Happy New Year Happened ... And Now You're Hungover

• Allow me to begin with two very important disclaimers:

  1. The best way to avoid a hangover is to not drink too much. There is no better hangover cure than to keep your alcohol intake at a minimum, eat a good meal before drinking any alcohol, and alternate alcoholic beverages with water. That being said, we’ve all been majorly hungover (myself definitely included), and most of us are probably going to over drink and/or under eat another time or two and wake up with a raging headache hugging the porcelain throne. Ugh, that sucks. But again, prevention is the best form of protection.

  2. I am in no way a doctor and I have no medical training whatsoever. Seeing as I took astronomy in college, I didn’t even take a science class that would remotely qualify me to offer any medical advice. So please know that these hangover remedies are simply what I’ve learned from personal experience or through my wonderful friends. I am in no way implying I’ve consulted experts and these remedies are clinically proven to be the best hangover cures.

  Ok, now let’s get started!

  Happy New Year! Hope you had an amazing evening! If you were celebrating in downtown Orlando, as I was, you probably had a pretty great night, and you almost definitely enjoyed an open bar for at least three to four hours. It’s all fun and games and good times until you wake up New Year’s Day with a pounding headache and need to vomit. In my older, somewhat wiser years, I’ve learned how to avoid a hangover (stop drinking!), but every once in while there's that very rare occasion when even I need to utilize one of my remedies. I would like to share them with you, in the hopes that one may call out to you and ease your post-New Year’s Eve pain:

  Water/Pedialyte/Gatorade — It's common knowledge that alcohol dehydrates you and robs you of those much-needed electrolytes. Sometimes all it takes to feel better is to get rehydrated. Personally, water tastes awful when I’m hungover, so in my house we tend to go with Pedialyte (so gentle on the stomach!) or Gatorade.

  Greasy Food — a visit to McDonald’s after a night of drinking is a must. Doesn’t matter if I don’t make breakfast, an extra-large french fries will work just fine. Or bacon. Lots and lots of bacon.

  Ibuprofen — This is almost always a must for getting rid of that morning-after headache. But make sure what you’re ingesting is in fact Advil or Ibuprofen and not Tylenol, which can do a number on your liver when combined with alcohol. That warning label is totally there for a serious reason.

  Exercise — This wouldn’t be my first choice, but I will admit that I feel better after a light run on the treadmill, and I know some people swear by “sweating it out.” Just remember that your body is already dehydrated, so don’t overdo it. Keep that water/Pedialyte/Gatorade handy.

  Coffee — Another absolute must. I’m not a coffee addict who will go into withdrawal if I don’t have my vanilla soy latte, but there’s something so soothing and rejuvenating about about that morning-after coffee. The best place to wake up hungover is at my friends Shonna and Mike’s house, because somehow, some way, he always makes it to Starbucks and brings back heaven in a cup, and I am eternally grateful.

  Pre-Alcohol Pills & Drinks — So simple! You consume a drink like NOHO before you consume alcohol, and voilà! You wake up with no hangover. The same goes for pills like Sob'r-K HangoverStopper, which you take before and during the drinking. I have many friends who have had tremendous success with these methods, but please do your research before trying any new vitamin-heavy pills or drinks.

  Toast — Sometimes it’s all about the carbs. Toast and honey can do wonders on an upset stomach, and how yummy is honey! I also read somewhere about toast bringing your blood sugar levels back to where they need to be. How helpful.

  Sleep — You usually pass out pretty easily after drinking, but then you wake up feeling horrid and it’s impossible to go back to bed. Once you’ve taken some ibuprofen or drank a cup of coffee or downed some toast, try to go back to sleep. In my experience, it’s the only thing that will honestly and truly make you feel better.

  Alcohol — Soooo not healthy. But some people swear by “hair of the dog.” A mimosa or bloody mary the next morning might do the trick initially, but watch out. Eventually that beverage (and the two after it) will probably catch up to you too.

  If all else fails, try something unconventional. I’ve heard miraculous things about asparagus (eat it before drinking and again the next morning); Pu-erh tea (people swear by this Chinese tea, which supposedly also has weight-loss benefits); and bitters and sparkling water. Bitters has a teensy bit of alcohol in it, and you mix it with Perrier for a very refreshing beverage that eases all you hangover symptoms. Or so I’ve been told.

  Good luck! I hope I’ve been of some help; or, even better, hopefully you didn’t need my help! Shoot. Hopefully I don’t need my help. Happy New Year!

   

   

  *Image courtesy of winnond at freedigitalphotos.net