If we didn't prepare you for combating those Christmas and New Years hangovers, what kind of a health and fitness blog would we be?
Unfortunately, and contrary, to many seasoned drinkers there are no cures for a hangover only ways to prevent and ease its hold.
Here are some top tips collated by our team of experts:
1. Don't drink! Don't boo us! It's the first piece of advice some Doctors give. They then pop a few valium and swig on a pint of vodka before their next patient.
2. Eat before you start drinking. This slows down the absorption of alcohol especially if what you are eating is particularly fatty.
3. Avoid mixing drinks. An obvious one we forget when in the throws of Christmas party excitement...or boredom. Mixing won't necessarily give you a hangover but will make it difficult to keep track on how much you have drunk.
4. Drink strong black coffee before you go to sleep. If you've drunk lots of alcohol one or two cups of coffee shouldn't stop you from having at least a few hours of shut eye. Caffeine is thought to constrict blood vessels in the brain which can decrease that awful head pound. You'll likely wake up stiff and tired but your head won't hurt as much.
5. Ditch the darker alcohols. It may seem un-Christmas like to not drink mulled wine but if you are dead set on not having a hangover then dropping the darker alcohols will help. Impurities called congeners are present in darker alcohols and are known to irritate the blood vessels and tissues in the brain more so than clearer drinks.
6. Drink lots of water and non-fizzy soft drinks in between. Hydrating yourself properly can ward off a hangover. Note that fizzy soft drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol.
7. Time's a good healer. In about 6-24 hours of waking up with a hangover you should feel like yourself again. During those 6-24 hours try to rest, hydrate and eat.
