10 Ways to prevent a hangover

10 ways to prevent a nasty hangover

With all the festive celebrations in full swing, I am sure that many of those celebrations had some people lit brighter than their Christmas tree.

Alcohol puts everybody on their personalized happy train straight on a oneway trip to party town. On the downside, overindulgence in this can leave you with a nasty hangover come the next day.

Yeah, I am talking to you! 

You know the party animal who had a blast the previous night, only to wake up with a pounding headache that seems to bang in tune with your heartbeat. Your mouth and throat feel as dry as the desert. Any bright light feels like your eyeballs and brain are going to explode. Not to forget the feeling like a rodent crawled into your mouth and died there. 

The very thought of food makes you want to throw up. Your body aches, and when you stand up, you feel the world tilt. Little pieces of your memory are gone, and your brain feels foggy. 

You most probably will swear you will not touch alcohol ever again. Those extra shots of tequila don’t seem like it was such a great idea right about now. Don’t despair that train of thought only lasts for the duration of the hangover.

Nonetheless, it feels like you are dying right.

Well, not really; you are just experiencing a mild case of Alcohol withdrawal.

Don’t despair I; have discovered ten proven ways to prevent a nasty hangover.

Congeners

The foremost step in thwarting a hangover, according to experts, and science is to bypass drinks that contain a congener. 

What is this, you may ask?

According to Wikipedia: Congeners are derivates of alcohol being fermented or distilled. These derivates include small amounts of chemicals like:

•  methanol
•  acetone
•  acetaldehyde
•  esters
•  tannins
•  and aldehydes.

Congeners are accountable for most of the flavor and scent of distilled alcoholic drinks and contribute to the taste of non-distilled beverages.

Sleep and rest

If you know that you will be indulging in alcohol, make sure you take the time to rest up beforehand. Sleep is also essential after a night of heavy drinking. Lack of sleep can cause you to feel tired, irritable, and have a headache, making your hangover symptoms that much worse.

Drink a lot of water

Alcohol is a diuretic that makes you want to pee often. As a result, you become dehydrated. Dehydration causes symptoms like excessive thirst, tiredness, and a dry mouth.

My recommendation is to have a glass of water after every alcoholic drink.

You are most probably thinking that drinking that much water would defeat the purpose of having a drink. It has little effect on the high you get from alcohol. Drinking plenty of water helps flush toxins from your body. It also keeps you hydrated and diminishes the after-effects of consuming too much alcohol.

It is important to note that drinking water does not affect your level of intoxication or bring down your blood alcohol levels(BAC).

Eating

Having something to eat before having any alcoholic beverages is very important. Have light meals instead of heavy, greasy meals. Greasy meals, when combined with alcohol, can make you feel sick. Lining the stomach, as we call it, helps slow down the rate at which our bodies absorb alcohol.

Take your vitamins

Vitamins B and C are the most important. Try a vitamin B complex. One pill contains B1(thiamine), B2(riboflavin), folic acid, B6, and B12(cobalamin). Have one before you drink and one the morning after. Other supplements that are also good are the ones that include Magnesium and milk thistle. Magnesium is known as an anti-stress mineral. It is also said to help with tension headaches. These supplements will help replace all the nutrients and vitamins lost due to your alcohol consumption.

Don’t mix your drinks.

Try not to mix your drinks. Rather than stick to just one type of drink, Vodka and Gin can cause a less severe hangover since it does not contain congeners like the darker variety.

Pain killers

Try taking two ibuprofen before going to bed and two when you wake up. This helps with the headache and body pains that usually accompany a hangover. Avoid any medications with aspirin as this can cause irritation in your stomach. Combining aspirin with alcohol can increase your chances of gastric erosion and bleeding.

Avoid herbal teas

Herbal teas are said to make your body process alcohol more slowly. If you are a herbal tea lover, try to avoid this in the morning after as it will prolong your hangover.

Mmm Tasty Eggs

Don’t have the greasy bacon and egg breakfast you are craving. Rather have just eggs and toast. Eggs are an excellent source of N-Acetyl Cysteine(NAC), which helps your body metabolize alcohol. Spinach is a good source of Alpha-Lipoic Acid(ALA), which helps move the alcohol through your body. So, why not make a spinach and egg omelet, and top it off with a cold glass of fresh orange juice, which by the way, is packed with vitamins B12.

Don’t overindulge

Try counting your drinks, and don’t overindulge. You can still get your buzz and have a good time. Don’t drink to the point of losing your senses. Not only will this lessen your hangover, but it might also prevent you from doing something you will regret in the morning:)

My final Thoughts

If you have to have a drink, then drink sensibly and responsibly. Remember that you don’t have to have a drink to have fun. I always believe that prevention is better than cure. But if you find yourself on your way to a raving party, follow my suggestions, and you might just thank me for the morning after. So, to sum up, avoid drinks that contain congeners. Drink plenty of water, eat a proper meal, take your vitamins, have a good sleep, don’t mix your drinks, eat your eggs, and don’t overindulge. 

On a side note, I just want to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a happy and prosperous new year. This past year has been a difficult one for us all. But with the new year comes new beginnings, and I hope we will see the end of this pandemic that has taken so much from us already.

Be safe, be happy

Be brave, be beautiful!