Surviving during the festive season

I’m asked every Christmas and New Year if I know the perfect cure for the hangover and for treating the excesses of the festive season. The simple answer is no but I do have a few tips which could make your holiday feel healthier.

 

Of course alcohol is often the main problem and there is a little medical science behind the ability to drink throughout an evening, rise from the table reasonably sober and feel well the next morning. The main problems that are caused by alcohol are dehydration, intoxication by the drug itself and collateral poisoning by certain ingredients flavouring the drink. Add to this the effects of gastritis and low blood sugar and its little wonder anybody ever drinks heavily. However understanding these factors and preventing or treating them undoubtedly helps to get through a festive evening or two.

 

All alcohol has a dehydrating effect - even litres of beer - so its important throughout the festive season to keep up your general fluid intake, particularly if you have recently flown as this is always dehydrating. Loss of sleep and being tired also exacerbate the effects of alcohol, whilst an afternoon sleep before a party will work wonders - perhaps this is why Mediterranean peoples who have a siesta do so well late into the evening. In combating dehydration try to drink some fluid alongside your alcohol, yes tomatni sok and compote both work well on a Ukrainian table as does mineral water - but if its sparkling you will absorb your alcohol faster. Try and drink at least a litre  or more of non-alcoholic fluid during a meal. Always try and drink a litre of water before going to bed or even better some milk as this helps prevent gastritis.

 

Choosing your drink is also important and here vodka really has to be the star! Most drinks contain substances called congers that can make your head pound the next morning and have little to do with alcohol. Whisky and brandy and port are good examples, generally the more expensive or older the drink the fewer the bad congers but its not always a golden rule. Vodka has nearly no congers so this way you can miss out on one whole lot of poison and wake much better. Do however be a little wary of samogan or the home distilled vodka this can be about 60 percent proof and apart from surgical spirit is the nearest think to an anaesthetic that comes in a bottle.

 

Also be wary of that very cheap and fruity white wine that will soon leave you feeling more drunk than you thought, the wine has been doctored by another alcohol that leaves you feeling both drunk and very sleepy.

 

So having settled for an afternoon sleep, litres of water and drinking a clean vodka with lots of compote on the side all you need to concentrate on is the speed of drinking. Interestingly most cultures have social norms about the speed of drinking, and indeed conventions about how its done, the British for example are generally heavy and fast drinkers with little stigma attached to either men and women being drunk. In contrast slavic cultures generally stigmatise heavy drinking in mixed company, women often drinking only small quantities. In male company thats quite different and your vodka will often be drunk as shots straight down which is more difficult. Generally it takes about twenty five to thirty minutes to metabolise and clear 50cl of vodka from your system so drinking a shot every thirty minutes will have little effect and thats the only way to cope with a long wedding, christening or New Year’s party.

 

Alcohol acts as a direct gastric irritant and the effect is often increased by the volatility of spirits and the acidity of some wines, obviously eating large quantities of absorbant foods such as potato, bread, past and rice tends to help this whilst large quantities of protein such as meat makes it worse. Certainly a glass of milk before bed will help to line the stomach. Alcohol also lowers blood sugar and this can be countered by taking a sweet drink to bed to consume during the night or first thing in the morning, generally a heavier and sweeter breakfast than normal will get you started quicker. Don’t oversleep after a heavy night its by far best to get up breakfast and take some fresh air.

 

Alcohol isn’t the only cause of feeling less than well over the festive season, often the change of diet has a slowing and sluggish effect on health, perhaps more so in those who are normally light eaters, so its important not to overload your system with foods that its not used to and always drink lots of water to eliminate any new or unpleasant toxins from your system.

 

Excercise is even more important when we overload our systems and the change of air temperature helps to combat bacteria and viruses, its easy to escape the city over the New Year period and regenerate in some of Ukraine’s beautiful countryside walking in snow clad forests and having an outdoor shashlik when its well below freezing. For skiers do take some pre ski excercises and best to drink after you have skied!

 

Whilst nobody needs to drink and drive in the city do be very careful at night driving outside the city as roads are poorly lit and darkly clothed and drunken people are invisible until its too late. I’ve met several people who this has happened to and its a very traumatising experience.

 

Finally as a family doctor I’d like to wish you and all your families a happy and beautiful Christmas and New Year and peace and good health for 2011.

Thursday, 09 December 2010

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