How to survive the holidays: Overindulgence

By KATHERINE HOBY

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, my head.

We have all been there and there is no denying we will all be residents in Hangoverville again.

Everyone seems to have a tried-and-true hangover cure, ranging from the sensible (water, sleep, vitamins) to the seemingly suicidal (keep drinking).

While there is no one cure for a raging hangover, commonsense dictates the body should probably get what the body craves - fluids (water is best) and rest.

Try to pre-empt the hangover by drinking water the night before, between alcoholic drinks, and before you go to bed.

Basically the morning after is all about whatever works to get you through it. Remedies include:

* Exercise. Nothing too strenuous but raising a sweat should help you to sweat out the nasty toxins. Some swear by hot showers for the same reason.

* Coffee. Some say this will flush alcohol from your system faster as it is a diuretic. Others say it will have you running to the toilet, dehydrating you more.

* Greasy food. This is a debatable one. Some swear by a huge plate of fish'n'chips or a big fry-up. It is probably a good idea to get your body back to feeling vaguely normal by starting small - toast is a gentle entree.

* Potions. Homoeopath Sally Birks-Davies suggests nux vomicia (poison nut). Homoeopathic remedies are meant to trigger the body to heal itself.

Herald feature: Health