Getting together with friends or family and sharing a good time and some alcohol can be good for mental health, but unfortunately, also compromise your physical health. We explain how alcohol causes damage to the body and hacks on how to minimise this damage.

Why you feel miserable the next day

Glutathione

Alcohol is broken down into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde, which is then broken down into acetate (non-toxic) by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione. When you drink more than moderate amounts of alcohol, the glutathione is used up very quickly and acetaldehyde accumulates. Acetaldehyde is what causes severe hangover symptoms.

Vitamin C and the herb milk thistle can increase glutathione in the liver and thereby prevent the severe hangover symptoms as can proteins such as beef, fish and poultry and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, watercress and mustard greens.

 B vitamins

Alcohol depletes your body of B vitamins, which are needed for energy production and act as cofactors in detoxing the alcohol in your body. Activated B-vitamins are best absorbed.

Inflammation

Alcohol causes an inflammatory response in the body, and with that comes more hangover symptoms. Chlorella, Spirulina and Broccoli sprouts are potent anti-inflammatory and can reduce the hangover feeling.

Why you have broken sleep

Alcohol inhibits glutamine, which is a natural stimulant and possibly the reason alcohol makes it easy to fall asleep initially. However, this depletion of glutamine comes back to bite you, because while you are sleeping, your body is working overtime to increase glutamine levels, which will make you wake up more frequently than normal and prevent you from going into a deep sleep. You are tired and intoxicated but keep waking up—the worst torture!

Rehydration: not just water

We all know that dehydration is part of why we feel hungover, and many of us are wise enough to drink a glass of water with every glass of alcohol. However, alcohol makes the body excrete potassium and retain sodium, and water on its own is not able to correct this imbalance. Drinking coconut water or electrolytes will re-establish the balance.

What to do before drinking:

• Eat food before and during alcohol consumption. Food slows down the uptake of alcohol, giving the body time to process it. Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, but having food in your stomach can reduce the irritation. Fatty foods are great because they line the stomach and slow down the uptake of alcohol even further. 
• Take REPAIR containing glutamine, Aloe vera and collagen as these ingredients line the gut lining and protect it against the alcohol. Taking glutamine (REPAIR) will also maintain the glutamine balance, which will help you have a better sleep

What to do while drinking

1. Take an Activated B-complex
2. Drink a green drink powder containing broccoli sprouts, Spirulina, chlorella and more greens
3. Drink electrolytes in the form of coconut water or a dissolvable electrolyte tablet. Avoid sports drinks as they are high in sodium and sugar
4. Avoid carbonated drinks such as beer and champagne. Carbonation speeds up the absorption of alcohol.
5. The darker alcohols tend to cause more havoc, so opt for the light ones such as vodka and gin.
6. Try to slow down drinking so that your body has time to cope.

Post-drinking/before bed 

• Drink coconut water or take a dissolvable electrolyte tablet
• Take an Activated B-complex
• Take antioxidants, glutamine, Aloe vera and collagen (REPAIR+turmeric)
• Take your green powder that contains antixidants incl vitamin C plus liver herbs to cleanse the liver.
• Because your sleep is easily disturbed after drinking, make sure the room is dark, wear an eye mask and possibly also earplugs. Sleep deprivation can make your hangover worse, so minimising environmental disruptions can help maximise your sleep. Take a herbal sleep formula

Next morning

• Drink coconut water or take a dissolvable electrolyte tablet
• Take an Activated B-complex
• Take turmeric, glutamine, Aloe vera and collagen (REPAIR+CLEANSE)
• Take a vitamin C and/or a green powder
• Avoid coffee and black tea as they are diuretics (promote the production of urine) and can irritate the stomach lining further.
• Eat breakfast. Alcohol causes lowered blood sugar levels, so having a healthy breakfast will balance your blood sugar levels and provide the nutrients you need for recovery. Your stomach may be irritated from the alcohol, so eat something soothing.
• Eat eggs for breakfast; they are high in cysteine. (They will help break down acetaldehyde.)

 REPAIR contains vitamin C, beta-carotene, zinc, superfoods, Glutamine, Aloe vera, Collagen 

MULTI-TASKER contains activated B vitamins, 4 herbs for energy, stress and luscious hair

SLEEP contains a mix of herbs and magnesium for reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and help you to stay asleep.

CLEANSE contains organic greens and mushrooms that are high in antioxidants, vitamins (incl vitamin C) and minerals plus extra liver herbs for optimising and cleaning the liver. When the liver is cleansed it enhances the detoxification of the rest of the body helping you to feel clear, energetic and healthy

FEED contains pre and probiotics plus vegan vitamin D3 and K2 for a healthy gut and immune system