Hangovers, the uninvited party guest that shows up late and stays too long. Hangovers are out there to ruin your day and make you think twice about sipping your favorite summer cocktail.
But have no fear! There are ways to not only cure a hangover but even avoid one altogether. It is vital to be consistent and not to get distracted to fight off the hangover.
Following these steps will allow you to beat and cure even the worst of hangovers.
Step 1:
Choose your drink wisely. There are a lot of drinking myths about the color of the drink attributing to the severity of the hangover, which is not the case. However, the amount of sugar in your drink or mixer is responsible for pounding headache and nausea you feel after a night out drinking as told in My Gut Health. To avoid this, drink bitter drinks like straight alcohol or dry wine.
There is also articles and research that suggests that carbonation can cause you to drink more and can also cause you to bloat, adding to the hangover symptoms. Personally, I drink flavored vodka and water to avoid the carbonation and additional sugar from mixers.
Step 2:
Pace your drinks. Pacing yourself may seem like an obvious solution, but many of us aren’t good at it. The general rule is to drink a drink per hour. While this can fluctuate depending on height and weight, it is still a good rule to follow, measurements of what “a drink” is listed on the WorkHealthLifeBlog.
In between cocktails, it is also a good idea to drink water to keep hydrated and to keep from becoming too drunk. Again, my personal recommendation is to drink one cocktail and to one water. I do this by drinking the vodka water and then adding water to the glass and waiting to order the next drink until the water is gone.
Step 3:
Okay, so the night is over. The damage is done, and you have to face the music. The dinks got sugary, and the pacing schedule was forgotten after the second round. Now it is one last shot to help the inevitable hangover.
Resist the urge to eat the greasy pizza in the refrigerator because that will not help you sober up, and greasy food is known to cause acid reflex especially after a night of drinking. Instead, many recommend eating foods with electrolytes to help rehydrate.
Also, drinking a bottle of water and keeping more on our nightstand can help you to wake up feeling more hydrated in the morning. I also keep Tylenol on my bedside table to take when I wake up, because of the way the pain-killers react with your kidneys and livers.
The Morning After
So assuming you followed these steps, your hangover should be minimal if not nonexistent. However, if the dinks got sugary, and the pacing schedule was forgotten after the second round, you are probably just looking for some immediate relief.
Hydration is key. Drinking water and staying on top of taking Tylenol will help some, as well as, using Pepto Bismol to help with any nausea.
It is also important to refuel your electrolytes and eat a breakfast that is high in protein and fat to recharge your system. When I wake up in these situations I go straight for my favorite blue Powerade and avocado omelet.
If you aren’t a breakfast fan, but need to cure your hangover here are some great hacks.