Now stretch – how to prep for party season

From a neck exercise to ward off headaches to dietary supplements to fortify your gut, here is the experts’ guide to surviving festive revelry.

Overindulging at Christmas parties can cause indigestion and bloating, acid reflux and constipation.

Party season is upon us, but are you in shape for an onslaught of canapes and cocktails? Before indulging in the mulled wine and mini mince pies, prepare yourself with these strategic damage-limitation tips suggested by experts:

1. Go gluten-free for a few days

Fructans are a type of carbohydrate that causes unpleasant digestive symptoms in many people all year round, but more people tend to experience these problems when they overindulge during December, says the gut-specialist dietitian Kirsten Jackson. “A tip I give to clients is to switch to gluten-free options of some products during party season,” she says. “Although gluten itself is only an issue for those with coeliac disease, most gluten-free products are also usually free of fructans too, so you can easily reduce the overall load on your digestive system this way.”

2. Scrape your tongue every morning and evening

Bacteria, debris from food particles and dead cells all get trapped between the papillae, the little bumps on the top surface of your tongue that help to grip food when you are chewing it. “If you don’t regularly remove these debris, it can result in a tongue coating forming,” says Dr Reena Wadia, dentist and principal gum specialist at RW Perio in Harley Street, London. “This is one of the biggest yet most overlooked causes of bad breath and is particularly prevalent if we let oral health habits slide over the Christmas period.”

You can start a simple tongue-cleaning routine by brushing your tongue gently from back to front with a toothbrush and toothpaste twice a day. A tongue-scraper device, usually made from wood, stainless steel or plastic, is even more effective and studies have shown that, used regularly, it can reduce bad breath. “Once you have got used to scraping your tongue every time you brush your teeth, your mouth won’t feel clean without it,” Wadia says.

Dr Emmert Roberts, lead author of the KCL study, says the only sure way to prevent a hangover is not to drink.

3. Pop a probiotic before your morning coffee

Alex Ruani, a researcher in nutrition science at University College London and chief science educator at the Health Sciences Academy, says that the party season is a good time to invest in a probiotic supplement that will provide a dose of healthy gut microbes. “Topping up your diet with a daily supplement containing at least 10 billion viable counts of beneficial bacteria, the usual amount in a probiotic shot drink or capsule, can be useful for gut health,” she says. “Make sure it contains lactobacillus and bifidobacterium species that have been shown in studies to reduce bloating severity, possibly because they’re able to bind to cells in the gut wall at the same time as displacing harmful bacteria and reducing inflammation, all of which help to strengthen gut-barrier function.”

And take your probiotic first thing. “These supplements or shots are best taken in the morning in a fasted state as the bacteria will have a higher survival rate and be better able to colonise your gut,” Ruani says. “The good microbes are killed off by heat so I suggest waiting 30 minutes before having a tea or coffee.”

4. Eat rocket, kale or artichokes to beat bloating

Consuming plenty of bitter foods, such as rocket, kale, artichokes, endive and chicory, apple cider vinegar, even Brussels sprouts, before heading out for canapes or a Christmas meal will help to stimulate natural digestion processes and prevent bloating and gas, says Clarissa Lenherr, a registered nutritionist.

“These foods will stimulate stomach acid and digestive enzyme production, both of which are required for effectively breaking down the foods we choose to eat,” Lenherr says. “The better digested our food is, the less likely it is to trigger gastro symptoms such as bloating but many of these bitter foods also work as prebiotics, feeding the existing healthy bacteria in your gut for a healthier microbiome.”

Consuming plenty of bitter foods, such as rocket, kale and artichokes will help to stimulate natural digestion processes and prevent bloating and gas. Picture: taste.com.au

5. Perform neck stretches before going out

Post-party headaches are not always a direct result of the alcohol and dehydration combo. “From a physio’s perspective, headaches can become more prevalent in party season due to changes in sleep habits,” says the physiotherapist Paul Hobrough.

“Most people tend to move a lot less when they sleep after a drink, which can lead to tension in the scalene muscles, which run from each side of the neck and attach to the collarbone and first rib.” Tight scalene muscles can cause headaches, Hobrough says, and releasing them before you go out is a great preventative step. “From sitting or standing, tilt your head to the right side, dropping ear to shoulder – the midline point – and holding for 20 to 30 seconds.

With your head in that midline point, rotate it to look at the ceiling, hold for 20 seconds, then come back to the midline point before lowering your head as if sniffing your armpit and hold there for 20 seconds.” Repeat on the other side. “It’s a fantastic way to release neck tension and ward off related headaches later in the evening,” Hobrough says.

6. Try taking 600-1200mg of L-cysteine

A review of evidence by King’s College London researchers earlier this year confirmed that nothing on the market will prevent a hangover, although the authors did concede that some ingredients available in supplement form, including the amino acid L-cysteine, clove extract, pyritinol, H. dulcis fruit extract, red ginseng and Korean pear juice, appeared to be helpful in a few small trials and did “merit further study”.

It was L-cysteine that was the focus of a 2020 study by Finnish scientists who gave a group of men either a placebo, or pills containing either a 600mg or 1200mg dose of L-cysteine before asking them to consume alcohol over a three-hour period. When the men were asked to assess how they felt the following morning – headachy, nauseous, anxious or plain hungover – it was those who had taken the 1200mg capsule who had the fewest headaches and sickness, while those who had the 600g dose felt less anxious.

“L-cysteine would reduce the need [for drinking water] the next day with no or less hangover symptoms: nausea, headache, stress and anxiety,” the researchers wrote in their paper. It’s worth a shot, even if Dr Emmert Roberts, lead author of the KCL study, says the only sure way to prevent a hangover is not to drink.

Release neck tension and help ward off related headaches later in the evening.

7. Sprinkle psyllium husk on your meals

“Party food is typically low in fibre and a reduction in fibre intake can cause gut processes to slow down,” says Jackson. “The result is we become more bloated and constipated.” Jackson says that adding a teaspoon of psyllium husk, a rich source of fibre and beneficial for gut health, to a meal to “top up” fibre intake can be helpful. “Drink plenty of water with it and start with one serving per day,” says Jackson.

8. Eyes up when you arrive

Party anxiety is common, more so since the pandemic, says Dr Jennifer Wild, a consultant clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Oxford, and the author of Be Extraordinary.

“If you’re likely to arrive at a busy party by yourself and feel self-conscious, try to look up and around you rather than focus on your feelings or the floor. Use this uncomfortable feeling as a cue to shift your focus from yourself to the outside world and you will notice that people are not staring at you.” Wild says she often recommends rehearsing a party entrance to reduce feelings of anxiety.

“I recommend walking into a busy cafe and dropping a bottle of water or something else on the floor. When you drop the item, instead of focusing on yourself and the spillage, look up and around, notice how many people are looking at you. You’ll be amazed how people are oblivious and it can be a powerful learning experience.”

9. Stretch when you get home

Standing in one position at a party for a long time can lead to back pain. “A static posture is the probable cause and the more you can move around, the better,” says Jodie Breach, the national physiotherapy lead at Nuffield Health. “However late you get home, make sure you do some flexion stretches by lying flat on your back, hugging both knees into your chest and flexing your head towards your knees, so you’re curled up in a ball. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat as necessary.”

Party food is typically low in fibre and can leave people feeling more bloated and constipated.

10. Get up at your usual time (even after a late one)

Relentless partying can mean missed sleep and social jet lag as our body clocks struggle to stick to a spike in socialising. “Try to stick to your regular wake-up time regardless of how late you go to bed,” says the sleep consultant Dr Neil Stanley. “Your body and brain actually start waking up approximately 90 minutes before you get up so the routine of knowing when you are going to wake means they are prepared to hit the ground running.” Lengthy lie-ins are a fast route to grogginess and fatigue.

“What we call sleep inertia is the result of irregular wake-up times and can seriously impact our sense of wellbeing the next day,” says Stanley. If you feel sleepy, take a nap. “Just make it a 20-minute ‘power nap’ or a two-hour nap. Anything in between means that you will probably wake during the deep-sleep phase, ultimately feeling much worse than you did before the nap.”

11. Massage your abdomen to improve digestion

Overindulging can cause indigestion and bloating, acid reflux and constipation. Massage can help and there are massage therapists and osteopaths who specialise in treating the stomach, but there are steps you can take yourself, says the osteopath and author James Davies. “One of the staple strategies for all my clients during party season is for them to practise self-massage of the abdominal area,” Davies says. “Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then using the fingertips of both hands massage around the tummy in a circular motion.” Perform clockwise and then anticlockwise for several minutes. “If any areas are tender, press gently and take a deep breath in and out as this can act as a release,” he adds. “Apply gentle pressure to that area until it feels more relaxed.”

12. Upgrade your moisturiser to protect your skin

Dr Zainab Laftah, consultant dermatologist at HCA The Shard, says party season can play havoc with your skin. “Alcohol can lead to micro-inflammation of the skin and result in a flare of inflammatory skin conditions, commonly acne, rosacea and psoriasis,” she says. “A lack of sleep results in further skin inflammation, due to a rise in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as in reduced barrier function.”

Her top tip is to apply a hydrating moisturiser that contains both a humectant, to draw water from the atmosphere into the skin, and an occlusive, to lock in the moisture, for optimal skin recovery. “Choose a product that contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid or glycerine with shea butter or petrolatum,” she says. “A rich hydrating moisturiser applied morning and evening can help optimise skin barrier function, limit water loss and reduce risk of skin inflammation.”

– The Times