‘Tis the season to drink too much.
There have been holiday parties and there are more to come. It’s always easy for the typical bachelor to consume too much booze and eat all the wrong food.
There are many hangover cures. Most of them are about comforting your dehydrated body. But good nutrition can help, too.
If you know you’re going to a party where there will be lots of booze and all kinds of party treats, the best way to treat your hangover is before you start drinking.
Drink lots of water BEFORE you head out for the festivities. Alcohol is dehydrating. Your body uses water to dilute and break down the alcohol so it can get rid of it.
Set a limit on how many drinks you will have and how often you’ll be having them. It will be hard to keep to that, but you should try. If you’re going with friends, let them know what your game plan is so they can remind you when you reach for another glass.
Don’t start drinking on an empty stomach. Eat a healthy meal, or at least some healthy snacks, before you go. This will slow down the absorption of the alcohol and help retain water. Don’t carbo-load. Stick to foods that are good for you. If you’re going to a dinner party, just a little snack will do the job. But if it’s a party with just appetizers and finger foods, a meal before the event will make those snacks less tempting.
If it’s the morning after and you failed to heed all the advice about over-doing it, there are still things you can do to get past your hangover as quickly as possible.
First of all, keep drinking water. If you can remember, drink a full glass of water before you go to sleep. When you wake up, keep drinking water. “Hair of the dog that bit you,” or having a little more alcohol, might make you feel better. But you’re just delaying the hangover.
Don’t overdo the caffeine. If you have a cup of coffee before bed, it will be more beneficial than several cups the morning after. Too much coffee will make your already sensitive stomach even worse.
Eat, if you can. Your stomach will be sensitive to the alcohol and all those party goodies. But a decent breakfast will help restore your body’s nutritional and chemical balance and go a long way to getting you back to normal. Make sure it’s a normal meal and not a pig-out. Eat foods high in protein and complex carbohydrates.
Some people will say greasy foods are recommended for a hangover, but that’s simply not true. Yes, all the grease might make your food taste better and go down easier, but it won’t help anything in the long run. In fact, if you’re nauseous it will just make that worse. The same is true with spicy foods. They might make you feel better because of the release of endorphins, but they might make your stomach less happy.
And lay off the exercise the day after partying too much. Your body is already depleted. Heavy exercise will mean your body takes even longer to recover. Take the day off and rest, allowing your body to restore its natural balance.
Of course, the best treatment for a hangover is to not overdo it in the first place. But we all understand how easy it can be to get carried away at the party. So, be prepared either way. Make good plans, but have a backup plan in place so you don’t have to think too much about getting over your indulgence.
