A hangover is not necessarily the price you have to pay for an evening out. There are some tricks you can use to help prevent a hangover or cause it to be less severe. Try these 7 tips the next time you drink.
Limit Your Intake (…easier said than done!!)
The only sure way of avoiding a hangover is to not drink at all. However, drinking in moderation can seriously lower your risk of feeling ill the next day.
The average person should limit alcohol consumption to one drink every hour. This means one serving of alcohol, which is one shot of liquor or 5 ounces of wine.
Some people can handle a little more than, this while some cannot effectively process this much. Your weight, metabolism, and body chemistry will determine how often you can safely refill your drink. Limiting yourself to one drink per hour is a good start.
Drink Coconut Water
You may have heard that you should drink a glass of water for every drink you consume, and this is good advice. However, drinking coconut water is an even better alternative. Coconut water will keep you hydrated and provide important electrolytes that are lost during drinking.
Drink 8 ounces of coconut water between drinks and about 12 ounces before you go to bed.
Take a Multi-Vitamin
Alcohol can quickly zap important nutrients from your system, seriously depleting antioxidants and minerals like magnesium. Taking a multi-vitamin before drinking can help keep these levels higher. Many people also take a multi-vitamin the next morning. This helps your body wake up and start functioning more efficiently.
Eat Red Meat
One of the quickest paths to a hangover is drinking on an empty stomach, and your body is going to need more than a simple salad to counter the effects.
Before you start drinking, order a burger or a big chunk of steak. A full stomach will help your body metabolize the alcohol more effectively so it’s not hanging around and wreaking havoc on your insides. Red meat is an especially good choice for a pre-drinking meal because it contains B vitamins that will break down the harmful chemicals in your alcoholic beverage.
Opt for Clear Liquor
The process of manufacturing liquor creates chemicals called congeners, and these nasty substances are largely responsible for making you feel terrible the morning after drinking.
You can control this problem by choosing drinks that contain fewer congeners. In general, darker liquors contain more of these by-products than clear or light-colored liquors do. Drinks that contain whiskey and tequila are much more likely to give you a hangover that drinks with rum or vodka. Vodka has the fewest congeners, making it the best option for hangover prevention.
You will also fare better with white wine than you will with red.
Don’t Smoke and Drink
Many people like to puff on a cigarette while they drink, but this is a bad idea. People who smoke while they drink have significantly worse hangovers than those who don’t light up. The chemicals in cigarettes react badly to those in alcohol, and the result can be pounding headaches and an upset stomach for you.
To feel your best in the morning, don’t smoke. Also, avoid second-hand smoke whenever possible.
Take Prickly Pear Supplements
It might sound strange that a cactus can keep you from having a hangover, but many people have had success using prickly pear supplements.
Luckily, you don’t have to chew on a cactus to get these benefits. You can buy prickly pear in extract form. Take some before you drink, and you will have a better morning.
Being hungover is a horrible feeling, and it might just be nature’s way of telling you to cut back on your alcohol consumption. If you do plan to drink, be smart, and take steps that can prevent you from feeling awful when you wake up. These 7 tricks should help prevent or lessen your hangovers so you can enjoy yourself without dreading the morning.
