Christmas is just about here and most of us are going to lots of get-togethers and parties over the festive season. While over indulging in food can make you feel unwell, if you over indulge in alcohol, it can make you more prone to an accident or a fall, so here’s some tips for smart drinking over the holiday season.
Tip 1) Stick to clear spirits, organic wine or good quality beer. If none of these appeal, you can have a kombucha in a champagne glass – your body will love you for it. Or try making your own Fruit Infused Water (see our recipe above) and you can sip on this all night.
Tip 2) Always value quality over quantity. If you drink a good quality beer, you’ll feel so much better the next day. An organic wine will leave you feeling fine or even a Pimms and ginger ale or lemonade and it won’t take as much of a toll on your system. Pimms is refreshing and tasty, but quite low on alcohol content. The full recipe for what’s known as a Pimm’s O’Clock is one nip of Pimm’s and add half ginger ale and half lemonade to the glass with lots of ice and a slice of orange.
Tip 3) Dilute your wine with ice cubes or add soda water to your wine and make a spritz. This way it won’t take such a toll on your system.
Tip 4) Space out your drinking so that rather than drinking a lot in a short amount of time, drink a smaller amount over a longer period of time. This gives your liver more time to do its job and helps avoid a hangover.
Tip 5) Avoid creamy liqueurs because you don’t know how much alcohol content they have. As we said in Tip 1) Stick to clear spirits or a Pimms, organic wine, quality beer, fruit infused water or kombucha.
Tip 6) Alcohol depletes your body of electrolytes – in particular potassium and sodium. So keep replenishing your electrolytes with naturally salty foods such as haloumi and olives. Or just add some sea salt to your meal or water. The day after a party or big gathering, treat yourself to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, haloumi, avocado and spinach. Add a banana smoothie for extra potassium and you’ll be on the mend.
Tip 7) Support your liver so it can remove the alcohol and toxins from your body. You can do this by eating the brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale. Turmeric is also wonderful for the liver so enjoy a turmeric latte the next day after drinking alcohol and you’ll notice the difference. Plus, don’t forget to keep rehydrating with lots of filtered water.
If you follow these tips you’ll stay happy and safe over the holiday season. Good luck and best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at NurseWatch.
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