With a long weekend ahead of us, booze-fueled debauchery is sure to ensue! Whether it be barbecues and brew or boats and booze... one thing is certain, that awful morning after stumble and rumble is bound to happen! When shopping for chips and dips, mixers and meats, don't forget to stock up on a few of these items to get you through that horrid hangover and back out there for round two...or three... or four in no time!
What Works & What Does Not
(creative title, huh?)
- Hang Over Pills: LOL... if these actually worked wouldn't we all have a cabinet full of them?!
Coffee: On the contrary, caffeine will only dehydrate you more. A weak cup may be ok to wake you up, but your standard double-shot is not going to work to your favor in the long run. But trust me, alcohol withdrawal paired with caffeine withdrawal from not having your daily dose is for sure not going to make you feel better either...- Sports Drinks: Before you go fueling up on electrolytes, you may want to opt for another glass of water instead. Although you do lose a few, you don't loose enough to necessarily go "replacing" them just yet. Save yourself the $3.
- The "Hair of the Dog" Method: This may get you from your Saturday night rager trough your Sunday champagne brunch, but at the end of the day, the added alcohol only creates a numbing effect and prolongs the inevitable.
- Greasy Food: Although research doesn't support this theory, I sure do! I'll have a bacon, egg and cheese, please!
Water: Your best friend, good 'ole H2O! Ever hear the term "breaking the seal"? ... of course you have... anyways, alcohol is a natural diuretic (a substance that makes you have to pee...in lamest terms) and can cause dehydration (the excessive loss of body water which can disrupt the metabolic processes). Before sinking into slumber, drinking a few glasses can help ease the pain the next morning. I know I usually have to sleep with two (sometimes three), bottles of water next to my bed... usually which end up empty on the floor by the time I wake up the next morning. Lots of doctors recommend drinking a glass of water in between cocktails to rehydrate as you go... and NO mixing your vodka WITH water does NOT count ;)- Pain Relievers: A necessity to ease a pounding headache! But it is recommended to opt for a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Advil or Aleve; opposed to a acetaminophen (aka- Tylenol) as it may be fine for your headache symptoms, but when your liver is already overcompensating to metabolize the alcohol, it can cause liver damage or even worse.... be deadly.... muuuhaha. Alka-Seltzer Morning Relief is also said to do the trick. It packs a maximum strength pain reliever and caffeine into a "effervescent product" that is easy on your tummy, helps you re-gain your energy as well as relieve minor aches/pains/fatigue/drowsiness associated with a hangover. PMS (Yes, pre-menstrual cycle) remedies such as Midol and Pamprin pair a pain reliever with caffeine and are said to do the trick as well! Who would have thought?
The "Sweat it Out" Method: Whether it be exercising or the sauna, doctors say that excessive sweating when you are already dehydrated can cause a disruption to the normal blood flow pattern including dangerous drops in blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms. And you thought I was just being lazy when I said I didn't want to go to Bikram with you... Although a gentle work out could help you feel better, or at least not as guilty about all those calories you consumed last night... or this morning.- Sleep: Paired with water you have a winning combination! Alcohol is quick to put you to sleep, but when it starts to wear off hours later, it can send your body in a tail-spin... or at least feel like your spinning... Once the intoxication state starts to wear off your body can start experiencing a sense of withdrawal causing you to feel anxious and awake. If you are able to sleep it off, lucky you! If you are the unlucky soul who has to function at work the next day after a night of partying and 3 hours of shut-eye, sleep deprivation will only intensify the symptoms of your hangover. Poor you.
Vitamins: Instead of popping a "hang over helper" try taking a multivitamin instead. You do not lose that many nutrients after a night of boozing, but it may help you feel better after last nights binge. Protein or mineral rich foods or juices can help. I hear they drink pickle juice in Poland...- Sex: Although there is no supporting evidence that sex will make a hangover go away, I quote "but maybe it will make the time go faster... If it make you happy, go for it." ... haha, only in Men's Health!
Now I am no doctor, and this certainly is not sound medical advice, but my recommendation is:
- Eat a solid meal before you start drinking.
- Drink responsibly. Beer bongs and chugging are so 5 years ago...
- Take a couple pain relievers before bed and drink a couple glasses of water.
- Hydrate through the night and next day.
- Sleep in.
- Eat a bacon, egg and cheese... or two!
- Maybe throw in a Mimosa... or two! ;)
- Let time work its magic!
In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand... you could try that too! ;)
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