Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health, Food And Drink, Christmas
Lucy Devine
Many of us like a drink on Christmas Eve, but rocking up to the family Christmas dinner so hungover you can barely keep your pigs in blankets down is far from ideal.
Of course, unless you're the kind of person who gets a hangover from one drink, having one or two to ring in Christmas Day shouldn't be too much of an issue.
But while most of us know to follow the basic rules - for example, don't mix your drinks and *never* drink on an empty stomach - there's also another trick to avoiding a hangover.
And it's all to do with timing.
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According to one doctor, there's actually a perfect time to stop drinking on Christmas Eve and it should help reduce the chances of you feeling rough the next day.
Dr Donald Grant, GP and Senior Clinical Advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, told LADbible that if you stop drinking at 10pm on Christmas Eve, then you might be feeling relatively normal by the following afternoon.
Dr Grant looked at stats from DrinkAware, which found that men consume an average of six drinks on Christmas Day and women drink an average of four and a half.
“On average, our bodies typically take one hour to process a singular unit of alcohol. With men drinking around 14 units of alcohol on Christmas Day, according to DrinkAware, this means to avoid a hangover on Christmas morning, they’d have to stop drinking at around 5pm with alcohol then cleared from the system by 7am the following day," said Dr Grant.
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“For those looking to feel normal by Christmas afternoon, I’d advise not drinking past 10pm the night before, allowing the body to clear alcohol by midday on Christmas.
"Limiting alcohol consumption on Christmas Eve can help people avoid ruining their festive fun by feeling unwell, allowing them to spend important downtime with close friends and family."
Dr Grant explained that 'timing is everything' when it comes to avoiding a hangover, advising: "Aside from stopping drinking at sensible times, people should prioritise eating correctly before beginning to drink alcohol. Our bodies require food to slow alcohol absorption, so I recommend consuming foods rich in proteins, fibres and healthy fats - these foods are harder to digest, meaning they’ll stay in our system for longer.
“Additionally, it’s essential to hydrate before AND after drinking as alcohol can quickly dehydrate. The morning after, I recommend eating a substantial breakfast and avoiding drinking again until the body has fully recovered."