New Years Day Hangover cures

New Years Eve. Alcohol.

Two things that go hand in hand. Sorta like peanut butter and jelly.
There are ways to minimize your hangover this Tuesday, January 1st 2008...keep reading.

Alcohol has a way of making you feel like CRAP the next day. I should know because I was always praying to the porcelain god (aka toiler) after a night of fun and drinking (oh man especially in Cabo!). I have always been able to drink well and hang tight during most evenings however when I'd get home, that's when I start to get dizzy, then get heatflashes which is the BEST indicator that I have to run to the bathroom. I know my body sooo well after years of drinking in college.

Initially, alcohol is great. You start drinking, you get a good buzz going and you are having the time of your life. Dancing, talking and being wild. There are scientific reasons behind this. According to the Mercury News, because alcohol stimulates the liver into producing more sugar, that first drink rewards you with a sense of heightened alertness, since glucose is the brain's primary energy source. And that first drink - and maybe the second one - also relaxes your nerves and releases inhibitions, bringing out that party spirit your friends know and love.

Your size and tolerance does matter but the table below shows you how standard beverages carry different grams of pure alcohol. You can use this chart tonight or in the future to help you judge your alcohol consumtion, especially if you dare to drive (something I don't recommend AT ALL).

In the box below, you can see that standard drinks of different beverages are different sizes. But what they have in common, is that each of them contains about 10 grams of pure alcohol. The following can be used as a guide to help you keep track of your drinking.

New Years Eve is no night to measure your intake. Have fun but plan not to drive and plan on how you will cure your hangover the next morning. That's where I come in...

Most hangover symptoms stem from alcohol's diuretic effect, which can to dehydration. Dehydration can lead to common hangover symptoms like dry mouth, headache, and dizziness. Symptoms all which I am WAY too familiar with. Alcohol can also irritate the stomach lining and cause nausea and stomach cramps in some people. My poor stomach lining!

To reduce or prevent these symptoms, have a look at these hangover prevention/reduction tips. Don't try and take those cheezy overthecounter meds that claim they cure hangovers. NONE OF THEM WORK. Believe meeeeeeeeeee!!

Remember these are all things you can do before you start partying it up:

1. Line your stomach to reduce alcohol absorption through the stomach lining. Fat foods or milk work well.
2. Choose light-colored drinks. Darker drinks contain "congeners." Congeners cause blood vessels to dilate leads to a headache.
3. Drink water, one glass for every alcoholic drink to help prevent dehydration, which can cause headaches, etc. A cup of bouillon also restores electrolytes, as do sports drinks. Goldstein also recommended fruit juice, which will also replenish sugars as you sleep, as will honey. This is a remedy you can apply BEFORE, DURING and AFTER... Hey, how come people don't ever drink gatorade and vodka??
4. Wrap up warmly after drinking alcohol. Alcohol dilates blood vessels near the skin, causing your body to lose heat but feel warm. FACT: Drunkenness followed by hypothermia is a leading cause of death in Russia.
5. Snack before bed to help avoid low-blood-sugar upon waking.

Bonus Methods for Morning After

1. Take antacid the morning after for your stomach.
2. Drink liquids rich in minerals and salts (eg, broth or bouillon), or sports drinks to help rehydrate you.

Hope this all helps in your adventures this evening. I'm going to have a glass of milk right now.
Peace and Let the COUNTDOWN begin!!
LaaliOut