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If you are partaking in the St. Patty’s Day festivities here are 13 ways to help deal with that hangover— or even prevent it from happening in the first place!
According to Greatlist.com,
1. Go one for one. It’s no secret that drinking water can help deflect that pounding AM headache (pretty much the opposite of a good morning). Tissues around the brain are mostly made of water, and dehydration will shrink these tissues, creating pressure in the head. Alcohol can lead to dehydration, so make sure to continuously drink water throughout the night [1]. Try matching each alcoholic drink with one glass of water to avoid that next-day pain.
2. Chow down. No, just because beer has calories doesn’t mean it counts as dinner. Drinking on an empty stomach will allow alcohol toabsorb faster, so try getting in a good meal with lots of healthy carbsbefore breaking out the bottle. Some research even shows a stomach full of food may help keep blood alcohol content at a lower level [2].
3. Keep it light. Darker drinks like red wine or rum contain congeners(substances produced during fermentation), which may contribute tocausing hangovers. Skip the whiskey in favor of vodka or a glass of white wine!
4. Stay classy. More expensive liquors contain less filler congeners— a cause for headaches. So pass on the well liquor and take it up a notch with some top-shelf booze.
5. Take a multivitamin. Drinking depletes nutrients in the body, including vitamin B12 and folate. Try popping in a multivitamin toreplenish what’s lost from a night of drinking.
6. Skip the bubbles. Opt out of champagne or other alcohol that’s mixed with carbonated beverages. The bubbles may cause alcohol to be absorbed more quickly. (Hence that New Year’s Day hangover.)
7. Down-dog. Scientists have yet to prove that a few sun-salutations will whisk away a hangover, but breathing and meditation exercises in yoga can get oxygen flowing and blood pumping to help relieve stress. Namaste!
8. Grab some potassium. When dehydrated, we lose not only water, but electrolytes, too. Gain ‘em back by snacking on potassium-rich foods likebananas or spinach.
9. Scramble eggs. Eggs contain taurine, which has been shown toreverse liver damage caused by a night of heavy boozing [3]. Scramble them up with lots of veggies for added antioxidant power!
10. Sip ginger tea. Hangovers can sometimes come with a side of upset stomach. To settle that tummy, brew a warm mug of ginger tea. Gingerhas been shown to help combat nausea [4].
11. Refuel at the breakfast table. Alcohol will lead to a drop in blood sugar, so boost it back up with a glass of OJ in the morning [5]!
12. Get some fresh air. Oxygen increases the rate that alcohol toxins are broken down, so bundle up and get outdoors. A little exercise never hurt anyone— and it may even release some endorphins to boost that post-hangover mood.
13. Play D.D. We’re sorry to say that the only sure-fire way to avoid a hangover is to skip the booze altogether [6]. So if waking up to a pounding headache doesn’t sound fun, play designated driver for the night (even if not actually driving).
