Dear Miss Molly,
I woke up last Saturday with the worst hangover of my life. What can I do to avoid post-night out pain?
Sincerely,
Hopelessly Hungover
Dear Hopelessly Hungover,
Quite possibly the worst feeling in the world is opening your eyes at 8 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday morning and the room is spinning, your head feels like its going to explode and your stomach is in knots. At this point, chugging that bottle of water next to your bed is useless and you’re pretty much destined for a day of accomplishing nothing but sleep.
Preventing a hangover is all about what you do the night before. At the beginning of the night, pick your drink of the choice for the night and stick to it. Mixing all different kinds of alcohol is a recipe for hangover disaster. If you’re really trying to avoid a hangover, it is better to chose beer over liquor, as liquor has more alcohol per volume. But, if you’re not a beer lover and would rather not give up your vodka cranberry or red wine, just make sure you’re sipping water throughout the night.
Hydration and food is a huge part of hangover prevention. If you think for one second skipping dinner before a night out is a smart idea, you are sadly mistaken. Food acts like a sponge soaking up the alcohol you consume, and without any food in your stomach, there is nothing to soak it up.
Eating something after drinking is important as well. Most times by the time people return from a night out, its 1 a.m. at the earliest, and a good 5 hours at least since their last meal. I’m not saying you have to eat an entire Domino’s pizza, even having something as small as a banana and a bottle of water can do the trick. Whatever you do, make sure you down at least one bottle of water. I’m sure you already know this, but alcohol leaves you dehydrated, so you need to replace as much liquid back to your body as possible. Dehydration is what causes hangovers. Although you may not feel thirsty, your body needs water after a night of drinking.
Even if you follow all these directions, if you have 10 or more drinks throughout the night, odds are you might be destined for a hangover no matter what you do. I know the boy at the bar offering you a free tequila shot is tempting, but you’ll thank yourself in the morning if you say no.
Love Always,
Miss Molly
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