'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY (AND HUNGOVER)...
Courtesy of CNN and my officemate, our resident Pitching Princess and Scooter Gal...
There's more than one way to overindulge during the holiday season. You can carol until you get a sore throat, or scarf too many cookies at the office party. You can stress over the perfect prime rib, or try to work off 5 pounds in a day so you can fit into that slinky cocktail dress that night.
Sometimes you go too far -- and then comes the morning after. But don't despair: We've come up with easy cures for almost every imaginable holiday hangover. Before you know it, you'll feel ready to deck the halls all over again.
You ate the whole thing
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Our get-better-fast plan: Give your tummy a break. Don't eat until you're hungry. "And then have smaller meals that are relatively low in calories and fat and high in fiber for the rest of the day," Yoshida says. That will stimulate your gastrointestinal tract and get things moving.
Rehydrate early and often. Not only will fluids help re-balance your body's salt-to-water ratio, which fights bloating, but "they also empty from the stomach better than solids do," Yoshida explains.
Mellow out with mint. A peppermint lozenge or pepper-mint tea can increase gastric emptying, which will relieve pain, Yoshida says. (If you have heartburn, skip peppermint, which can aggravate it. Try an antacid such as Pepcid Complete instead.)
You're stressed to the max
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Our get-better-fast plan: Take a walk. Exercise can help the stress hormones beat a hasty retreat, Flowers says.
Distract yourself. Do something you enjoy. Even 30 minutes of cooking, painting, or reading can lighten your mood and help you cope.
Let it out. Jot down your feelings in a journal or talk to a trusted friend about what you're going through.
You talked too much
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Our get-better-fast plan: Shh. Ideally, rest your voice for a day or two. But even a few hours will help, Stasney says.
Drink up. If people were smoking at the party and you were downing wine, you're probably dehydrated, and your vocal cords may be irritated. Consume 2 quarts of water during the day to rehydrate your body and lubricate your pipes.
Soothe the soreness. A steaming bowl of chicken soup will pamper your poor cords. Or, gently gargle for 2 minutes with a solution of 6 ounces of warm, distilled water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of light corn syrup; this strange-but-potent combo may help stimulate mucous flow in your dry throat. Or try Entertainer's Secret, a throat spray with aloe vera.
You hoisted a few too many
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Our get-better-fast plan: Sleep in or take a nap. "It may help to try to get a couple of extra hours of sleep in the morning," Wiese says. "Every additional hour you can get will help you recover."
Sip right. Replenishing fluids is important. Sports drinks, which contain essential nutrients, are best, followed by juices, and then water, Wiese says. "The more you can drink, the better, since it will help the hangover go away faster." Start before you go to sleep.
Take vitamins. Popping 50 to 100 milligrams of thiamine, or B1, and 10 milligrams of B6 per day may make up for deficits and ease hangover symptoms, says Bankole Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the department of psychiatric medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Keep taking them for a couple of days to restore the losses caused by overindulging.
Relieve pain. It's fine to take ibuprofen to reduce aches and underlying inflammation, Wiese says. You can even take it at bedtime. But "stay away from acetaminophen," he adds, "because it won't help with inflammation and can damage the liver if used with alcohol."
You OD'd on caffeine
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Our get-better-fast plan: Know the signs. The kick typically starts within 20 to 30 minutes, and it takes about 4 hours for half of the caffeine in your blood to be eliminated, Lane says. You can't hasten its exit, but it might help to acknowledge why you feel jumpy and realize the feeling will go away.
De-stress. Soothing music may help while you're waiting for the buzz to wear off. "Silver Bells," anyone?
You're running on empty
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Our get-better-fast plan: Lighten up. The morning after, sit near a sun-drenched window or take a walk in the sun for 20 minutes; the light promotes alertness by turning off your body's production of melatonin, which makes you sleepy.
Take a nap. "A 10- to 20-minute nap helps you collect sleep and revive your per-formance level, especially before you drive," Walsleben says.
Caffeinate. Have a cup about 20 minutes before you want your performance to kick into high gear.
Eat lightly. Stick with small meals of complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) and lean protein. Avoid turkey, dairy, fish, and peanuts; they have an amino acid (tryptophan) that makes you sleepy.
You hit the gym ... and it hit you back
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Our get-better-fast plan: Hop back on the horse. Whole-body exercise (swimming, for instance, or riding a stationary bike with movable handlebars) at a gentle intensity will restore range of motion to your muscles, Bryant says. Stretch carefully. Target the sore areas and do some gentle stretching.
Treat yourself. Get a massage. The kneading of sore muscles can boost blood flow to the tissues, which can speed the healing process. Ask your doctor or a friend to recommend a good massage therapist.
HOPE THIS HELPS..... HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON... CHEERS!