How To Get Ahead Of A Hangover

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

“There is no guaranteed way to completely prevent a hangover other than reducing alcohol intake but there are ways to better support the body before and during an event which are guaranteed to make you feel better. One of the biggest factors when it comes to the severity of hangovers is hydration. Making a conscious effort to hydrate properly beforehand can make such a meaningful difference to how you feel the next day and how your body deals with alcohol.” – Jess Shand, hormone health nutritionist & author

Make electrolytes your first drink the next day

“Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, the hormone that tells your kidneys to hold onto water so you produce more urine. Alongside that water, you also lose sodium, potassium and magnesium. Dehydration (both fluid loss and mineral loss) is a core driver of the classic hangover feeling: headache, fatigue, muscle weakness, dry mouth etc. The morning after is where electrolytes are most useful because you are replacing what was lost overnight. Use an electrolyte that is suitable for daily use, like Artah’s Cellular Hydration, which is lower in sodium and more focused on magnesium and potassium. It also has prebiotic fibre, which supports the gut, and vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and helps fight fatigue.” – Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist, naturopath & founder of ARTAH

Make a mineral-rich pre-drink

“Before or after drinking you can pre-or-replenish with coconut water or something simple like my homemade electrolyte tonic: coconut water, sea salt, lime, lemon and ginger. It’s a great option because it not only replenishes minerals lost through the dehydration caused by alcohol and supports cellular hydration through the coconut water and sea salt (Maldon is great) but the fresh ginger root also helps support digestion, which is often disrupted after drinking, while offering anti-inflammatory support and easing nausea symptoms too.” – Jess

Combat with ‘cooling’ foods

“From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, alcohol is considered very heating and damp-forming in the body, which can contribute to symptoms like headaches, irritability, nausea and sluggish digestion the next day. Including cooling, hydrating foods and herbs such as cucumber, watermelon, pear or chrysanthemum tea before and after drinking can help gently support the body’s recovery process.” – Jess

Feed yourself with fat, protein and fibre

“‘Lining the stomach’ is a bit of a myth. Nothing coats your stomach in a protective layer, however, it’s important to eat because the right foods will slow gastric emptying, which means alcohol passes more gradually into the small intestine where it is absorbed. A slower drip into the bloodstream means a lower peak blood alcohol level and less stress on the body overall. The macronutrients that do this best are fat, protein and fibre. Fat is particularly effective because it triggers cholecystokinin, a hormone that slows stomach motility, protein takes time to break down, and fibre adds bulk to slow transit further. A meal built around all three will give you the best buffer.” – Rhian

Balance your body

“A hangover involves multiple things – dehydration, electrolyte loss, disrupted sleep and systemic inflammation, so one supplement is unlikely to help everything. The most helpful things include things that reduce the load on your system before you drink – eat a proper meal that includes protein, healthy fats and fibre, hydrate well throughout the day and match each drink with water, choose clearer spirits over darker ones, which carry more congeners and lead to worse symptoms, and take electrolytes to help you recover and get outside for gentle movement. In truth, the only way to truly prevent a hangover is to avoid alcohol. None of the above advice is that glamorous, but it works on the mechanisms involved: absorption, hydration and reducing the inflammatory hit your body takes the next day.” – Rhian

Finally, give pear juice a go…

We couldn’t finish this piece without letting you know about a pre-night remedy that’s making waves. Made from 100% Shingo Korean pears, the idea is you drink one sachet of PrePear  20 minutes before you consume alcohol and the natural enzymes (found specifically in these pears) aid your liver in metabolising alcohol, breaking down the toxins and therefore easing any hangover the next day. It’s also rich in antioxidants, which often need replenishing after a night out. Although it’s no magic wand, it can make a surprising difference.

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