If you’ve ever gotten through a long week that you weren’t quite sure you’d survive, you might think, “Let’s blackout!” First of all, you should never have that mindset, but if you do, you should keep a few things in mind.
To make sure you don’t actually blackout, follow these precautions to have a safe night. You’ll thank me for this in the morning when you wake up and actually know what went down last night.
1. Eat protein
Going out on an empty stomach is never a smart idea. Eat foods that are rich in protein because they take longer to digest and will slow down the rise of your blood alcohol level. A chicken sandwich, quinoa and eggs are all perfect to eat before a night full of drinking and lower the chances of a blackout from occurring.
2. Eat healthy fats
If you eat foods with natural fats before you go out, you’ll slow down the rate of alcohol leaving the stomach. Eat some salmon or avocado toast before you leave.
3. Don’t eat salad
You may think it’s a good idea to be healthy before you go out drinking, but this is probably the only time it’s a bad idea to eat a salad.
If you only eat salad before going out, you may as well just have gone out on an empty stomach because vegetables move through your body quickly. You want food that will last in your stomach for a long time to keep your blood alcohol level down.
4. Drink water
Alcohol, like caffeine, literally dehydrates your body. If you plan on drinking multiple drinks in one night then you’re going to need a lot of water to stay hydrated.
First, drink water before you go out. Continue to drink water while you’re out in between alcoholic drinks. Then once you get home, drink some more water.
5. Don’t take shots
If you’re at a pregame, it’s almost guaranteed that someone will ask you to take at least one shot with them. You’re going to have to hold yourself back though because shots are evil.
One shot contains a large amount of alcohol. A standard size shot is about 1.5 ounces and has about 40 percent alcohol content compared to a 12-ounce beer with about 5 percent alcohol and a glass of wine with 12 percent.
It is also super easy to lose track of how many shots you take, making it harder to realize how much alcohol you consumed in a short amount of time.
6. Don’t play drinking games
Drinking games are fun and all, but you always end up drinking way too much way too fast, so it’s best to just avoid them. In case that you do end up playing one, this is the way to go.
7. Slow down
Pace yourself. Space out your drinks—don’t just keep going, one drink after another. It’s safe to have two drinks in the first hour and then maybe just one each hour after that. Your liver can only process approximately one drink per hour.
8. Count your drinks
To keep count of how many drinks you have in a night, keep a pen with you and tally each drink you have up on your hand. People may think you’re weird for doing this, but it works so who cares.
9. Drink beer
Beer may have more calories than hard hard liquor but it has a way lower level of alcohol content than other drinks, making it a safer choice.
One 12-ounce beer only contains about 5 percent alcohol. A typical beer contains about 153 calories and a light beer contains about 103 calories, while a shot of 80-proof gin, tequila, vodka, rum or whiskey contains about 97 calories. Either way you go, you’re consuming a lot of empty calories.
10. Don’t go out
You could always stay at home. There’s plenty of fun things to do at home, like trying a fun new recipe or ordering in and watching Netflix. This is the only sure thing to do to ensure you don’t make bad decisions and blackout.
Next time you go out and drink, remember your limits and you should be fine. Having a fun night without blacking out is possible, you just need to make smart decisions. If you’ve successfully made it through the night without blacking out, but still need a cure to your hangover, make one of these hangover-curing foods.