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Heroine In Heels is a top 10 London lifestyle blog aimed at the modern day woman. Covering things to do in London, restaurant reviews, hotels as well as where to go in the world when you want to escape London

Hangover cure plan

Thursday 27 December 2012

I’d like to start off by wishing everyone a belated Merry Christmas. I hope you all had a wonderful time, and thoroughly enjoyed yourself.
I loved spending time with my family, playing silly games and yes, indulging far too much! Mind, I have been extra good since, but my Nana had been furiously making a trifle the night before, and well it would be rude not too have some! I mean, she is 76!
However, if you are anything like me, Christmas also comes with the alcohol... wine, snowballs, baileys, more wine... and well, let’s just say I may be paying for it a little! Fear not though, if you too are a little hungover, as in the spirit of Christmas, I share with you my hangover cure wisdom.

 The essentials
Drink and eat theses throughout the day to maximise the benefits and reduce the seveeity of the hangover.
Water

The first thing to do when you wake up is drink lots of water. Yes, it’s nothing new, but that’s because it really is that important. Dehydration is the culprit a hangover as alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it speed up fluid loss. Dehydration leads to the pounding headache symptoms, therefore you need to replace all that fluid you have lost.

Fruit Juice
Besides it being more fluids which will help replace those lost, it is the vitamins; especially C that you need to replace. Drinking sugary alcoholic drinks especially wine, alcohol pops and cocktails, your blood sugar levels will have plummeted, so you need to rebalance them with NATURAL sugars (yes, i know those sweeties are tempting).
PowerAde

This may sound odd, but through dehydration you will have lost a lot of electrolytes. These are ions that regulate your body fluids (e.g. blood, plasma etc) movement across cells. Sodium and potassium  are examples. Low electrolytes leads to dehydration (headaches) and also muscle seizures, which is why some hangovers come with tired ache muscles. Sport drinks like PowerAde will replace some of the electrolytes lost, helping to rebalance your body.
Salted nuts
Sodium = salt. Also besides the loss of sodium, you will need to rebalance your blood sugar levels, so eating something salty will do you good. 
The recovery meals.
Now there are certain foods that need to be eaten. As much as it pains you, try to force yourself to eat. Trust me; your body needs these to recover quicker. I’ve created 3 meals to make it easier to intake the best hangover ingredients in one go, to maximise recovery.  
Breakfast
Honeyed Banana’s on toast.



Banana
Potassium is found in high concentrations in bananas, so eating one will replenish that lost electrolyte type.  It is the lack of potassium which is the cause behind symptoms such as cramps and nausea, so if you’re feeling sick, this is a winner.
Honey
The Royal Society of Chemistry discovered that the fruit sugars in honey is essential to  help break down the alcohol. Those sugars will also help replace the ones you have lost. Honey also has potassium, so with a banana is a tag team effort.

Toast (wholegrain)
To break down all that alcohol, it is your liver that will be doing the overtime. Fatty acids are essential for it to function. Wholegrain breads are a great source of fatty acids, so get some hot toast grilling!

Lunch
Spinach and Mushroom Omelette




Eggs
Alcohol causes your body produces a toxic substance called acetaldehyde, which leads to nausea and headaches. Egg yolks contain cysteine, which breaks down acetaldehyde. Think of it as a natural aspirin.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms are also essential for your liver function as they are high in B vitamins, which like fatty acids, help it keep ticking.
Spinach
Spinach is high in vitamin C, which will help balance out your blood sugar levels, and is high in sulphur, another electrolyte ion, helping to defeat your headache. 
Dinner
Cheese and beans jacket potato


Source: food.com via Laura on Pinterest
Beans
Beans are a great source of fibre. Fibre is important for mineral absorption, so the beans will help your body in absorbing all that extra vitamin C you have been having. It also aids insulin response, which is necessary to regulate blood sugar levels.
Cheese
Cheese supplies a great amount of calcium and protein, which will give you an energy boost, and help repair muscle spasms.
Potato
Contains complex carbohydrates which not only gives you a boost to your flagging energy levels, but also like the toast, contains fatty acids are essential for your liver to function.

If you eat this, keep drinking, and take regular fresh air- even if it’s just sticking your head out of the window, you should feel on the mend again. 
We say we will never drink again, but with the big NYE approaching, I’m predicting a surge on egg and beans sales!

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