Survival tips for Friday Night!

That means it's Friday, because my mouth only stretches that far when I know the weekend is coming up!

I'm sure a lot of you may not be feeling quite so cheery come Saturday morning however, so I thought I would share a few tips on how to combat that Saturday morning, and perhaps even Sunday morning feeling.

What to do when the headache/hangover/nausea strikes......

• Eat before you go out on Friday! This is important as it will give you the energy to remain lively and sociable, and perhaps you won't need to drink so much as you are already the life and soul. I recommend a fully balanced nutritious meal - sweet potato, chicken breast/tuna/boiled eggs, stir fried veggies (broccoli, asparagus, peppers, chili, bok choi) and plenty of water.

This would be ideal!

This would be pizza. Not ideal.

 

• Try to remain hydrated throughout the night. A commonly given tip is to drink half a pint of water between each alcoholic drink.
• Avoid salty snacks! These will bloat you, dehydrate you and make you want to drink even more. I have been known to carry an apple/banana/bag of carrots out on a Friday night in order not to eat general rubbish.
• Whatever time you get home, do not eat everything in site. Leave a few chopped carrots/celery sticks/cucumber and humus and cottage cheese ready in the fridge and perhaps have a cup of Rooibos tea as it is palatable even if you feel a little nauseous. 

Rooibos tea. In a bowl. Pebbles optional.

• When you wake up.... it is tempting to lounge around in bed all day. And you can. But, instead of lying in purgatory all day at least get up and drink 1-2 pints of water and eat some eggs and fruit. The protein will keep you satiated and the fruit will pep you up.
• Try and do some cardiovascular exercise during the day. Once you feel hydrated enough (perhaps after 2-3 pints of water over 2-3 hours) try and make it to the gym or out on to the pavement. This will not only stimulate your metabolism but perhaps more importantly start to mitigate the calorific intake of the night before. If you feel fragile, it would be a good idea to mix walking, gentle jogging and more intense running in intervals over 60-90 minutes in order to burn up to 1200 calories!! I tend to walk downhill, jog on the flat and sprint up the hills. This may seem a little illogical, but it means you really enjoy the downs, don't dread the long flats and really challenge yourself on the short hills!

So, here's to a good Friday evening wherever you are!


I'd also like to say hi to any ex-Haberdasher boys who are reading this - why don't you all leave some comments, tell me if you go to the gym, want any tips etc...

Good luck tomorrow morning