●News flash: ginger
ale isn’t completely
useless. If you mum
gave it to you when
you had an upset
stomach, she had the
rightidea—ginger
hasbeenacurefor
nausea for ages. If the
thoughtofchewing
onrawgingersparks
your gag reflex, try
addinggratedginger
to fresh juice or
hot water.HANGOVER HELPER #1
Ginger●Who’d have
thought “sparrow’s
guts” could ward
off hangovers? Its
chemical compounds
help break down
alcohol, enabling
toxins to exit your
system quickly.
Scientists have
found that a product
foundinitshoots
boosts levels of
enzymes which help
digest alcohol.HANGOVER HELPER #2
Asparagus●Their protein feeds
our huge muscles,
but it’s not the only
good thing eggs
do. You may think
thegreaseusedto
cook them is what’s
easing your pain, but
somethingelseisat
work. Eggs are rich
in the amino acid
cysteine that breaks
down acetaldehyde,
the toxin responsible
for hangovers.HANGOVER HELPER #5
Eggs●Ourfavebentfruit
is tops for keeping
your drunken body
pain-free. If you
wake up the next
morningwithsoreor
twitching muscles,
this is a clear sign
you’re craving
potassium. Bananas
are full of it, so if you
can’t stomach solid
food, break out the
blender and make a
delicious smoothie.HANGOVER HELPER #4
Bananasshutterstock
NEXT-DAY REGRETS■
We won’t answer
that question!
A better question might
be: why do some people
get all teary when they’re
pissed, while others
turn into complete
arseholes? There are a
lot of factors at play, says
alcohol researcher Dr
Joshua Gowin.Factor #1: Your
(not pissed) personality
If you’re ordinarily
a mean-spirited jerk,
you’ll be an even bigger
mean-spirited jerk when
you’re plastered — or
on the way. “Alcohol
af ects your behaviour,
but it doesn’t introduce
behaviours that aren’talready present,” Dr
Gowin says. Alcohol
dulls the activity in
your brain’s prefrontal
cortex, which has been
linked to self-control and
self-rel ection, Dr Gowin
explains. So the more
wasted you get, the more
impulsive and unaware
you become.Factor #2:
Your surrounds
Where you get trollied
is important. Dr Gowin
says the way you react
to external factors while
drunk is exaggerated
because you’ve lost
a lot of your impulse
control and awareness.
If your environment
makes you feel nervous
or threatened, that
anxiety could make you
act more aggressively
or defensively than you
normally would, he says.
The people you’re with
can also trigger strong
emotion, which alcohol
supercharges. A biting
remark from a partner or
a friend could send your
anger through the roof.
Factor #3: Your
lived experience
Your reaction to booze
is often learnt. For
example, several studies
have found people
tend to act somewhat
intoxicated even if theywere secretly given non-
alcoholic drinks. Another
study indicates you adopt
the drunk behaviours of
your social cohorts. So
if your crew gets shouty,
you’ll get shouty, too.
Factor #4: Your
brain’s condition
Stress screws up your
decision-making faculties
and confuses your
emotions, research from
Yale University shows.
As a result, drinking
while stressed further
torpedoes your ability
to make smart decisions
and manage feelings, Dr
Gowin says. The same
goes for fatigue, he adds.
“Being sleep-deprived is
kind of similar to being
drunk in that both states
af ect those frontal parts
of the brain that are
important for self
relection and impulse
control.” So think of
drinking while you’re
tired as a double-
whammy.■Don’t be a cock.
When you
start talking to
chickens , it’s
time to go home.AUGUST 2016 MEN S FITNESS 85● It’s all the rage
these days, and with
good reason. Coconut
water is naturally
rich in electrolytes
— one serving offers
569mg of potassium
— which makes it
incredibly hydrating.
An added bonus:
coconut water has
more flavour than
regular H²0, which
may make it easier
to chug.HANGOVER HELPER #3
Coconut waterWas I really a dickhead?