A hangover is the morning result for having too much fun the night before. You’ve either been there or heard about being there. Either way, you know that they just absolutely suck. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who don’t get hangovers (so jealous) these tips and tricks to avoid a hangover will be your lifesaver. Seriously people, write these down.
The most important tip to being hangover free the morning after is to take precautions the night before. By doing so, you will be sure to wake up feeling refreshed and not bogged down, regretting taking that last shot with your friends.
How To Avoid:
First safety precaution: drink plenty of water. This is probably the most important tip to remember. When you consume alcohol, you are dehydrating your body. This is one of the main reasons you get that yucky feeling when you wake up. By counteracting the alcohol with water, you are lessening the chance of getting dehydrated because you are replenishing your body with water. Also try drinking half a bottle of Powerade or Gatorade prior to drinking. Drinks like these are full of electrolytes and will lessen the nutrition depletion that goes along with drinking.
Avoid cheap liquor at all cost. I know that sounds ridiculous, especially since we’re brokw college students, but it’s true true. Cheaper liquors (as well as darker liquors) contain more congeners. Congeners, according to Dictionary.com, are produced in alcohol during fermentation. In short, they are another reason why you wake up with a gross feeling. The less congeners you consume the better. This means you should avoid dirt-cheap beer and vodka and splurge on a glass of chardonnay. Bee the fancy girl you know that you are!
Lastly eat a big dinner before drinking and snack while drinking. By eating while drinking, it slows down your alcohol consumption. Try eating bready foods (even a piece of toast would do). Not only will it help absorb the alcohol, but it will allow you to better pace yourself, which will be a major help in the long run!
How To Cure:
Sometimes we’re rushed or we forget to take these precautionary steps. That’s OK because there are tips to cure a hangover as well. When you wake up with a pounding headache and your stomach feels like its in knots, try some of these tips out!
Grab a glass of water. Like, now. Your body is dehydrated from the night before and now you must replenish it with water. Also, finish the other half of your Powerade or Gatorade. It will help quickly replenish the nutrients and electrolytes you lost last night.
Make it a point to eat greasy foods. It sounds disgusting but it helps. On normal days, grease usually makes you feel sick, but when you’re hungover it helps relieve some of that sickness. So go ahead and order Dominos without feeling guilty. It will be your friend.
Turn on the hot shower, pop an ibuprofen and relax. The first step is accepting the icky feeling. The hot shower will help relax any headaches you have while the ibuprofen will ease up the pain. Even try taking a nap to catch up on some sleep.
Lastly, stock up on saltines and toast. These will both help settle any nauseous feeling you have in your stomach.