How To Avoid A Holiday Hangover While Trying To Keep Up With The Turnup
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Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Celebrating definitely fills the soul, but don’t let the constant turnup this holiday season take you out. Here’s a list of tried and true hangover remedies and best practices to prevent and treat that awful holiday lag before, during and after the party-hopping.
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Go with your greasy fave!
Experts say eating something hearty and greasy like a burger or pizza before you drink can help coat the stomach and slow down the absorption of alcohol. Red meat also contains a high concentration of amino acids and B vitamins that help break down the nasty byproducts of alcohol, which contribute to those horrible mornings after.
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Stock up on aftercare items.
Dehydration will definitely worsen your hangover symptoms. Sports drinks and Pedialyte are designed for re-hydrating quickly. Pedialyte has convenient on-the-go packets that are easy to stash in a small wallet. Coconut water is also a go-to, and some would say the best, for refueling. It has five of the electrolytes found in human blood, while most sports drinks only have two.
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Stick with clear drinks.
Maybe you prefer cognac or whiskey, but vodka and gin have fewer toxins and impurities, which can impact your hormone levels, how the alcohol metabolizes in the body, and essentially how you’ll feel afterward.
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Alternate your drinks.
Pour up some juice or your non-alcoholic beverage of choice between drinks. No one has to know. Some swear by pickle juice because of its electrolyte-boosting salts, but if you can’t stomach a pickleback and don’t want a sugary drink, water works just fine.
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Put down your glass and shake something.
Dance breaks and physical activities are a great way to help you slow down the pace, and afterward you’ll probably be reaching for water.
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Pass on the champagne.
Bubbly is a favorite this time of year, but that New Year’s toast could take you over the edge. The carbonation in champagne speeds up the absorption of alcohol, getting you inebriated faster.
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Wash your hands often.
You’ll probably shake a lot of hands, come into close contact with a lot of people, and touch a lot of communal objects, so this is important. Drinking alcohol changes the way your immune system works, making it easier for you to contract a nasty virus like the flu and making it harder for you to recover as fast as you would like.
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Pop a pain reliever.
To prevent a headache the morning after drinking, try taking an Advil before you go to sleep. Medication that contains ibuprofen and naproxen combats the inflammation alcohol causes. Stay away from painkillers that contain acetaminophen. They can cause damage to your liver and kidneys if taken with alcohol.
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Rest!
It’s hard to rest when you’re on the go, but getting some quality sleep will really impact how you bounce back the day after. When you’re feeling low on energy, there’s nothing wrong with catching some shut-eye wherever you can, whether it’s on the commute to your next location or on somebody’s couch.
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Eat something healthy.
Choose large fatty meals before you start drinking. Choose the healthy stuff after. Eggs, bananas, dates, leafy greens, chicken noodle soup and pho are more effective options to jump-start your recovery.
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Drink up.
If someone tells you to down a Bloody Mary to cure your hangover, don’t listen. This is when the sports drinks, Pedialyte, and coconut water you stocked up on before will come in handy.
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Skip the coffee.
Caffeine could make things worse if you have a headache, especially if you don’t consume it regularly. If you’re running on E, sugary drinks like cranberry and apple juice can mimic the same quick energy boost. Avoid juices with citric acid like orange juice, as they could potentially irritate the stomach.
Overall, whether it’s before, during or after you paint the town red for the holidays, it’s most important to listen to your body. If you need to slow down, take a rest, or take it down a notch, it’s okay.
