BEFORE YOU DRINK:

Even though hangovers come after the night of heavy drinking, when you can prevent them why entertain them at all? After all, prevention is better than cure.

1. Get enough of multi-vitamins

It’s a misconception that hangovers are all about dehydration. Inflammation and oxidative stress are actually way more harmful and a major cause for extreme hangovers. Doubling up on multi-vitamins before a night of heavy drinking helps equip your body for all the booze, and guess what? You wake up fresh and hangover free!

2. Get enough sleep

While this might sound obvious, after working for a whole week most of us are underslept. While sleep wont help you in case of a hangover, it prepares your body and increases your immunity. Maybe it’s a better idea to rest instead of taking hours to dress up.

3. A wholesome meal goes a long way

Yes, we know you don’t want to look bloated at a bar, but ordering a burger instead of  salad before you take on a Saturday night will probably help you avoid being sick the next day. Experts recommend a meal containing carbs, protein, and fat before you take your first sip of alcohol. Moreover red meat contains amino acids and vitamin B which counters the nasty effects of alcohol.

WHILE YOU DRINK:

4. Don’t indulge in the glass of bubbly

Though the fizz of the champagne is to die for, the bubbles increase alcohol absorption which gets you drunk faster. This might sound like a great idea for the night, but the mornings can be equally painful.

5. Gatorade and coconut water work like magic

Water breaks in between drinks do help, but replace it with Gatorade or coconut water and it will work wonders. They replace your fluids and electrolytes, the nutrients you lose when you drink ensuring your body remains not only hydrated but also healthy.

6. Cut down on cigarettes

While this must be the acid test for most smokers, according to a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, smoking increases the severity of the hangover. So the next time you think of lighting up, maybe resist the urge so that you can skip the hangover.

7. Pick your poison wisely

While most of us crave a glass of rum and coke, darker alcohol like whiskey, rum are higher on toxins and thus cause worse hangovers.  Maybe sticking to clear liquor like vodka and gin is a better idea because of their comparatively fewer toxins.

8. Choose juice over fizz

Another compromise worth making is using juice as mixers. This may not help you completely avoid a hangover, but they do go a long way. This is b ecause fruit and vegetable juices contain extra vitamins, and increases your immunity. They’re always better for you than soda.

9. Handwash is a healthy habit

While this  may sound odd, alcohol changes the way your immune system works. It makes you more vulnerable to infections and reactions. Get sick during your’e getting drunk and your hangover is going to be worse than you can imagine!

10. Don’t just spend, splurge:

“I only drink high-end gin and vodka,” Las Vegas hangover specialist Dr Burke says. This is not to sound high-brow, but the top shelf stuff are actually filtered to remove most of the impurities and anti-oxidants. Also because they cost more, you cut down on the quantity, avoiding a hangover altogether.

BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP

11. Don’t overdo the water

Yes, hangovers happen because you drink too much of toxic liquids cutting down on water, but that does not mean you you drink water by the gallons. Drinking too much of water after drinking heavily can put undue stress on your body and frequenting the loo can disrupt your sleep. Keeping a bottle of water handy for the next morn is a good idea though.

12. Sleep is the best remedy

While sleep deprivation means delaying a hangover, the intensity of the hangover just gets way worse! So the next time you hit the bed when the sun is out, putting on a sleeping mask is a good idea. While we cant control the quality of sleep, we sure can take steps to make it better.

13. Pop an Ibuprofen

This works wonders especially after a night of heavy drinking. Taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that directly works on reducing the affects of alcohol could go a long way to prevent a hangover. Ibucon, Ibugestic and Ibulite some other versions available in the market. Try it out.

 

THE NEXT MORNING

14. Avoid alcohol the next morning

It’s outright stupid to have a drink in the morning to avoid a hangover. While it might just delay it, the hangover, when it comes is as bad as it gets. This is the time you drink water and gorge on the healthy stuff to rid the toxins.

15. Eat eggs and avoid bacon

Eggs are a great source of cysteine, which helps break down a headache-causing toxin that’s produced when your body digests alcohol. Boil them, poach them, fry them, scramble them – but make sure they feature on your menu if you don’t want the hangover to last long. Avoiding heavy greasy food is a good idea though.

16. Drink Sprite

Researchers at Sun Yat-Sen University have found that the Chinese version of sprite or plain soda helps in curing hangovers and alleviates the effects of alcohol on our system.  It helps our alcohol metabolism, decreasing the amount of time your body will need to deal with harmful chemicals.

17. Avoid herbal tea

This may sound surprising. Though green tea great for detox, the same Sun-Yat-Sen research confirms that herbal teas can make your body process alcohol way slower than you otherwise would making the effects of alcohol last longer.

 

Following these simple rules the next time you party all night will ensure you wake up like an angel too. Enjoy your drink, avoid your hangover!