Four ways to kick the hangover this January

Don't let a hangover hold you back this month! Pic: Roland Peschetz

Don’t let a hangover hold you back this month! Pic: Roland Peschetz

The ancient Greeks ate sheep’s lungs and owl’s eggs; in Russia chugging the brine from a jar of pickles is recommended, while Mongolians prefer a cocktail of tomato juice and sheep’s eyes. Yes, the universal scourge of the hangover has led humanity to extreme lengths.

Now that the Christmas decorations are packed away and the party season has wound down, dreams of mulled wine and fizzy champagne consumed in the festive clamour haunt us into the New Year. But have no fear. Eastlondonlines is providing you with the best ways to beat the brown bottle flu, (aside from the hair of a dog)!

Relax with a nice cup of tea

Famed for its cleansing properties, tea is a renowned antidote to alcoholic over-indulgence – particularly in Japan, where the high levels of anti-oxidants in its native green tea help to detoxify an abused liver.

Good and Proper Tea are committed to making the perfect cuppa! Serving a vast selection of black, white, green and oolong varieties, owner Emile Holmes ensures every cup is brewed to precision, tailoring water temperatures and brewing times to each kind of leaf. She can be found every Saturday serving tea from her 1974 silver Citroen van at Brockley Market. For a sweet, refreshing pick-me-up try her Japanese Sencha, “a steamed green tea” with “dark, silky leaves”, or Hojicha, a green tea with “hints of honey and caramel, as well as toasty notes of cedar wood”.

For tea with a kitsch vibe, Tea-Cosy, hidden away in the leafy suburbs of Shirley, Croydon, serves tea and homemade cakes with a vintage touch. Take a seat in this shabby-chic haven for delicious food and lovingly brewed beverages. Pamper parties and high teas for special occasions are also available.

Rejuventate with cleansing juices

Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse’s infallible butler, had his own method to fight the bleary-eyed daze of the morning after. His restorative was a mixture of tomato juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and raw egg. “Gentlemen have told me they find it extremely invigorating after a late evening”, he tells a red-eyed Bertie Wooster.

For a more appetising concoction, visit Zer Coffee and Juice Bar. Tucked away from bustling Manor House in a reservoir setting, this breakfast haven serves juicy treats to prepare for the day ahead. Try “Pick Me Up”, a mixture of carrot and ginger for a zingy kick or “Happy Morning” with apple, fresh ginger and mint for a reenergising wake up.

Crussh use fresh ingredients and prepare their vast array of tasty juices right in front of your eyes. Visit their Canary Wharf branch to taste their new fresh green juice range, offering healthy cocktails of kale, spinach, kiwi, apple and ginger.

 

Treat yourself to an old-fashioned fry-up 

American actor and writer W.C. Fields recommended a nauseating meal of “a breaded veal cutlet with tomato sauce; a chocolate éclair for dessert; liver and bacon; or 2 pickled eggs and some castor oil” for his hangover cure. For us Brits, however, a good ol’ fry up is always set to do the trick for and cure a fuzzy head.

Shoreditch’s The Breakfast Club offers some satisfyingly hearty meals to get you set for the day. For those with a healthy appetite “The Full Monty”, bursting with every breakfast favourite including black pudding, bacon, egg, beans and mushrooms, is sure to wipe away the spirit-fuelled cobwebs. Or why not try one of the many flavours of pancakes, French toast or fruity porridge for a lighter pick me up?

For some delicious comfort food visit Lewisham’s Brockley Mess, serving a mix of traditional breakfasts, as well as some quirkier options including a Mexican-infused breakfast burrito. Their veggie breakfast, with lashings of halloumi and buttery hummus, will definitely make you feel more human again. Their regularly rotating gallery space will also brighten your morning with eclectic pieces from an array of talented artists.

 

Take a trip to the spa

Rather than crouching over the sofa in agony, why not try nursing your alcohol-ridden body in a more dignified way with a trip to the spa? The Cowshed, part of the illustrious Shoreditch House, offers total relaxation with a variety of treatments including deep tissue massages, reflexology and slat scrubs.

Set in the beautiful, mosaic-encrusted basement of one of London’s oldest Turskish Baths, York Hall Day Spa in Bethnal Green is the perfect way to revitalise after a wild night. The baths, comprising of two aroma steam rooms, and ice fountain, monsoon shower, plunge pool and relaxation lounge, allow you to sweat out toxins and soothe a fuzzy head. Treatments on offer include Indian head massage and aroma stone therapy.

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