Steps You Should Take to Prevent a Hangover and What Not to Do If You Have One
It's St. Patrick's Day weekend, which means that a lot of you reading this plan on going out and downing a few too many adult beverages to celebrate. Here's how you can prevent having a nasty hangover.
- Drink Gatorade or coconut water. Having a glass of water between drinks will keep you hydrated, but Gatorade or coconut water will do that and replace electrolytes.
- Take vitamins. Popping a multivitamin or drink acai juice before going out helps with inflammation.
- Order a burger instead of a salad. You want to eat a meal with carbs, protein, and fat before drinking. This will help metabolize the alcohol better.
- Stick with clear liquor. Vodka and gin have fewer toxins and impurities compared to whisky and rum.
For more hangover prevention tips, check out Cosmopolitan.
Despite how prepared you may be, none of that will 100% guarantee you won't get hungover. So if you find yourself will a splitting headache and the woozy feeling in the morning, follow this list:
- Don't take Tylenol. Acetaminophen is processed by your liver, like alcohol. When the two get mixed, your liver is working overtime and the toxic byproducts will build up.
- Don't drink OJ. The acidity in the citrus juice won't sit well in your stomach and you'll just feel worse.
- Don't have more than one or two cups of coffee. As a diuretic it will dehydrate you more. Plus the caffeine narrows blood vessels, that will make your headache worse.
- Don't drink more alcohol. Drinking more just makes it take longer for your body to process all the toxins you took in the night before.
Read more at Fusion.