn’t forget about your overall health. According to UNC Health Gastroenterologist Dr. Tanvir Haque, heavy alcohol consumption could lead to health issues. If you are a heavy drinker and you know you’ll have plenty of alcohol this coming holiday season, going for a cup of tea, including peppermint, chamomile, or ginger, can help reduce the amount you’ll consume. It also soothes and aids your digestion and prevents related problems such as bloating, indigestion, and stomach cramps. In addition, tea is a good drink to have after you’ve eaten a bit too much turkey.

3. Always Be Aware of Your Limit

As mentioned before, Christmas shouldn’t be an excuse to completely forget about your health. To avoid excessive drinking and hangovers, being mindful of your alcohol consumption is one of the best tips you can follow.

While Christmas is the season to let loose and relax after a year of hard work, you should still practise responsible drinking, especially if you are doing it in public establishments like restaurants and bars. Although, depending on your tolerance, you might want to stick to a glass or two before calling it a day. Dr. Hrishikesh Belani in Los Angeles suggests reducing your alcohol consumption can improve sleep, reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and manage weight.

While it may be difficult, being mindful of how much alcohol you drink is not impossible. The following are some ideas you might be able to use:

• Savour your drink instead of downing it quickly.
• Eat or indulge in some snacks.
• Focus on socialising with your friends or loved ones.
• Find someone who will support your goal

As Christmas draws closer, it is only natural for you to be excited about bonding with your friends and relatives. But, of course, drinking will most likely be a part of holiday parties, so don’t forget to be mindful of your alcohol consumption.