Between now and the 1st January, a hangover or two (okay more than two) is fairly inevitable. Sometimes you don’t have the time to curl up in bed for an extra eight hours of sleep. Good news is, there are some magical tricks to get you through the day. 

Step one: Hydrate

When you wake up with a powerful headache from a night of vino, you're dehydrated and need to fix this quickly. Add a pinch of salt to a large glass of water. Nutritionist, Daniel O’Shaughnessy says that this will support the stress hormones that have been kicked into action as well as helping with hydration. We’re in.

Step two: Pack in some nutrients

Time to counter the damage. Taking in some micronutrients is key to help support your weakened immune system. Daniel suggests the following smoothie, which will help hydration, boost electrolytes and help you to ward off a cold. Blend: 1/2 a banana, a handful of spinach, 1/2 cucumber, 1tsp maca, fresh ginger and 1tbsp flaxseeds with coconut water.

Step three: Carby friends

Time to eat and restore – hooray! Avoid a fry-up even if you think it’s the answer. The grease and fat will add stress to your digestion and slow down the recovery. Instead, have eggs on toast. The amino acid called cysteine in the eggs helps to break down the bad stuff in alcohol. Some wholemeal toast will give you some sustained and slow releasing energy. I know you are calling out for coffee but try to have a herbal tea like milk thistle or dandelion to help support your over-worked liver. Coffee can add to the dehydration, sorry.

Step four: Sweat it out

If you’re up to it, a gentle workout will do wonders to help you get through the afternoon with a hit of endorphins. Just make sure you drink plenty and don’t go too mental. Recover from the session with a balanced meal or snack that includes some protein.

Step five: Get an early night

Sleep is a healer after all. Alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep and if you’ve been out partying, it’s likely you missed your bedtime. Getting back into a good sleep cycle will mean you are less likely to get sick and more likely to feel like a human again as soon as possible. You know it makes sense.