HEALTH & BEAUTY: Natural Hangover Remedies

This won't really apply to those of you who are tea-totallers but for those of you who like a few glasses of wine or somes sneaky G&Ts, there is always the fear of the dreaded hangover, which only seems to get worse with age.

Headaches, stomach cramps, nausea and dehydration can make an otherwise fantastic day an utter misery so here’s my list of natural tips and tricks to help you avoid these dreaded pitfalls.

Water is your friend: Alcohol dehydrates so drink lots and lots of water! If you can remember to drink a glass of water between every alcoholic drink it will make the world of difference. If you’ve missed that boat, try to drink two large glasses of water before you go to sleep. Keep a bottle or glass of water by your bedside so you can drink more when you wake up.

Stomach pain and Nausea: I am a big fan of root ginger, not only is it fantastic for flavouring a stir-fry, it also has magical properties that help with nausea and motion sickness. You can buy ginger capsules at your local health food store but I prefer to make root ginger tea with a bit of honey which I find prevents nausea and helps soothe a stomach that is worse for wear. Take a few generous slices of raw root ginger, add hot water and honey or sugar as desired…..it’s really rather tasty.

Headache: Being a migraine sufferer I swear by menthol balms. My personal favourites are a menthol stick called 4head and traditional tiger balm rubbed on the temples and forehead. Both of these are sold in some pharmacies and health food stores. Menthol works a treat thanks to its analgesic (painkilling) properties and because it promotes blood flow.

Flush out the Toxins: A hot bath the morning after will help flush out the toxins through your skin. For an added toxin removal boost you can add a couple of tbsp of wasabi (Japanese horseradish) or mustard powder to your bath and soak for half an hour. These both work by improving blood circulation which carries oxygen around your body quicker and therefore helps your body remove the toxins faster.

Rebalance: The diuretic effect of alcohol causes your body to lose fluids (hence the “drink lots of water” recommendation) and also essential minerals such as potassium and magnesium as well as reducing vitamin levels. To rebalance your body I recommend bananas which contain an abundance of the aforementioned minerals..try a banana smoothie the morning after. Bananas, oranges and grapefruit are also a good source of Vitamin C which is one of the enzymes responsible for breaking down alcohol. Vitamin B12 also helps the body process alcohol so filling up on B12-rich foods is a good idea or if you don’t fancy eating too much the morning after take a B12 supplement.

Weird but it works: Being half-Japanese I can recommend the “Umeboshi” (literally means dried plum) as a rather good hangover cure. I am not the biggest fan of these pickled/dried delights at the best of times but if you are brave and manage to eat one they do work a treat thanks to their alkaline properties which counter the acidity in the blood from excessive drinking. I must warn that Umeboshi is an acquired taste and the easiest way to eat one, for hangover purposes, is to soak it in hot water for a few minutes to make a sort of tea and drink the tea and eat the plum together.

This article is adapted from my article originally published in the Winter 2009 issue of UK Handmade Magazine.