Category: World

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Are you celebrating the first day of 2023 with a hangover?

If so, you might be looking for a method to ease your misery. There are certainly a lot of so-called hangover cures, some dating back centuries.

“The ancient Greeks believed that eating cabbage could cure a hangover, and the Romans thought that a meal of fried canaries would do the trick,” said Dr. John Brick, former chief of research at the Center of Alcohol Studies, Education and Training Division at Rutgers University in New Jersey, who authored “The Doctor’s Hangover Handbook.”

“Today, some Germans believe that a hearty breakfast of red meat and bananas cures hangovers. You might find some French drinking strong coffee with salt, or some Chinese drinking spinach tea,” he said. “Some of the more unusual hangover cures are used by some people in Puerto Rico, who rub half a lemon under their drinking arm.”

In truth, the only cure for a hangover is time, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“A person must wait for the body to finish clearing the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism, to rehydrate, to heal irritated tissue, and to restore immune and brain activity to normal,” according to the institute. That recovery process can take up to 24 hours.

Are there things you can do to ease your transition? Possibly, experts say, but many common hangover “cures” may make your hangover worse. Here’s how to separate fact from fiction.

Having another drink, or the “hair of the dog that bit you,” is a well-known cure for a hangover, right? Not really, experts say.

The reason some people believe it works is because once the calming effects of alcohol pass, the brain on a hangover is overstimulated. (It’s also the reason you wake up in the middle of the night once your body has metabolized alcohol.)

“You’ve got this hyperexcitability in the brain after the alcohol is gone,” said Dr. Robert Swift, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island.

“If you look at the brain of somebody with a hangover, even though the person might feel tired, their brain is actually overexcited,” he said.

Consuming more alcohol normalizes the brain again, “because you’re adding a sedative to your excited brain,” Swift said. “You feel better until the alcohol goes away and the cycle repeats in a way.”

The answer is yes, depending on hangover symptoms, Brick said. If you’re a coffee drinker, skipping your morning cup of joe may lead to caffeine withdrawal on top of your hangover.

But coffee can irritate the stomach lining, which is already inflamed by alcohol, Brick said. So if you are queasy and nauseous, coffee may only make matters worse.

“If you have a hangover, have a quarter of a cup of coffee,” Brick suggested. “See if you feel better — it takes about 20 minutes for the caffeine to start to have some noticeable effect.

“If coffee doesn’t make you feel better, don’t drink anymore. Obviously, that’s not the cure for your hangover.”

Forget eating a greasy breakfast in the wee hours after a night of drinking — you’re adding insult to injury, Swift said: “Greasy food is harder to digest, so it’s probably good to avoid it.”

Eating greasy food also doesn’t make much sense. The alcohol we drink, called ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is the byproduct of fermenting carbohydrates and starches, usually some sort of grain, grape or berry. While it may create some tasty beverages, ethanol is also a solvent, Brick said.

“It cuts through grease in your stomach much the same way it cleans grease off oily car parts,” he said.

Instead, experts suggest using food to prevent hangovers, by eating before you have that first drink.

“Eating food loaded with protein and carbohydrates can significantly slow down the absorption of alcohol,” Brick said. “The slower the alcohol gets to your brain, the less rapid the ‘shock’ to your brain.”

Alcohol dehydrates, so a headache and other hangover symptoms may be partly due to constricted blood vessels and a loss of electrolytes, essential minerals such as sodium, calcium and potassium that your body needs.

If you’ve vomited, you’ve lost even more electrolytes, and all of this can lead to fatigue, confusion, irregular heart rate, digestive problems and more.

Replacing lost fluids with water or a type of sports drink with extra electrolytes can help boost recovery from a hangover, Swift said.

Taking over-the-counter pain meds can be dangerous, especially if you take too many while intoxicated, experts say. Taking an acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, can further damage your overtaxed liver, while aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate your stomach lining.

“You should never, never take alcohol with acetaminophen or Tylenol,” Swift said. “You can actually cause liver damage from an overdose of Tylenol.”

But aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are “theoretically” OK, he added.

“Even though they tend to be anti-inflammatory in the body, they can cause inflammation in the stomach,” Swift said. “Don’t take them on an empty stomach; always take anti-inflammatories with food.”

While most alcohol is handled by the liver, a small amount leaves the body unchanged through sweat, urine and breathing.

Get up, do some light stretching and walking, and drink plenty of water to encourage urination, Brick said.

“Before you go to sleep and when you wake up, drink as much water as you comfortably can handle,” he said. You can also take a multivitamin “before you hit the shower in the morning (to) replenish lost vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.”

If you would rather have something warm and soothing, Brick suggested broth or other homemade soups.

“These will also help to replace lost salts, including potassium and other substances,” he said, “but will not make you sober up faster or improve impairment due to intoxication or hangover.”

Store shelves are packed with so-called hangover cures. Unfortunately, there’s no proof they work. In 2020, researchers published what they called the “world’s largest randomised double-blind placebo-controlled” trial of supplements containing vitamins, minerals, plant extracts and antioxidants and found no real improvement in hangover symptoms.

Even if one solution works, it likely won’t fix all your symptoms, experts say.

“The effects of alcohol and alcoholic beverages are so complicated, so complex,” Swift said, “that any solution might address one or two of the symptoms but won’t address them all.”

What does work for a hangover? Time. It will take time for your body to release all the toxins causing your misery, experts say. And the only way to prevent a hangover is to abstain.

CNN
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It’s never too late for more bump photos.

Actress Sophie Turner gave birth to her second child in July – but she’s still showing off pictures of her adorable baby bump on Instagram.

Turner welcomed her second child with her husband, musician Joe Jonas, in July. The duo got married in 2019 and Turner gave birth to their first child, daughter Willa, in 2020.

The 26-year old actress posted a series of throwback pictures, many of them featuring her pregnant belly, on Instagram on Friday. One photo shows a heavily pregnant Turner apparently in a hospital bed, while another documents her baby bump from below. The photo series also features her husband and actress and singer-songwriter Cynthia Erivo.

“What a year friends,” she wrote in the caption.

Turner rose to fame with her role as Sansa Stark on HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones.” (CNN, like HBO, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.) She also recently played a role on on the HBO Max drama miniseries “The Staircase.”

CNN
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It’s the time of year for merriment and all that it might entail. But indulgences of alcohol often lead to less-than-pleasant mornings after.

Since there’s no magic hangover pill (not yet, anyway), what can you do when you overdo it?

The answer, for many, lies in carbohydrates. A hangover is essentially severe dehydration and a drop in blood sugar, which leaves the overindulged feeling a range of symptoms: nausea, fatigue, irritability and aches.

In spite of this sobering reality, we still sometimes find ourselves feeling hungover on occasion, desperate for a “cure.” Tackling dehydration and elevating low blood sugar levels is key, and drinking plenty of water and fueling the body with carbs, healthy fats and protein can help.

Of course, the best way to avoid a hangover is to abstain from drinking. If that’s unappealing, you’ll have to find a way to power through.

A book by Lauren Shockey, “Hangover Helper,” is filled with recipes from around the world for the DIY crew among us. Most of the following food and drink items are readily available for purchase.

From currywurst to pickle juice and avocado toast, here’s a look at how people all over the world turn to food and drink to mitigate a hangover:

Although experts advise to avoid alcohol the next day, many people swear by a little “hair of the dog.” Nothing beats the Bloody Mary if this is the direction you so choose.

While you can find it all over the world, the drink has special significance in Paris, where it was invented in 1921 at Harry’s New York Bar.

Many bars around the world have put their own spin on the Bloody Mary (horseradish is now more common than not), but at Harry’s, it’s still made the classic way: vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco, salt, pepper, lemon and Worcester sauce.

Hot, melted cheese is a critical part of pizza’s allure when hungover, but pizza isn’t the only way to get your cheese fix. In London, simple cheese on toast is a thing of beauty and also a breeze to make at home, no matter how much you’re struggling.

Slide bread under the broiler – or grill, as they say in the UK – to lightly toast both sides, then slather on butter and spicy mustard and pile grated cheddar on top. Slide back under the broiler until the cheese is melted. Voila! You’re now that much closer to getting through the day.

Although Berliners will enjoy a currywurst at any time of day, this classic German snack is perhaps best the day after a big night out in Berlin.

For the uninitiated, a currywurst consists of fried pork sausage sliced into bite-size chunks, then doused in a spiced curried ketchup before being dusted with curry powder.

The rich sauce, meaty sausage and subtle heat from the spicing wakes up the dulled senses and provides a revitalizing boost. It’s even better when paired with fries.

Flæskestegssandwich (pork roast sandwich) is like gold to the irritable and hungry. Danish cuisine, often associated with beautifully presented, minimalist plates of foraged ingredients, is actually more diverse.

The country’s signature sandwich is all about messy, delicious indulgence. Think thick slices of roasted and grilled pork neck nestled in a soft bun with crispy crackling, pickled cucumbers, red cabbage and a spicy mayonnaise.

Have it to help ward off a hangover (Kødbyens Høker, an outdoor kiosk in the city’s meatpacking district is popular for a reason), or make it your first stop when you wake up with a massive headache and hunger.

Anyone who’s spent a night out drinking with the locals in Manila can attest to the city’s ability to have a good time.

Chef Jordy Navarra opened up Toyo Eatery in 2016; it’s famed for its refined reinterpretations of Filipino classics.

“As for eating after heavy drinking … many Filipinos usually go for tapsilog,” Navarra said. “It’s basically like cured, semi-dried or marinated beef with garlic rice and a fried egg. I really like how it’s simple, filling and super-convenient, with places that sell it all over metro Manila.”

The name of the game in Manila is trying to get ahead of the hangover by going all in on a big, greasy meal at the end of a boozy night.

Sydney’s café culture is famous for its healthy brunch dishes. Smashed avocado on toast, now a ubiquitous item on trendy brunch menus around the world, is an Australian invention.

It’s a delicious, healthy dish following eight hours of sober sleep, but it’s also a go-to option for when you’re hungover.

Avocado’s high potassium content helps with replenishing that key nutrient, and eggs, which contain Vitamin A, make the dish a solid hangover pick. Add a little hot sauce to kick up the flavor, and you might start to feel your senses wake up.

Tokyo overflows with Michelin-starred restaurants, but a multicourse tasting menu is probably not what you want if you’re feeling rough around the edges.

Hisato Hamada, co-founder of Wagyumafia, a fast-casual chain famous for its luxurious Kobe beef sandwiches, says his go-to hangover remedy is to eat before bed after a night out.

Hamada likes eki-soba, which are soba noodles found in train stations.

“Since eki-soba is located on the [train] station platform, you can get it on your way home, and it’s usually prepared super quick, meaning you can have a bowl within 30 seconds of ordering (very helpful when you’re drunk),” says Hamada.

“My favorite kind comes with tempura and a raw egg, extra shredded negi (Chinese leek) and a Tokyo-style thick soy sauce that is warm and nourishing. Overall it’s a very comforting and filling quick meal to get you back in working order.”

Thailand has one of the world’s richest food cultures – along with a renowned nightlife scene – so it’s no surprise that there’s a plethora of nourishing, soul-restoring foods from which to choose after a long night out.

Perm Paitayawat, on Instagram as @theskinnybib, is a food writer, researcher and an authority in Thai and Asian food cultures.

“The first and foremost hangover-battling food choice for Bangkokians is ‘Khao Tom Kui’: a Thai-Chinese rendition of piping hot starchy rice porridge with sides that range from braised meat to spicy salad,” explains Perm, who also swears by eating before going to bed.

Chips, gravy and curd cheese: If that isn’t music to a pounding head, then nothing is. In Canada, it’s the unofficial national dish of poutine that locals reach for the day after the night before.

While the classic version is a dependable hangover helper, there are dozens of ways to execute poutine, a Montreal favorite.

With additions such as bacon, pulled pork and duck carnitas, it’s sort of a “go big or go home” situation.

“Lorne sausage – also known as square sausage – is regarded as a national institution and a hangover miracle by most Scots I know,” says Simon Attridge, executive chef of Gleneagles, a luxury hotel set in the Scottish Highlands.

These square-shaped thick slabs of rich, fatty and flavorful beef sausage fit on a roll like a glove. The roll of choice is important to discerning hungover gourmands. Most opt for a special light and airy roll, called a morning roll, sold by the half dozen in every local store across Edinburgh and beyond.

“Its legendary status is, of course, not attributed to any nutritional value,” explains Attridge, “but to its utter deliciousness and restorative qualities. Washed down with a can of Irn Bru [a Scottish carbonated drink], this national delicacy is the stuff of hangover dreams!”

Dublin has an infamous pub culture, so it’s no surprise Ireland has devised a day-after breakfast remedy.

“Dublin hangovers can be brutal,” confesses Dublin native and award-winning oyster chef Simon Lamont. He is fond of one of his home country’s favorite cures: the breakfast blaa.

A bread conceived in the city of Waterford but embraced in the capital in recent years, the greasy meat and carb option involves a generously buttered, soft floury bread roll – or blaa – filled with bacon, sausage and black pudding.

“Brown sauce [traditional British condiment similar to ketchup] is the condiment of choice. And wash it down with a rock shandy [lemonade, sparkling water and bitters] or a pint of stout,” advises Lamont, who adds that “if that doesn’t work, a tray of freshly shucked oysters, obviously!”

A bacon, egg and cheese (BEC) is never a bad idea, but you know when it’s a brilliant idea? When you’re struggling with a brutal hangover but don’t have the option of staying in bed with Hulu and sleeping it off. Maybe you have matinee theater tickets or an important meeting.

Whatever it is, rest assured, there’s a nearby corner bodega ready to fry up an egg or two, top it with cheese (American, obviously) and greasy bacon before putting the whole thing on a fresh white roll or English muffin. Butter is essential. Salt and pepper are part of the territory, and ketchup is optional.

Oh, and no matter what time it is – 8 a.m.? noon? – it’s perfectly acceptable to ditch your usual regular coffee for an ice-cold can of real Coke.

Illinois law enforcement is preparing new ways to best serve and protect law-abiding citizens as the state’s new sweeping criminal justice reform bill takes effect Sunday, a local sheriff said. 

“We’ve spent a lot of time trying to prepare for what’s coming,” Franklin County Sheriff Kevin Bacon told Fox News. “Trying to sift through a thousand pages to determine where our role is and what’s going to change and how we can best serve the citizens that we protect has been first and foremost for us.”

Illinois’ Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, overhauled Illinois’ justice system with provisions like limiting when defendants can be deemed flight risks and allowing defendants under electronic monitoring to leave home for 48 hours before they can be charged with escape. It was also supposed to eliminate cash bail, but the state’s Supreme Court stayed that portion hours before the law was set to take effect.

SEE WHAT ILLINOISANS SAY ABOUT THE SAFE-T ACT BELOW: 

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

In a previous interview, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau told Fox News: “When I said that this is the most dangerous law I’ve ever seen, I believe that.” 

Bacon, who was elected sheriff in November, said he has sat through “what feels like hundreds of hours of training and discussion” on the new reforms. “And there’s just so many questions that still exist.” 

“My focus has been to ensure that the people that commit certain crimes, that they can remain in jail,” he told Fox News. “We work very hard to provide the best services we can, and sometimes we feel like we’re paddling upstream.”

Concerned Illinoisans like Bacon received a win Thursday when Circuit Judge Thomas Cunnington ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by several prosecutors and sheriffs around the state. The class-action lawsuit, which dozens of counties across the state signed onto, argued the pre-trial release and bail reforms in the SAFE-T act are unconstitutional.

ILLINOIS SHERIFF REACTS TO SAFE-T ACT: WATCH HERE

JUDGE RULES ILLINOIS LAW ELIMINATING CASH BAIL IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

“Today’s ruling affirms that we are still a government of the people, and that the Constitutional protections afforded to the citizens of Illinois – most importantly the right to exercise our voice with our vote – are inalienable,” Kankakee County State Attorney Jim Rowe, one of the lead plaintiffs in the suit, said in a statement.

Illinois’ high court, as a result, blocked the elimination of the cash bail as the state appeal’s the decision, though the rest of the bill remains in effect.

The SAFE-T Act also dropped trespassing from a Class A misdemeanor to Class B. As result, police won’t be able to arrest non-violent trespassers and can instead only issue them a citation. 

“If someone’s trespassing on your property, we’re going to remove them from your property,” Bacon said. “Maybe we can’t arrest them, maybe we can’t place them in the county jail, but we’re not going to leave them there.” 

SAFE-T ACT: ILLINOIS SHERIFF WARNS PROSECUTORS NOT TO BE ‘OVERZEALOUS’ TARGETING VICTIMS STOPPING CRIMINALS

The sheriff said that while officers will continue to work within the requirements of the law, “there is also common sense and discretion, and we’re going to utilize that.”

“Law enforcement officers — their loyalty remains to victims of crime,” he added. 

Sheriff Kevin Bacon said law enforcement’s loyalty remains to victims of crimes, as the SAFT-T act will increase the number of criminals released to the streets. 
(AP Newsroom)

Franklin County, located in southern Illinois with a population of roughly 37,000, experiences high numbers of drug-related burglaries, the sheriff said. 

“It’s nonstop,” Bacon told Fox News. “Everyday.”

The sheriff said from what he can tell of the SAFE-T act, “there’s not a drug offense other than one involving a firearm or a high-level drug offense that is detainable.”

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As a result, he fears that not only will the high volume of these crimes continue, but low-level criminals abusing drugs may also not receive opportunities to get clean if they’re released immediately after being arrested. 

“It’s a snowball effect if the drug issue leads to these deaths and burglaries that we experience,” Bacon said. “They are a struggle for rural departments to keep up with.”

“Simply booking someone and sending them out before they’re even sober, I don’t see a great benefit,” he told Fox News. “I hope I’m wrong, but it’s concerning.”