How to survive the hysteria
Binge on the right food
Drinking and midnight snacks are a big part of watching football. Han Ting, a nutritionist from the Shanghai No. 10 People’s Hospital, says that a high-cellulose diet is recommended for the midnight carnival.
"Try to take more fruits and vegetables. High-protein food like fish and shrimp are also good for repairing the damaged cells after sitting up late," she says.
Nuts such as peanuts and pistachios are a good substitute for fried chips, Han says, and a reasonable amount of beer can help relieve the summer heat, while alcohol only harms the liver and causes headaches.
Many people may need a cup of coffee to refresh themselves for the games, but caffeine may lead to disorders of neural function. Soft drinks contain too much sugar and it is possible one may drink too much while focusing on the games.Green tea or chrysanthemum tea are both good choices, she suggests. Watching games at night definitely causes damage to the eyes, so it’s best to have drinks rich in beta-carotene like potato juice and apple juice, she says.
Catch forty winks
Cheering for a marvelous goal involves shouting and screaming, especially when one is in a room full of crazy fans.
How to soothe the excited mind and get back to sleep? Zhou suggests a foot bath in hot water before going to bed.
"Take a nap whenever you can in the daytime. A snooze around 1 pm can effectively repair the damage that the body has endured," she says.
If you must watch a game live, try to catch some sleep beforehand so that the body won’t feel too tired. Han suggests football fans arrange a reasonable timetable to watch the games and avoid continuous sleepless nights, especially for those who still need to work in the day.
The perils of football
1950: Seven Brazilians took their own lives following their team’s surprise defeat at the boots of Uruguay. 1998: In Scotland, a hospital treated a woman who turned deaf after her husband shouted at the TV for 90 minutes. 2006: Three Kenyans were electrocuted and nearly killed when they tried to erect a television antenna to watch the World Cup but accidentally hit a high-voltage power line in Nairobi. 2010: A Beijing football fan was so devoted to watching the game that he forgot to turn off the gas oven in the kitchen. His hands were burnt when he tried to put out the fire.