Check-up: How can I avoid a hangover?
If you want to minimise the effects of alcohol consumption here are a few suggestions that might help. Never drink on an empty stomach, as food helps slow down the absorption of alcohol from the stomach to the liver.
Always drink moderately; alcohol is a diuretic which causes dehydration and accounts for the dry mouth and throbbing headache the next morning. You can minimise these by drinking a couple of glasses of water between each alcoholic drink, not forgetting a couple of more glasses of water before heading off to bed.
Are some drinks worse than others when it comes to hangovers?
Additives that give the drink its colour seem to produce worse hangovers so sticking to clearer ones such as vodka or white wine may help. Carbon dioxide bubbles - found in sparkling wines and champagnes - speed the passage of alcohol into the bloodstream and will make you get drunk quicker.
But is there a failsafe method of avoiding a hangover?
The only way to positively avoid a hangover is not to drink at all. Its 100 % guaranteed to work!
I suffer from indigestion which I usually manage to keep under control except around Christmas. Why is this?
Food is propelled through the gastric system by means of muscular contractions in the wall of the gut. In some people food is slow to leave the stomach and it builds up causing problems. Symptoms include discomfort in the lower chest or upper abdomen, tummy bloating and nausea. Indigestion can be exacerbated by many thing but particularly by stress and overeating; two things that are common experiences over the festive season.
This is the time of year when we are less vigilant about our diet and couple with an increased alcohol intake and the demands of family and social obligations we are more at risk of developing indigestion.
And advice?
Without sounding too much like Ebenezer Scrooge, avoid large meals, drink moderately and confining yourself to small portions of seasonal foods such as Christmas cake and pudding.
Get outside for some exercise as this will help dispel feelings of stress or anxiety. If you are taking prescription medication you can easily forget to take it at the usual time, so remember to stick to your usual routine.
This year I have landed myself with hosting Christmas dinner for my extended family. Although they can be an awkward bunch at the best if time, Christmas usually bring out the worst in them.
I'm a very organised person, but this it's causing me sleepless nights and I'm so stressed I feel like cancelling the whole thing and staying in bed for the day. Help!
We all have very unrealistic expectations of Christmas. But like any other day of the year, it's not going to be perfect. Christmas preparations and the day itself are a lot of hard work and can be stressful, particularly if you find yourself doing all the work.
Families by their very nature are complex and stressful entities so don't expect them to be any different just because it's the 24th of December. You say that your a well organised sort, so what you need to do is to start organising.
Now is the time, like Santa, to make a list and check it twice! Decide what needs to be done and then allocate a job to everyone attending your Christmas dinner.
Most will be delighted to make some contribution to the event and it will certainly lessen you work load.
And don't forget that if Auntie Mabel is distracted wondering how well her Christmas Pudding will be received she's less likely to notice if you've burnt the roast potatoes!
But how can I ensure they all enjoy themselves?
Bar a mind altering drug into the stuffing - which I'm not recommending! - people will only enter into the spirit of Christmas if they want to.
Don't forget that Christmas is not always a happy time. It can be a time when we remember those who are no longer with us and can re-awaken a range of emotions that have been successfully buried for the rest of the year.
All you can do is make sure you're as relaxed as possible and enjoy the day. Try to involve everyone in the event so that they are participants rather than spectators.
Don't be a perfectionist and decide that regardless of how many minor things go wrong its going to be a success. Enjoy!