Eating to Alleviate Ailments

Hangovers

‘Tis the season to be jolly – although much of this jolliness tends to be alcohol-induced! There’s no problem with this when you drink in moderation, but it’s when people have one (or more!) too many that they’re liable to wake up with the symptoms of a dreaded hangover.

A thumping headache and parched mouth are caused by the dehydrating effects of alcohol, a ‘diuretic’ – meaning it speeds up the loss of water from the body. Nausea, vomiting and indigestion are caused by the direct effect of alcohol irritating the stomach lining, while tiredness is caused by a lack of good ‘dream sleep’ and loss of energy as the body organs work hard to restore the internal status quo.

So, how can you reduce the effects of a hangover? Here are some tips:

• Line the stomach by eating a good meal before you start drinking
• Don’t mix alcoholic drinks
• Alternate an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic one (but avoid fizzy drinks as they increase the amount of alcohol entering the bloodstream)
• Get some fresh air before going to bed
• Drink a pint of water with some orange juice before going to bed
• The next day keep up your intake of water and fruit juice (juice is high in vitamin C, which speeds up the metabolism of alcohol by the liver)

The day after a good night out, why not try my recipe for Broccoli and Black Bean Sauce?  It’s a perfect meal for a hangover because the broccoli and Chinese cabbage are high in vitamin C, as well as calcium and magnesium, which counteract acidity in the body.

Ingredients

450g Broccoli Florets
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Red Onion (thinly sliced)
25g Flaked Almonds
1 Head of Chinese Leaves (shredded)
4 tbsp black bean sauce
3 tbsp Water

Boil the broccoli in a pan for approximately 1 minute and drain.  Heat the sunflower oil in a wok and add the onion and stir until golden brown.  Add the broccoli and almonds and stir for a further 2-3 minutes.  Finally add the black bean sauce and water to thin and cabbage, stir-fry for 5-7 minutes.  (Serves 4)