Post-Pride SOS: The Essentials - Brighton Pride Blog Takeover!

Wow - Brighton Pride was something else! Our legs ache, we've left glitter on everything we've touched for days now, we're a bit rosy, and we are left with such amazing memories of the things we saw and the people we met! But that post is for another day.

Thank goodness we've got Nathalie back to help us recover from Pride!

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The Pride merriment can lead to pretty bad hangovers and a few sunburnt shoulders here and there, and yes I do speak from personal experience, unfortunately!

If you are feeling a little worse for wear today, don’t despair as my years as a Brighton Pride veteran mean I have learnt one or two tricks for reducing those unwanted Pride after-effects.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than going back to work post-Pride feeling like those excitable, positive vibes have been washed away off Brighton beach, along with a few other discarded rainbow flags and random colourful remnants left over from the parade!

Here’s my top tips for making the Pride recovery that little bit more manageable;

Credit: Ewelina Karezona Karbowiak on Unsplash

Hangover cures

First up, because it’s hard to ignore a pounding headache, are hangover remedies. Sadly, there is no scientific cure yet, so I can’t give you an instant solution, but I can share my preferred treatment. It’s pretty simple really, to bring my temperature down, reduce the shakes and relieve the fuzzy head I take a painkiller with a cold sugary, full fat drink – chocolate milkshake is my favourite, or orange Fanta, with loads of ice. Sports drinks and coconut water are also packed with electrolytes, so another good option.

If your hangover is so bad you cannot stomach a flavoured drink, you obviously didn’t follow my Glow For Pride tips! Joking aside, it is still very important to rehydrate even if it seems highly unappealing as you lose four times the amount of liquid when drinking alcohol. Try slowly sipping something relatively flavourless, like soda water or herbal tea, as this will be easier on your palette and digestive system. My top tip in this instance is not to gulp it down as this can result in worsening the queasiness.

Credit: Mink Mingle on Unsplash

Removing ALL the glitter

If you haven’t been covered in glitter during Pride day then you really haven’t lived.  Glitter is like war paint to the LGBT community and their friends, elaborately applied to stand out in the crowd. Shake it in your hair, stick it to your face and sparkle like a unicorn.

What we don’t consider when applying this magical make-up is its removal come Monday morning - and I don’t know of many workplaces where glitter counts as an approved code of dress, unless you are a drag queen, in which case carry on sparkling.

Face wipes are a definite no-no! Paired with particles of glitter the effect is likened to sandpaper and can be quite aggressive on your skin, so avoid at all costs. Cosmopolitan has some genius hacks for removing glitter.

Credit: Sebastián LP on Unsplash

Eat properly

Yes, fast food is the go-to option when hungover, but is it actually going to make us feel normal again? The answer here is no. Greasy foods do not ‘soak up’ alcohol, but rather they prevent alcohol absorption, so are actually a better option to eat before you start drinking.

The day after Pride celebrations you should re-stock the body with nutrients and minerals – and you won’t find the ones you need in a Big Mac.

Eggs are a good saviour as they contain taurine which helps liver functionality to mop up toxins. You’ll also need to restore potassium so blend bananas with some yoghurt for an easy-drink smoothie.

 Credit: Gabriel Silverio on Unsplash

Prolong that Pride feeling

Lastly, try to prolong the happy memories you made at Pride. Rainbow food is all the rage right now and I like to have some fun rainbow-themed goodies in the house to keep me smiling. I’ve already stocked up on some colourful hand iced biscuits (check out the unicorns!) which I’ll be enjoying with a cup of tea when I need a little post Pride pick me up. You won’t be short of rainbow sticks of rock in Brighton, either!  

I also recommend going through your photographs from the day, picking your favourite one and setting this as your main mobile phone background, social media profile and laptop screensaver. This way, you will regularly be reminded what fun was had at Brighton Pride 2017.

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Thank you Nat for taking over the blog for Brighton Pride! We hope you loved Pride as much as we did this year. We'll follow your tips, but no greasy food? The excuse to eat badly is the only silver lining of a hangover, surely? :)

Check out Nat's blog at www.helpimgettingmarried.com and follow her on Twitter!