CYPRUS GOURMET: “The Morning After”

Post-holiday hangover cure

It is just possible that some readers of lesser will-power may wake up one morning during the holiday season thinking that some kind of awful metal works had taken up residence at the back of their head. “It seemed such a good idea at the time”, we all say when recalling drinking too much the previous evening.
In my younger days at the end of a heavy evening I always took two Alka Seltzers when going to bed and generally things weren’t too bad the next morning. For those who wake up with a hangover the cures are many and varied. “Hair of the Dog” (a wake up dose of alcohol) is one, for me, drastic, remedy.
One much touted remedy is a Banana Milk Shake (the thought of this after a night on the tiles is enough to ensure instant sobriety). The simplest is H20 – water; drink 2-3 large glasses of water before you go to bed. Drinking alcohol is very dehydrating and hydrating your system helps counteract the effects of the alcohol.
A large mug of cold tea with lemon is also recommended.
If your stomach is up to it, a good meaty meal is another proposal. After a hard night's boozing, your digestive system is under a lot of strain, so bacon, eggs, sausages and the works may cause indigestion, but fat does contain a lot of calories, so you will get a much-needed energy boost. And eggs and meat are rich in the amino acid, cysteine, which is thought to be good at clearing out toxins.
Yet more health gurus tell you that exercise gets the bodily system moving and helps clear the toxins. But if you’re lying in a darkened room with a head that feels as if a house has fallen on it, it’s advice you may discard. As your head slowly clears and you can bear a little daylight, you tidy yourself up and say: “Never again”.
Well, not till the next time.