Hangovers

We've probably all been there at one time or another: first, you, and the company you're with seem exceptionally witty and good fun; later, you're pleased you manage to get yourself, fully clothed, onto the bed the third time it comes around, and finally, well' you'd be OK if only that man stopped hammering in your head and your didn't feel so unexpectedly nauseous. And of course you're probably vowing you'll never touch another drink again. But then, naturally, you do. So what's the 'kitchen pharmacy' approach?

First, the science bit. Our brains produce substances called opioids, which give us happy feelings, rather similar to how we feel when we've had a drink. The amount of opioids produced by the brain varies from person to person and if our brain doesn't make many naturally we're more susceptible to the 'happy feelings' which alcohol induces and more likely to drink more. The problem is that the brain makes opioids than normal when we're drinking alcohol, so when the effect of the alcohol wears off we feel even worse than usual. That's one of the reasons we feel so miserable the morning after.

Another reason for the typical hangover symptoms is that the excess alcohol has overloaded our liver. The liver is an amazing chemical factory and its job is to process the alcohol as quickly as possible. However if the liver is under stress, perhaps from having to deal with a heavy, fatty meal, or because the body is recovering from a viral infection, or for a host of other reasons, or, quite simply, because of the amount of alcohol we've presented it with, then it will not be able to detoxify the system as efficiently as it might, resulting in a hangover, with all the familiar 'liverish' feelings. And in addition to this, alcohol is not good nutritionally so if we drink too much our blood sugar plummets giving feelings of exhaustion and weakness.

So, what's to be done? The very first thing to do is to drink plenty of water. The old adage about matching a glass of alcohol with a similar one of water is a good one. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so whether or not you've managed to alternate it with water, do try and have a good drink of water afterwards - as much as you can. This will rehydrate your system, help it to throw off the toxins and with any luck prevent too many uncomfortable symptoms occurring.

If, however, you do wake up the next day to find the room still spinning round, there are a number of remedies you can try. Please, though, don't resort to that classic post-alcohol meal, the cooked English breakfast. That's really the worst thing you can have because all the grease simply creates more work for your poor liver which is already overloaded. A much better hot breakfast would be porridge, because oats will fill up the empty tummy feeling which is so common with a hangover. They are also 'soak up' the toxins and are rich in B vitamins to nourish your nervous system. Brown rice is excellent for the same reasons and so are sweet potatoes or yams - just scrub them, prick them and pop them into the oven to bake; that's not too taxing, is it? Green vegetables are great too but we understand that they might not be exactly what you fancy eating instead of bacon and eggs!

Fruit is good, especially pineapple, which is rich in bromelin and other digestive enzymes which help digestion and thus reduce pressure on the liver. It also soothes any inflammation.

Apples are a wonderful, too, especially red or orange-skinned ones, because they contain a range of phytochemicals which greatly help the liver to cleanse and detoxify.

One of the best things to drink is ginger tea, especially if you're feeling a bit sick. (Ginger is now used in hospitals for post-operative nausea.) Ginger tea is easy to make by putting a pinch or so of dried ginger into hot water, but fresh ginger tea is even better. Just grate a piece of fresh ginger root (no need to peel first) so that you have about a tablespoonful, then pick it up in your hand and squeeze this over a cup till the golden liquid runs out. Top the liquid up with hot water, and drink. The ginger will soothe your tender stomach and greatly assist your liver. It's also helpful if the hangover is making you feel either burning hot or chilly and shivery, because ginger is what is known as 'thermostatic': it will balance excessive heat or cold.

Fennel is another 'liver herb' and so is also good for hangovers. You could add a few fennel seeds to your ginger tea, or you could try steeping some milk thistle seeds (available from Herbs Hands Healing, see address below) in hot water to make a tea, or sprinkling them over food.

And then there's lemon juice: a good squeeze of this in a glass of water will always help the liver to keep cool and do its work efficiently.

Have a happy party season!

Pineapple, Apple and Ginger Fruit Salad

Make sure you have these ingredients in your cupboard, then you can fix any hangover! If you're really thoughtful you could make it up the night before and keep it in the fridge, ready. But it makes a lovely breakfast or pudding any time, whether or not you're feeling groggy!

Peel, core and dice the pineapple, being carefully to dig out all the spiky bits of skin. Wash, core and slice the apples. Put all the fruit into a bowl and mix with the honey and ginger.