When it comes to difficult mornings (days?), everyone has their own habits and advice: some believe you need to consume high doses of ibuprofen, while others think it's essential to devour the greasiest food possible. They are mistaken. Let's take a look at some of the preconceived ideas regarding hangovers.
"You look a bit rough this morning," your colleagues greet you, with a suspicious look in their eyes. After an evening of wining and dining or an after-work gathering where drinks flow freely, your body pays the price! Here's an emergency plan that will save your day.
Should you fight fire with fire?
Awoken by nausea, your foggy brain considers rehydrating your pasty mouth with a swig of beer, a Bloody Mary, or worse, a concoction of leftover spirits lying around. These symptoms emerge as the alcohol level in your blood decreases, so you might think that drinking again will make you feel better. By trying to "fight fire with fire," according to common beliefs, you're only postponing the moment when you will have to deal with your hangover - at the risk of making it worse.
To help your freeze-dried tongue and dehydrated body, opt instead for freshly squeezed organic lemon juice in a glass of warm water. Not only will this rehydrate your body, but it will also stimulate the production of bile in the liver, which is responsible for eliminating toxins (i.e., your Moscow Mules). It’s important to remember that when this organ is strained, the skin takes over to absorb your excesses. Hence the yellowish complexion and musty smell of stale alcohol. So, by doing your liver a favour with lemon juice, you not only save face, but you also save your reputation.
Tea or coffee for breakfast?
You're reluctant to eat due to your queasy stomach. Full of good intentions, you rely on a few cups of coffee or tea to wake you up and rehydrate. This is a huge mistake! The caffeine in these beverages has a diuretic effect that makes you urinate even more when your body is already lacking water. Additionally, the caffeine's stimulating effect will only leave you increasingly tired once it wears off and deplete your body of magnesium (which keeps you cool-headed). Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption already hinders your mineral absorption. You'll only feel worse and become even more irritable.
For breakfast, we recommend that you fill up on fresh fruit, rich in water, vitamins (with vitamin C naturally combating fatigue), and potassium, which helps counterbalance the acidity of alcohol. If you want to drink something stimulating, opt for a maté infusion, rich in minerals. The body assimilates mateine better than caffeine or theine. Legend has it that this is the secret behind Antoine Griezmann's football prowess.
Still hungry? Oatmeal porridge with almond milk, or a few slices of wholemeal bread and a piece of full-fat cheese such as cantal or camembert, will lower the glycaemic index, prevent future cravings and overtaxing the liver.
Aspirin or paracetamol?
After your impressive alcohol consumption, a headache tablet suddenly seems like a cure-all.
Yet, this is another bad idea: for your body to assimilate it, it would rely on the liver, which is already busy processing the alcohol. What's more, paracetamol has shown to be toxic to this organ, and can cause liver damage or hepatitis in the most excessive drinkers. As for aspirin or ibuprofen, they can cause acid reflux or heartburn.
As no medication can get rid of your hangover, stick to drinking as much water as possible (you lose approximately 1 litre every 4 glasses) to relieve your kidneys and liver, which are under intense strain, and try to be patient.
Good habits throughout the day
As you can see, there's no such thing as a miracle cure. Your body will require at least 1 hour per unit of alcohol consumed to recover. In the meantime, treat yourself to a cold shower. It won't affect your blood alcohol level, but it will at least wake you up, especially if you use Peppermint & Tea Tree Shower Gel.
If you have to go to work, organize your commute so that you can walk outside for a few minutes in the fresh air and sunshine. It's a bit difficult at first, but after a short night, it will help reactivate your circadian rhythm, your body's internal “clock” that dictates your sleep-wake cycles, and truly wake up your body. It will generate norepinephrine, which will help you be more alert.
At lunchtime, if the weather permits, eat outside on a terrace. The goal is to take advantage of the sun's beneficial effects on your sluggish state. Each country has its own more or less appetising dishes for recovering from a hangover: rollmops (gherkins and onions wrapped in a pickled herring fillet) in Germany, tripe soup in Romania, pickle juice in Poland, or garlic soup in the Czech Republic. Simply avoid overly fatty and salty foods to spare your already tired liver and stomach. A balanced plate consisting of half vegetables, a quarter carbohydrates, and a quarter protein will do the trick (advice that is valid even on non-difficult mornings).
As for physical exercise, this won't speed up the liver's work of eliminating alcohol from the body, but it should at least boost your self-esteem after an unforgettable night that you still struggle to remember.