By GRACE MOYA and KEREN BANZA
If you’re at the National Arts Festival, which begins today, you’re likely to have a few drinks after the adrenaline high of seeing a live performance. Amidst the bonhomie, you might have a few more than you intended, with the inevitable babalas in the morning.
With shows to see and people to meet, spending all morning in bed is not an option. This is particularly true if you’re involved in a performance or one of the amazing techies who make sure the show can actually happen. Here are some tips to help you get over it and back in the fray.
Follow Tony Lankester’s (formerly) secret before-bed remedy
Lankester is the former chief executive of NAF and knows a thing or two about how to deal with a hangover. He recommends taking the following before going to bed (which means you should not be so inebriated that you are unable to put yourself to bed – good advice in itself):
- Chew 2 x Rennies tablets
- Swallow 1 x Nurofen with a mouthful of water
- Drink 1 x Berocca tablets dissolved in water
- Drink 1 x glass of water.
The remedy was devised by one of Lankester’s family members who is a nurse, and they call it ‘The Cure’ because it works 100% of the time.
“Do it all. Don’t leave anything out. It basically cures the hangover symptoms while you sleep, so you wake up with none,“ he explained.
“Pro tip: before you go out, set out all the ingredients. Because when you come home, you won’t find everything or might forget something!”
Should you fail to take Tony’s cure, you have the following options:
- Drink some coffee: It is well known that drinking coffee is a necessity for the caffeine-addicted. But beware, it’s a diuretic, which means it’ll dehydrate you even further. Thus, drink at least one full glass of water to go along with it.
- Eat a good breakfast/meal (with carbohydrates!): Eating a balanced meal after a night out might help with the hangover because of the number of carbohydrates it contains. Some local festival-goers have attested to this. A long-time festino said: “What works for me is having a proper breakfast. Not just cereal, but something that makes me properly full.”
Making the most of all that the Festival has to offer is a delicate balancing act. Try these remedies for size and don’t catch yourself missing a show because of a nasty hangover.
