Everything is done, you looking your best with a cool hairdo and outfit; you have even decided which unlucky sober guy among your gang is going to drive you back home and finally are game for the party, the dances and the drinks. There is only one thing that you are not that excited about- the mornings after parties with the annoying hangovers.
When you know you are going to party and know that you tend to drink more than your limit once with your buddies, then as well as know how to prevent hangovers. Here are the tips to make sure you don’t suffer the next morning.
Never drink on an empty stomach: You might have heard it a thousand times already but it holds true. So make sure that you fill your stomach with foods and fluids before your start drinking. Some preventive measures are eating fatty foods, munching on nuts and snacks like finger chips, namkeens etc. Now, make sure that you don’t drink directly after eating a heavy meal or you may feel nauseated.
Prefer these: It is found that light liquors like vodka, gin don’t lead to hangovers as much as dark liquors like brandy, whiskey. Overall, drinks with more chemicals produce worse hangovers. Red wine is one of the worst culprits.
Never mix drinks: Mixing too many drinks just increases the chances of a bad hangover the next day. Your body has to work extra hard to figure out how to deal with the variety of drinks.
Hydrate yourself: Have one glass of water after each drink. It keeps you hydrated and can also slow your alcohol consumption. After the party, drink as much water as you can before going to bed and then as much as you can the next morning.
But even as you try not to get a hangover, here are some tips if you or your friends do suffer from it the next day…
Grab these
Sleep: You don’t need to be told to do this. You will find yourself unable to get up. Your body is actually trying to figure out what to do with so much of alcohol. So if you don’t have anything to do in the day then all you should do is sleep, drink water and sleep until you feel like you can handle the task of getting up.
Drink: For those who believe that one way to cure hangover is by drinking more alcohol then, you are wrong dude! You will just overload your system and take even more time to recover from it. So drink water instead. Alcohol is a diuretic which loses water from the body, so you should now rehydrate yourself. Water also dilutes the alcohol and makes it easier for your body to get rid of alcohol.
Fruits, Honey: When you are reeling against the onslaught of too much alcohol, your best friends are plenty of water with fruits and fruits juices. They will replenish you with vitamins that are lost during the night. Banana provides lost electrolytes and potassium to the body. Other fruits like kiwi or sports drinks work the same way. Honey on the other hand, boosts the blood sugar level which gives us energy. A combination of all of these in the form of Banana milkshake also helps.
Bloody Mary: There are many who absolutely swear by its effects. To make a glass of bloody Mary, you will need a glass of tomato juice a dash of pepper and salt with Tabasco sauce, or pepper sauce and dash of lemon or lime juice. Tomato juice contains fructose that helps the body to metabolize the alcohol quickly.
Eat: Eating breakfast in the morning provides energy and helps the body to recover faster. Eat light breakfast like bread toast with eggs, or milk and cereals. Eating eggs is beneficial as it contains large amounts of cysteine, the substance that breaks down the hangover-causing toxin. Therefore, eggs can potentially help mop up the left-over toxins.
Lemon juice: One natural hangover remedy that can help once you have hangover is a glass of lime and sugar water. Sugar water helps stabilize your blood sugar and lime stimulates your liver to process the alcohol toxins through your body faster. Add 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice and a quarter teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water; mix well and drink it slowly.
Spice it up: Raw Ajwain (Carom seeds) when had with water is an instant and immense reliever. Also this is something that almost all Indian households do have at home.
Go for a Walk: Even if it is the last thing you want to do, after a late breakfast and plenty of water, all you need is a little light exercise like walking. Going for a walk increases circulation and provides blood and oxygen to your oxygen-starved brain. Even if you feel you are not up for going out you can at least walk in your own house.
No, No’s
Coffee: You might feel like drinking coffee first thing in the morning to get rid of the headache, but don’t. Coffee is not a good cure for hangover because it is a diuretic like alcohol and can make you even more dehydrated than before and not at all helping with the hangover.
Aspirin: It seems to be the easiest option to get rid of the pounding headache, but it actually aggravates the condition of your stomach. It acts also like alcohol and swells up the blood vessels worsening the headache.
Fatty food: People believe that eating rich foods help to cure hangovers and indulge in them. Actually eating fatty foods helps if you eat them before drinking as they stick to the lining of your stomach and slow down the metabolism. But when you eat them in the morning with a hangover it will most likely cause more nausea and stomach irritability than anything else.
Now, you know the secrets of drinking and not getting a hangover, drink wisely and have fun…..Cheers!
