The Five Best Ways to Beat a Hangover

While a night out on the town drinking with friends may sound like a great time, the pain that is sure to follow the next day is not. It is so easy to forget when you are out having fun the nausea, pain, and misery that you will face in the morning. However, here are the five best ways that you can beat a hangover and guarantee yourself both a fun night out and a livable day after.

Number One: Drink slowly. Pacing yourself can allow you to drink as much alcohol as the guy sitting next to you without suffering for it as much in the morning. The person who drinks 5 drinks in an hour is more likely to have a hangover the next day than the one who drinks 5 over the entire evening. Plus, you are going to be more fun to have around, since you will not be falling down drunk before the night is half over. Drinking over a period of time will be a lot easier on your body in the long run, so save the drinking games for someone else.

Number Two: Do not skip meals. It is a common scenario – you know that you are going to have a big night on the town, so you skip lunch to “save room” in your stomach for more of the party goodies. Or maybe it is to save money in your wallet or so you do not feel so guilty cheating on your diet. Either way, it spells disaster when it comes to a hangover. The best thing to do is eat like normal during the day, and eat before you go out. A full stomach will help dilute the alcohol and slow absorption, which in turn will help protect you from getting a hangover the next morning.

Number Three: Eat when you drink. Sure, bar food may not be fine dining, but it is a great way to keep from feeling ill in the morning. Again, drinking on an empty stomach is a sure fire way to get yourself a hangover. Plus, eating while you drink will help slow alcohol consumption and absorption – which in turn prevents the hangover. This is the one time when fatty, greasy foods are preferred over light, sugary sweets for best effects.

Number Four: Keep yourself hydrated. Alcohol will dehydrate you, causing untold pain in the morning. The best way to avoid this is to drink water in between your alcoholic drinks. Or, if you would rather, try sports drinks or fruit juices. These can help replenish you and prevent dehydration and the subsequent hangover.

Number Five: Take two aspirin before turning in for the night. Two aspirin taken a couple of hours after drinking and before you go to bed will help reduce any hangover symptoms that may still occur after following tips one through four. Make sure to take it with a large glass of water for best results.

Of course, the only way to completely guarantee that you will not experience a hangover is to avoid alcohol all together. If that is not possible, following these five tips can save you from the worst of the pain.