A hangover is your body’s way of getting back at you for you torturing it the night before. Not everybody can pass out at three, wake up at ten, go out to eat and do it again as easily as others can.
Studies have shown that more than 75% of those who’ve drunk alcohol have had a hangover, 15% have one at least every other month, and 25% of college students suffer a hangover weekly.
But all is not lost, and if you follow some of these tips you should find yourself in better shape than you thought you would be after a hard night partying.
There are three main reasons why hangovers exist:
- Your body is dehydrated
- Your body is missing some much needed vitamins and nutrients
- Your body is filled with toxins and other crap
Obviously, the solution to the first item is to drink water. Lots and lots of water. Before, during, and after your festivities. For example, during the party, try drinking one glass of water for every two alcoholic beverages you have. Sure, you’ll be hitting the bathroom more often, but if it can cut down on the severity of your hangover, you’ll thank us in the morning.
Fixing the second item is to replensish some B-vitamins and potassium. Have a banana, eat some soy. Some of the VitaminWaters (or similar drinks from other manufacturers) could help make this easier.
The third item is a bit more tricky, as some of it depends on what you’ve drunk recently and how your body reacts to get rid of things it doesn’t like. You’re better off with vodka or gin than you are with the colored alcohols like bourbon or scotch. Same is true if you drank a lot of club soda mixers instead of fruity/sugary drinks. All that extra sugar is not going to be good for you in the morning.
Some of the more popular cures for hangovers include:
- sleep
- avoid caffeine or other diuretics
- drink pickle juice, a reportedly common practice in Russia
- eat a bowl of haejangguk or pancita, the spicier the better. Haejangguk is a Korean soup made from cow’s blood. Pancita is a spicy soup made from tripe (the stomach lining of a cow) and dried chili peppers
If you ended up going out drinking on a school night and have to suffer through the following work day, here are some more tips for you:
- Again, drink lots of water. Can’t get too much water.
- Take aspirin or your other favorite painkiller. You’ll need it.
- Eat, man. Anything to suck up that leftover alcohol in your system.
- Try to avoid as many clients or people in the office as you can. ‘Nuff said.
- Don’t rush the work. That throbbing headache of yours might lead to making a mistake or two if you rush to complete a task. Slow down.
- Take the time to clean your office or do other non-brain-intensive stuff. Your head is not really going to be good for much else anyway.
- Try to squeeze in a nap. Go “out for lunch” and find a secluded area to grab a 30-minute nap in the car, or close your door for an “important conference call”. Either way, sleep can be good.