No free nights in your diary until the first week of Jan? Us too. It’s overwhelming, but you can't avoid work events, pre-Christmas dinners (with different friendship groups, nonetheless) and family traditions. Don’t stress. You can survive it all with a little smart preparation. Follow this three-step plan to stay strong through the party-season. May the force be with you...
The food
Keeping your fridge stocked with good stuff will save bad hangovers, so we sat down with nutritional therapist, Daniel O’Shaughnessy to get the low down on what we should be eating during party season. Here’s what you need:
A coconut water smoothie the morning after. It will help restore and hydrate your body. Daniel recommends the following: 1/2 banana, spinach, 1/2 cucumber, great lakes collagen powder, 1tsp maca, ginger, flaxseeds and coconut water.
Find these on the menu? Order them. They're great for your liver: broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, watercress, cabbage and cauliflower.
When hunger strikes at midnight, ensure you have wholemeal bread, eggs, nut butter and avocado. These ingredients work for a pre-bed feed or for a morning-after breakfast to stop you hitting the greasy spoon.
The booze
It’s fairly inevitable that there will be more alcohol than usual in your system this month, but there are some tricks to lessen the damage.
Tea for your liver. Daniel O’Shaughnessy recommends tea before bedtime involving milk thistle, dandelion or artichoke to help support your liver as it breaks down the alcohol in your system.
When it comes to booze, you need to choose your poison wisely, so if you’re hosting or going to parties arrive armed with your own drink. Red wine has redeeming qualities (it contains heart-healthy antioxidants) and a simple spirit with a clean mixer such as soda water, will keep your sugar count down.
We know you’ve been told 1000 times but, when you're drinking have a glass of water for every alcohol unit consumed. This is a must for re-hydrating your body and avoiding waking up with a case of cotton mouth.
The sleep
A lack of sleep can be the biggest problem during December. With more late nights than sensible bedtimes, you might not get the recovery time you need. To ensure you get quality sleep when you can, now is the time to stock up on certain sleep helpers.
Lavender. A few drops of lavender oil on your pillow each night can work wonders to help you wind down. Studies have found it both increases the depth of your slumber and helps you to drift off, which can be needed after a lot of late-night stimulation.
Sleepy tea. There are tons of sleep-promoting teas on the market. Opt for something that is caffeine-free and includes chamomile or valerian as these are both used to help you drift off.
