The season of gluttony is upon us. During the holidays we tend to forego our well-balanced diets and will power, to indulge and often times, over-consume. And while gathering with friends and family with food and drink in-hand may be the very thing we look forward to most, the overload on our poor bodies can make for wicked hangovers.
The most common culprits tend to be sugar, alcohol and as always, stress.
These can leave us experiencing a range of symptoms from gastrointestinal, to headaches and malaise, to mental and emotional. Here’s some of my favourite go-to cures for treating holiday (and other!) hangovers:
B-Complex with Food
Whether taken before or after you’ve indulged this can help get the essential b vitamins back into your system, which will perk you up. Always take B vitamins with food otherwise you’ll get an upset stomach and feel worse!
Intravenous Vitamin Therapy
Vitamin Infusion Therapy (IV Therapy) provides the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids your body needs, in the most efficient and effective way, powerfully igniting the healing process at a cellular level. In particular, the classic Myer’s Cocktail is the way to go to rid yourself of a hangover – jam packed with B vitamins and of course a bit of saline, and you’ll feel better within the time it infuses (which is 30 minutes).
Chelidonium Plex by Genestra
This stuff is amazing. Full stop. It’s a blend of herbal ingredients that detoxify the body by stimulating your organs in charge of elimination: liver, kidneys and intestines. Take 15-25 drops under the tongue before or after you are over served and you’ll be feeling better for it in the morning.
Plan C
Plan C is a custom blend of electrolytes, ginger, antioxidants, vitamins and more created by my classmate. This hangover formula, which has helped so many recover quickly from a big night out. Definitely worth having on hand!
Exercise
Even a brisk 20 minute walk has tremendous benefits such as aiding digestion, combating fatigue and improving your mood, but it also just gets things moving so that you can clear them faster.
6 Bonus Tips To Reduce Holiday Hangovers
Small efforts can really reduce the stress on your body during the holidays. Here are some shifts you can make that still allow you to be in the holiday spirit (read: party), without completely overloading your system and then paying for it.
1. Stay hydrated – drink water in between alcoholic drinks or at least a few glasses before you go to sleep.
2. Moderate or really cut your sugar intake – this makes a huge difference as this is what gives us profound FOOD hangovers and will really amplify an alcohol hangover.
3. Swap some cocktails for mocktails – try these healing hot chocolates
4. Include some salt in your food before or after to help you stay hydrated.
5. Sleep it off! Sleep is when our liver works to digest and breakdown everything we’ve consumed – it helps a lot to allow yourself to sleep it off and give it time to handle the influx.
6. Do NOT reach for coffee immediately upon waking…alcohol is dehydrating and SO is coffee, hydrate before you dehydrate (again)!
