The best and the most effective way to avoid a hangover is to stay away from alcohol! Having said that, it’s quite normal to get carried away and like the New Year resolution you made last week, the resolve to drink in moderation too goes for a toss especially in the company of your close friends! And having tippled a bit more than your usual limit, what you end up with the next day, is a hangover!
If staying away from the good stuff seems like Mission Impossible to you, then there are a few liquid remedies you can try on the dreaded “morning after”. Now, these won’t entirely get rid of that throbbing headache, but that will revive you considerably. lDrinking water lots of it is essential. It’ll flush out all the toxins in your tummy, which cause acidity-related headaches, and are the result of your binge drinking session from the night before.
If you aren’t too tipsy, do drink a shot of wheat grass juice before hitting the bed. It cleanses your system, hydrates and energises cells. Drink another glass of it in the morning to detox further.
Drinking moderate amounts of juice, especially tomato juice, is recommended. Spike your glass of tomato juice with a bit of pepper and limejuice and this will replenish your electrolytes as well as get your blood sugar back on track.
Eno, the anti-acidity drink found in most chemist shops, helps relieve heartburn. And for that instant jolt to your system, there’s nothing like a cup of coffee, preferably black. Now we do have a secret recipe for a hung-over patron made by our most trusted bartender Biswas, and you have to know him very well indeed, for him to offer the cure! So how does he do it? He takes a big chunk of fresh ginger, crushed just enough to get the oils and juices out. This is mixed with honey (as per taste), a clove and a cinnamon stick, topped with glass of boiling hot water, spiked with a dash of limejuice and two jabs of fresh orange juice. Once the concoction settles down, serve it up in a brandy balloon.
The writer is the executive assistant F&B manager at a prominent Mumbai hotel
