In my ripe old age of 30 I have to say that I am not a big drinker. Alcohol is pretty much a special occasion or an event type thing. I don't have a bar at home like they do on Dynasty with whisky, brandy and whatever else. Even a bottle of wine is rare thing in this house (like a once a year thing). There is one occasion however when alcohol seems to flow freely, and it's a catch up session with my girlfriend. We are talking a bottle of red between the two of us, followed by some limoncello shots. While for some people this may not be a lot, it is way more than my occasional glass of prosecco. I think you can guess where this is going, after the last catch up I had to deal with a nasty hangover. So here is a little step by step of how I deal with the aftermath of a "wild" night out.
Since I would be coming home pretty late... OK fine, just after 11pm ( it's pretty late for me nowadays, my party days are very much in the past). The point is my makeup gets removed with micellar water, or some makeup removal wipes (kept just for such occasions). This means that my skin needs some serious TLC come morning, but I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Step 1 is hydration.
It's pretty obvious that alcohol is a diuretic, so keeping hydrated is number one priority. Upon waking up I will drain the glass of water on my bedside table. However drinking plain water to rehydrate is not what it's about, as it is necessary to replace the electrolytes that were lost. While drinking sports drinks is supposed to be a good option, I wouldn't touch that stuff with a barge pole. Instead I boil the kettle, cut a few slices of fresh ginger, pop them in the cup, poor the boiled water over them and drink the infusion once it's cool enough. Ginger settles the stomach, and while at this point I'm not exactly at the stage where I feel well, I feel like I can stomach some food. I will slice up one or two tomatoes (depending on their size) and sprinkle some herbamare salt on them. The salt will replace the electrolytes, tomatoes are 94% water and are a good source of beta-carotene (which our bodies convert into vit A) and vitamin C, and as it is technically a fruit it will help with those low blood sugar levels.
After this my stomach feels like it's ready for something a little more filling.
It is important to stay hydrated through out the day, coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes, but it needs to be the raw stuff. It is not something that I always have in my fridge so if I don't, I will keep having plain water followed by something like cucumber with a sprinkling of pink Himalayan salt to replenish those electrolytes (having too much plain water quickly without the electrolytes could be potentially dangerous).
Step 2 is nourishment.
The body needs to replace everything that it lost in terms of minerals and vitamins on the daily bases, possibly a little more when drinking has been involved. So breakfast really needs to be not only nutritious but also easy on the stomach. I always go for porridge made with coconut milk, sliced banana for it's potassium, some goji berries for the amino acids and mineral content, chia seeds for the protein and soluble fiber, bee pollen for the easily utilised protein, and a teaspoon of almond butter for the fat. Oats are also a source of minerals and soluble fiber. The portion I would make is a little smaller than my usual breakfasts as the intention is to take it a little easier on the stomach, but I also wouldn't want to be left hungry, hence why I include so many toppings.
I will also have a small glass of fresh juice, "system reboot" is my particular favourite on mornings like this. I purposefully make it a small glass as I want to replenish nutrients, but I don't want to have too much liquid too quickly.
Step 3 is taking care of skin.
People often forget that skin is an organ, it works pretty hard, and while detoxing the body is not it's primary function, it does pick up the slack. It is a good idea to give it a helping hand. I will run a bath, not a super hot one just warm enough that I'm OK to spend about 10-15 minutes in it. I add 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup of plain Pink Himalayan salt to the water, relax and let the salty water give my skin a deep cleanse. The salt is the same I would use in the kitchen, purchased in a health food store. I don't want to mess with essential oils at this point, or use any fancy bath salts.
After the bath I use a magnesium oil spray. Magnesium helps with sore muscles amongst other things, and in this form it is absorbed through the skin (Epsom salt baths are another way of doing this).
Finally it is time to right the wrongs of improper face cleansing of the night before. This is one of the rare occasions when I will use a balm cleanser in the morning, removing it with a warm flannel, and follow it up with a deep cleansing mask. The mask is my own recipe:
1 teaspoon green clay (if you have very sensitive skin swap it for white clay)
1/4 teaspoon matcha
1/4 teaspoon spirulina
Mix it all together for an even mixture, before adding approximately 2 teaspoons of carrot juice (you are aiming for a thick yogurt consistency (I would normally juice half a carrot or one small one and drink whatever liquid is left over). This is enough mixture for face and neck. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and rinse off. Any mask that I missed gets gently wiped off with a damp flannel. The green clay might leave your skin slightly flushed, this should go away within half an hour.
At this point I do not dry my face, but let it stay as is and apply a rich oil to damp skin. Holistic Green Beauty pink lotus cellular repair oil* is particularly excellent. It is a seriously nourishing cocktail that leaves my skin glowing. This oil is chock full of antioxidants and gives a good slip, allowing me time for a little massage (one of the best things you can do as part of your beauty routine).
Step 4 is movement.
While doing hard core excercise when hungover could be anti productive and potentially dangerous if it leads to further dehydration, some stretching feels incredibly good. Naturally I turn to yoga. I pretty much do everything in this video minus the head stand (I don't do those in my regular practice, so it would not be something I attempt after a "night on the town").
I will take things easy for the rest of the day, probably whilst muttering something like "I'm never drinking again", and I won't for a long time, but most likely not forever...
This post is not medical advice, just a description of my personal plan of action. Alcohol poisoning is no joke, drink responsibly if you choose to drink and use your common sence. If something is seriously wrong go to a hospital!
*PR sample kindly provided, my opinions are based on personal experience with the product and are honest. I would say scouts honour, but I've never been a scout so that wouldn't be truthful now would it?!
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