With summer party season approaching, take advantage of our healthy tips from nutritionist Jacquie Newson to keep you in tip top condition!
There are natural ways to beat the headache and sickly feeling
- Eat lots of ginger. Feeling nauseous? Alcohol can be a real irritant to the stomach lining and can increase the production of stomach acid which is why we often experience nausea and vomiting the morning after over indulging. Recent research has found that sipping on hot ginger tea throughout the day can help counter nausea and upset stomachs. I recommend grating some fresh ginger into a cup and adding to boiling water, leave it to steep for 10 minutes then drink up!
- Boost your Glutathione levels naturally. Glutathione is the powerful antioxidant which helps detoxify the liver after a night of drinking. However, when alcohol intake is excessive, our glutathione levels are seriously depleted. It is therefore vital we give our liver a helping hand by eating foods which are rich sources of glutathione, such as fresh, raw vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli and spinach, as well as garlic and raw eggs.
- Stay hydrated. H2O is a must. Alcohol is a diuretic if consumed in large volumes and can cause dehydration, so be sure to sip on water throughout the day as rehydration is key to recovering from a hangover. I also recommend ordering a glass of water with every alcoholic drink you consume when you next go oiut and alternating between the two, as this will ensure you replace the lost fluids throughout the night.
- Invest in a good-quality Vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C can accelerate the liver's ability to detoxify so is a must-have for your hangover kit. For those who can stomach lots of fruit and veg on a hangover I recommend a refreshing fruit smoothie, and for those who can't, make sure to supplement it with a really well-absorbed Vitamin C such as Altrient C. Altrient C is a liposomal Vitamin C making it many times more powerful than other standard oral forms of Vitamin C because of its unique delivery formula. The liposomes ensure effective transport of the Vitamin C supplement into the blood stream whilst avoiding the absorption barriers that normally limit the levels of Vitamin C vastly.
- Pop a milk thistle. Milk thistle contains crucial substances that help protect the liver from alcohol damage, one of these substances is Silymarin, which has antioxidant properties that are known to help protect the liver by preventing the depletion of glutathione and promoting the growth of new liver cells.
- Treat yourself to steak/a roast. Red meat is rich in ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid) another powerful antioxidant which can help improve liver function and cure your hangover as it increases the cellular levels of glutathione. Foods rich in ALA include red meat, organ meats and brewer's yeast.
- Get moving. A cardiovascular workout is probably not something that normally springs to mind when you are hungover, however it is well worth working up a sweat in order to help the body eliminate toxins.
To learn more about the benefits of vitamin C and to try the unique gel supplement loved by Gwyneth Paltrow and Suki Waterhouse, Altrient C, visit www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk.
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