Have a healthy New Year’s Eve party season

03/08/2007

Copious amounts of alcohol, lots of high fat and high sugar foods all put a strain on your liver. Here are some tips for a healthy New Year’s Eve party season.

When you get home from your big night out drink a glass of water and keep a bottle of it beside your bed. Your liver is working hard to process the alcohol and water will help to keep you hydrated. Painkillers will add more strain to your liver so if you have a headache that will only go away with pain relief don’t take more than is recommended.

Alcohol plays havoc with your blood sugar levels so ensure you have a decent breakfast before heading out the door the next day. A high sugar food such as a muffin will not give your body the sustenance and nutrients it needs to help with the hangover. As well as rehydrating to feel better you need to balance your blood sugar levels. Wholegrain toast with poached eggs is the best hangover breakfast if you can manage it. Eggs contain protein and lecithin, which ease the symptoms of a hangover. Eggs also contain amino acids to help process the alcohol through your liver.

If just the sound of eggs on toast makes you queasy try drinking a sports drink such as Lucosade. Sports drinks will rehydrate and replace lost nutrients and electrolytes.

Keep away from caffeine, as it will only make you more dehydrated. Caffeine has the same affect as alcohol in that it is a diuretic and dehydrates leaving you feeling tired and ill.

For lunch stay clear of sugary, high fat foods from takeaway shops. Greasy food like pizza is high in saturated fat and will only put more strain on your liver. Like breakfast stick to a meal that contains protein and good fats like a chicken and avocado sandwich. Make sure you keep drinking water throughout the day, at least two litres. This will ensure you will be able to make through hectic London New Year’s Eve parties without keeling over.