Part of the college experience, especially at a school like the University of Florida, is the fun of going out. Those crazy nights make some of the best memories and create a foundation for long-lasting relationships. You’ll meet some of the best people at Rowdy’s and make your mark at Balls. But with every piece of fun, there also comes responsibility and some sort of expense. With a night out in Midtown, this price usually comes in the form of an awful feeling the next day, better known as a hangover. If you ever find yourself in such an unfortunate situation, and you will before you graduate, here are some tips and tricks to not just survive, but thrive.
First, HYDRATE. I cannot stress this enough. Coffee is not the key, just some good ole’ H2O. Gatorade can be pretty helpful, too, but water is always suitable and simple.
Be sure to think about what you’re drinking. If you didn’t already know, don’t mix your liquor, or at the least, stick to one color. So if you started drinking vodka, try to stick to vodka the rest of the night, or only drink gin or other clear liquors. Also try to keep the sugary drinks to a low. That margarita may sound really good, but after two or three of them you’ll really feel the aftermath the next day. When you get a sugar high mixed with the alcohol high, you really feel like a bus hit you.
Bread, crackers and other complex carbs. They’re easy to digest and soak up the alcohol. Something like tacos, full of meat and spices, is much harder to digest and might only upset your stomach more. This being said, Bagels & Noodles Pad Thai is the best hangover cure I know for the next day munchies. After I eat half a plate of this, I almost feel as good as new.
Another pretty well known tip is to take Advil the next morning with a big glass of water. A less known trick, though, is to take some Pepto-Bismol as well to help with the stomach nausea. This and a cup of green tea can be really helpful to settle your stomach. Green tea is a natural digestion booster that can kick-start your digestion (a.k.a. help get the alcohol out of your system).
If you can, try to make sure you have time to sleep in the next day. This may not be the easiest trick, but sleep really helps skip the hangover altogether. Because alcohol dehydrates your body, you can easily run out of energy. A deep sleep can really help your body naturally get back to its equilibrium. This is also why complex carbs can help, as they digest into sugars in your body, which can be used as energy sources.
Going out is an essential part of the college experience for many collegiettes. Whether you go out every night or a couple times a week, these memories are ones you only get one chance to make. Don’t let the next day hangover stop you from having fun. Even if you’ve never gotten a hangover before, your time will come. So have fun, be safe and stay healthy, Gators!