This season brings lots of activities and fun bank holiday weekends, but with it there are the usual late nights, a little bit too much alcohol and the over-indulgence of food. So, whats the best way to get through this month without feeling like a mess? We asked CNM Naturopath, Debbie Cotton to help out… .
The first tip is to drink plenty of water. This may seem obvious, but its the best way to avoid a hangover as alcohol dehydrates the body. For every alcoholic beverage you drink, try to have a glass of water. That should just about even things up. If youre going to a BBQ another tip is to bring a plate of food that is yummy and nutritious with you. This means that you will at least be able to snack and indulge, but you have some nutritious goodies to balance it out. A great idea is a tasting plate full of vegetable crudites, nuts, seeds rice or spelt crackers with humous or avocado as a dip. Your host will also appreciate the fact that youve helped out.
Find an alcohol that is low in preservatives, especially if you are an allergy or hayfever sufferer. The sulphur that is used to preserve wine often causes a flare of allergy symptoms and can also cause headaches. Splurge an extra pound or two for the organic version of alcohol to limit any nasty reactions the next day.
Support your poor overworked liver! Before you punish it with too much alcohol and food, make sure it is operating properly. Milk thistle is a great herb which protects the liver and it also speeds up the clearance of alcohol from the body. You may want to splurge on taking milk thistle for the month!
Make sure that during the week you are eating lots of food with fibre in to keep you bowels regular so that the liver has the room to dump any toxins from the weekend into the intestine without getting reabsorbed. Eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies should do the trick.
So you ended up with a hangover? Oh well, its too late to do any holistic approaches now, but there are some great supplements you can take! A good B-Complex vitamin will get you feeling a bit more perky in no time, and a dose of a magnesium supplement will limit the DTs. Lots of water and a good afternoon nap should do the trick as well! Also go for a nice good quality protein meal and if you are craving fat, make it good quality omega-3 containing versions such as avocado, nuts, seeds and fish.
Well, if you survive May with all the socialising, this should leave you in good shape to really enjoy your summer as well. Good luck!
RECIPE – Greek-influenced BBQ Salad
This is a good salad to make when you are in a hurry and it gives you a great meal if you dont want to eat any of the food on offer at a BBQ. The essential fatty acids within this salad should also hopefully prevent you drinking too much too soon!
Ingredients:
– Mixed spinach leaves and rocket
– Red and green capsicum
– Goats or feta cheese (optional)
– Cherry tomatoes
– Pine nuts or sunflower seeds
– Red onion
– Lebanese cucumbers (with skin left on)
– Any of your favourite sprouts (optional)
– Good quality kalamat olives
– Avocado
To prepare:
Cut all ingredients into salad size pieces and toss into a bowl. Make a dressing of 1 part olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic clove, cracked pepper, rosemary (pinched fresh from your neighbour’s garden!) and a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle on top.
