Woken up a little worse for wear? We’ve got everything you need to kick that hangover to the curb. Tackle headaches, nausea and general malaise with our pick of natural remedies, nutrient rich foods and essential pain killers. Here’s how to cure a hangover fast
We’ve all been guilty over indulging on that unintentional second glass bottle of rosé. But when the morning comes and your head is pounding, you wonder why on earth you ever indulged in the first place. Until the next weekend that is…
So for those of you who need a little TLC the morning after, here are some genius hangover cures guaranteed to kick your hangover to the curb.
7 Ways to Cure a Hangover
Drink water to avoid dehydration
The alcohol in your drink acts as a diuretic, which can make you urinate more. This can lead to dehydration, which is one of the major causes of a hangover. Even relatively light drinking leads to dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, headaches, fatigue and lack of energy follows — the trifecta for all hangovers.
When you wake up feeling rough, drinking a glass of water should be on the top of your to-do list, but you should keep yourself hydrated throughout the night too. With every drink, ideally you should sip some water alongside. That way you’ll rehydrate your body and fight off any nasty signs of a hangover.
Eat nutrient-rich food before and after drinking
Replacing vital nutrients lost from drinking alcohol, rehydrating and stabilising your blood sugar levels are key to overcoming a hangover. The best way to do that is eating foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, to give you a boost of energy and eliminate toxins from the body.
To prevent a hangover, research says that eating whilst you drink can help your body more efficiently metabolise the alcohol. The digestion of food before or during alcohol consumption can help increase anti-diuretic hormone levels (ADH), sugar fructose, and blood flow to the liver, all which work to help your body more quickly break down alcohol and in turn, prevent hangovers the next day.
Drink fluids with electrolytes to replenish lost fluids
Because alcohol is a diuretic and you’re urinating a lot, you’re also losing electrolytes. When you lose electrolytes, you can experience dizziness, nausea, and cramping. Electrolyte imbalance is thought to be one of the leading causes of feeling fatigued from a hangover. Sports come packed with electrolytes — they elevate blood glucose and can elevate sodium levels, which help muscle cells uptake and use water, leading to quicker rehydration.
Try these to rehydrate fast:
Take pain killers for headaches
Hangover headaches are the worst. Sometimes you can simply sleep them off, but for stubborn ones that just won’t budge, it’s time to reach for the painkillers. Paracetamol and anti-inflammatory painkillers work best, like Panadol, Nurofen and Aspirin.
Restore energy and immunity with Vitamin B and Vitamin C
B vitamins are important for your body’s metabolism of nutrients, and when you drink these sources of nutrients are lost, so topping them up can help your body to heal the next day.
Although it won’t cure your hangover, taking vitamin C helps to boost your immune system and fight against cold and flu, so keeping your body topped up may also help to protect your body against hangovers too.
We recommend Hydrodol Before Capsules and Body Armour
— they can be taken before a night out to help support the body’s metabolism and restore some of the nutrients that may be lost.
Settle your stomach with ginger
Studies have shown that ginger is a natural and inexpensive way to treat nausea. A cup of ginger tea the morning after a heavy night will replenish some of that much-needed water, whilst also getting an important shot of stomach-calming ginger.
Ginger also has anti-inflammatory and heart benefits, so you might just find yourself making it part of your daily routine.
Catch up on your sleep
This might sound like a given seeing as with a hangover, you’ve most likely had a late night. When you’re sleep deprived it’s difficult to function, whether you’re hungover or not. If you have the option of sleeping in, catch up on those precious zzz’s. If you’re at work, see if you can find a spot to take a nap to regenerate some of that lost energy. Failing that, get home and get an early night!
We hope you found our hangover cures helpful. We've got plenty more health advice for you. Can't sleep? These relaxing remedies will help you to drift off in a flash. Feeling under the weather? Try these herbal remedies to boost your immune system. If you have a sensitive stomach, we've also got some expert tips on how to improve your gut health. Head over to our Health & Wellness Edit to get all your health questions answered.
1 comment
Pam McIntosh
I have personally found hitting a RPM class the next day helps me move through a hangover fast! I don’t know why – perhaps it flushes you out. But, I have found this to be super awesome. It restores energy, you drink lots of water, you sweat it out. Only caution – maybe when you are not nauseous. Go when you are feeling flat and need something to kick it on.