It has been a strange few years and I have noticed that promotion of alcohol consumption has increased. I have seen it being used more and more as a coping strategy. Hopefully, its use is more for fun, however; too much fun is not a good thing and it can get the better of us. The fun stops when we have to pay for it later… namely the next day. It has happened to all of us one time or another that we had too much fun, or too much stress, consumed too much alcohol and had a tough time rolling through the next day.
Most assume it is dehydration that causes the bad feelings the next day and yes… that may be a part of it because alcohol is a diuretic causing you to pee more thus causing a loss of valuable hydration and electrolytes. Elecrolyte drinks help with the effects of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. I am very partial to Natures Sunshine products because of the level of quality control that they implement throughout the farming, harvesting and manufacturing process. If you are interested in learning more about their quality control procedures then check out the video at the top of this page www.lisamariekeller.net.
Natures Sunshine has an electrolyte water additive called Solstic Revive that is great for “reviving” the body. I have used this product extensively not only for keeping myself going the day after a fun night out but also after a long stressful workday when I do not have time or plain forget to adequately eat or drink. It is also great after a tough workout at the gym because it has ingredients supporting joint and muscle repair such as glucosamine and amino acids. It speeds up the recovery time significantly with essential electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium and potassium and even some B vitamins to support adrenals and energy production in the body.
It is all well and good to resolve the sluggishness, fatigue, foggy headed hangover feeling as quickly as possible after it starts; however, what about preventing it in the first place? Is that possible? Actually, there are things that can be done to improve your body’s ability to efficiently process the alcohol and prevent hangovers! No, this is not an excuse to consume 2x your usual amount since that is just more trouble. However, you will find that adding a few supplements will make a world of difference the next day.
First off, many do to realize this, but alcohol depletes the B vitamins in your body. As a side note cigarettes deplete the Vitamin C in your body which can affect your immune response. Since alcohol depletes the B vitamins existing in the body then it would make sense to have some extra to start with right? Yes! It does help to have some extra B vitamins beforehand and even some at the end of the night to ensure you feel good the next day. Again, I support Natures Sunshine because of their quality control with their vitamins and you can find a link to their Vitamin B complex here. If you have difficulty metabolizing B vitamins then check out the methylated B vitamins since they are more bio-available to the body.
I am sure you know that it is primarily the liver that helps cleanse the blood and detox the body of the byproducts from the alcohol. Therefore, it would make sense to support the liver in being as efficient as possible in this process. Milk thistle is great for this job and Natures Sunshine has an extended time release capsule that makes it efficient to take as you are preparing for your time out.
Even when everything is done right with the B vitamins and the milk thistle it can be difficult to get restorative sleep after a night with a few drinks and this can definitely affect how you feel the next day right? The cause of this non-restorative sleep can be from blood sugar fluctuations. When you go to sleep the blood sugar is high from the alcohol and the body does its best to break that down and use the sugars and then the blood sugar can go too low. When the blood sugar goes low it can make you wake up, feel clammy, hot, racing thoughts and slight anxiety. Natures sunshine has an herbal remedy for blood sugar that helps keep the blood sugar in normal ranges and helps manage large swings. I have found this to be invaluable in getting good quality sleep not just from alcohol but from eating anything that is a simple carbohydrate before bed. It also helps to have something that digests slowly to give the body a constant supply of sugars such as cheese or protein but honestly managing the blood sugar with herbal remedies is a great and efficient way to go.
There may be a day when you may have 1 or 2 drinks more than you had planned and that was more than your body can handle. It can be tough to keep track of it when you are out having fun with family and friends. So what do you do then? Activated charcoal is superb at absorbing toxins. I have used it extensively for stomach upset and food poisoning and it helps equally well in situations such as these where you lose track of the night and the drinking.
I cannot advocate heavy drinking because it is exceptionally hard on the body especially if done regularly; however, we are all human and we get carried away and sometimes one leads to another. It happens to all of us. I hope these suggestions help you to alleviate the negative affects. If you have any questions or concerns about any health issues negatively affecting you and wonder of supplements may be helpful for your situation reach out and ask. I would be delighted to have a consultation with you, which could be done over the phone or on a platform similar to Zoom which is extremely helpful in sharing supplements.
In Abundant Health,
lisamariekeller 