This is the season when many of us start overindulging in too many alcoholic beverages.
Drinking alcohol over the Christmas period can seem almost inevitable, as can stomach-churning hangovers.
But London-based NHS GP and TV doctor Dr Zoe Williams has come up with the perfect sandwich to cure a hangover almost instantly.
Williams told MailOnline that breakfast contains the perfect mix of nutrients needed to correct the balance of salts, sugars and proteins you may have lost after drinking too much.
He stressed that after a night of heavy drinking it is vital to eat something even if you feel a little dizzy.
Nausea after a drunken night is mainly related to low blood sugar levels, which activate hormones that make us feel sick.
This happens because the liver is less effective at helping regulate sugars because the body prioritizes the process of expelling alcohol from the body.
Eating something can help rectify this.
But Dr. Zoe Williams has come up with the perfect sandwich to solve your hangover woes and make you feel instantly better.
Dr. Zoe’s sandwich is made with half whole wheat and half white bread, sometimes called “half and half” bread.
He explained that while whole wheat bread is healthier, the added grains in some types have a strong flavor that can cause nausea.
Plain-tasting white may be easier to digest.
She said: “With a half and half bread you still get protein and fibre, which offers a combination of immediate and slow-release energy.”
Dr. Williams added that protein can be a hangover “savior” because it contains an essential amino acid called lysein. This speeds up the breakdown of alcohol in the liver.
For the filling, Dr. Williams recommended the seemingly unhealthy combination of bacon, egg, and avocado.
But there is a science-backed reason for this.
While eating processed meat like bacon every day has been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, enjoying it once in a while is unlikely to cause much harm, he said.
Dr. Zoe says that a bacon, egg, and avocado sandwich, while not the healthiest breakfast, can cheer you up when you’re feeling a little down.
Not only this, but it helps replenish salts that are lost during a night of drinking.
Alcohol It is a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of urine your body produces and expels, causing you to lose fluids and electrolytes, essential minerals your body needs to function.
One of the main electrolytes the body needs is sodium, while another is potassium, both of which are abundant 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) start working properly again.
‘It can help that kind of fuzzy brain you get with a hangover. “Some experts say that, technically, even just the smell of bacon can help the brain recover,” Dr. Williams said.
A 2009 study by Newcastle University found that bacon can help the brain’s neurotransmitters start working again.
Next on the hangover-cure 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 full of nutrients that are especially good for curing hangovers.’
Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrients, containing B12, protein, vitamins A and D.
Vitamin B12, which helps keep your brain and nerves healthy, can be depleted if you’ve been drinking.
This is 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 that helps the body break down acetaldehyde, the toxic byproduct of alcohol, explains Dr. Zoe.
The addition of avocado gives you a boost of healthy fats that help maintain your energy throughout the day.
Avocado is also packed with vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which can help balance electrolytes.
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of urine the body produces, causing fluids and electrolytes to be lost more quickly than other fluids. So, tea or water is needed after a night of drinking.
As for the accompanying drink, Dr. Williams advised opting for a cup of hot tea or a glass of water.
Water is the best drink for rehydration, but a comforting cup of tea will also work, Dr. Williams explained.
“Some people assume that they shouldn’t drink caffeinated beverages because they can be dehydrating, but even though water is more dehydrating than tea, liquids still benefit,” she said.
To help avoid getting drunk in the first place, Dr. Williams suggested making sure you’ve eaten beforehand or, better yet, eating while you drink.
Eating food before and while you drink slows the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream, which helps you avoid getting drunk.
It also says that drinking low-alcohol beverages, such as low-alcohol beer and cider, and drinking non-alcoholic beverages intermittently, can reduce the risk of a hangover.
Dr Zoe said: “Try to stop drinking at least two hours before bed and switch to drinking water.”
“Also make sure you have two liters of water next to your bed.”