‘Tis the season when many of us indulge in a few too many alcoholic drinks.
Drinking over the Christmas period can seem almost unavoidable – and so can the hangover stomach.
But Dr. Zoe Williams, a London-based NHS GP and TV doctor, has come up with the perfect sandwich to cure your hangover almost instantly.
Williams told MailOnline that breakfast contains the perfect combination of nutrients needed to correct the balance of salts, sugars and proteins you may have lost after drinking too much.
She stressed that after a night of heavy drinking, it is essential to eat something, even if you feel a little nauseous.
The nausea after a drunken night is usually related to low blood sugar, which activates hormones that make us feel sick.
This happens because the liver is less effective at helping regulate sugars as the body prioritizes the process of expelling the alcohol from the body.
Eating something can help remedy this.
But Doctor Zoe Williams has come up with the perfect sandwich to solve your hangover problems and make you feel better instantly
Doctor Zoe’s sandwich is made with bread that is half whole wheat and half white, also known as ‘half and half’ bread.
She explained that while whole wheat bread is healthier, the added grains in some varieties have a strong taste that can cause nausea.
Plain tasting white can be easier to digest.
She said: ‘With half and half bread you still get protein and fibre, which provide a combination of both immediate energy and the slow-release type.’
Dr. Williams added that egg white can be a “lifesaver” for a hangover because it contains an essential amino acid called lysin. This accelerates the breakdown of alcohol in the liver.
As a filling, Dr. Williams recommends the apparently unhealthy combination of bacon, egg and avocado.
But there is a scientifically substantiated reason for this.
Although eating processed meats such as bacon every day has been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, consuming them occasionally is unlikely to cause much harm, she said.
Dr. Zoe says that a bacon, egg and avocado sandwich, while not the healthiest breakfast, can perk you up if you’re feeling a little worse for wear
Not only this, but it also helps replenish the salts lost during a night of drinking.
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of urine your body produces and excretes, causing you to lose both fluid and electrolytes – essential minerals your body needs to function.
One of the most important electrolytes the body needs is sodium, while another is potassium – both of which are found in abundance in this sandwich.
A 2009 study by experts at Newcastle University found that bacon can help the brain’s neurotransmitters – chemical messengers that are depleted by alcohol – to function properly again.
“It can help that kind of foggy brain you have with a hangover.” Some experts say that even just the smell of bacon can technically help the brain recover,” Dr. Williams said.
A 2009 study from Newcastle University found that bacon can actually help the brain’s neurotransmitters function again
The next item on the hangover sandwich is an egg, which she described as the “hero” of the dish.
She said, ‘It doesn’t matter how you cook it. Eggs are packed with nutrients that are specifically good for a hangover.’
Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrients, containing B12, protein, vitamins A and D.
Vitamin B12, which helps keep the brain and nerves healthy, can become depleted if you’ve been drinking.
That’s because alcohol can damage the lining of the stomach and intestines, reducing the body’s ability to absorb B12.
Eggs also contain an amino acid called cysteine, which helps your body break down acetaldehyde — the toxic byproduct of alcohol, explains Dr. Zoe.
The addition of avocado gives you a boost of healthy fats, helping you maintain energy throughout the day.
Avocado is also packed with vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which can help balance your electrolytes.
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of urine your body produces, causing you to lose fluids and electrolytes more quickly than other fluids. Tea or water is therefore necessary after a night of drinking
As for the accompanying drink, Dr. Williams to choose a hot cup of tea or a glass of water.
Water is the best drink for hydration, but a comforting cup of tea will also do the trick, Dr. Williams explains.
“Some people assume you shouldn’t drink caffeinated drinks because it’s dehydrating, but even though water is more dehydrating than tea, you’ll still benefit from the fluids,” she said.
To avoid getting drunk in the first place, Dr. Williams recommends making sure you’ve eaten beforehand, or better yet, eat while you drink.
Eating food before and while drinking slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, which keeps you from getting drunk.
She also says that drinking alcoholic drinks, such as low-alcohol beer and cider, and consuming non-alcoholic drinks occasionally can reduce the risk of a hangover.
Dr. Zoe said: ‘Try to stop drinking at least two hours before you go to bed and switch to drinking water.
‘Also make sure there are two liters of water next to your bed.’