6 TIPS TO AVOID HANGOVERS

Have a great night-out planned with friends, but don’t want to wake up with a hangover the next day? Don’t worry! Everybody hates waking up with a bad headache after having a good time the previous night but here  are 6 great tips to avoid hangovers in the first place. As they say, prevention is better than cure.

1. Eat before drinking

Studies suggest that an upset stomach and a hangover are caused when alcohol is metabolized by the juices that are secreted in the liver which contain enzymes known as alcohol dehydrogenase which eventually leads to formation of the most important aldehydes, acetaldehyde. After heavy consumption of alcohol, when you go off to sleep, the liver keeps producing acetaldehyde as a toxin due to metabolism of the alcohol, eventually resulting in a hangover.

Having a meal will balance the aldehydes that are produced by alcohol. However, eat just the appropriate amount, and not overeating. This is the most effective way of avoiding hangovers. Make sure you have a proper meal and not the unhealthy fatty foods which do more harm than good.

2. Regulate the drinking time

Since you’re having fun and time is not a constraint, go slow on the drinks. This will help the body to maintain the blood alcohol level which keeps you in that, ‘high-but-in-control’ spot, thus allowing you to have more fun. If getting sloshed is the intention, this tip will help you get there in a fun way.

3. Stick to one type

Everyone loves a crazy night; however, mixing drinks is a bad idea of having fun. By staying true to one type of drink, it ensures that you don’t mix different alcohol content, flavors, and other elements which can all combine to make the perfect recipe of a bad hangover. Decide on which type of alcohol you’d prefer consuming and stick to it. Remember, if you’re reading this, you don’t want a hangover; and this golden tip will help you achieve that.

4. Stay hydrated

Drinking water in between alcohol

consumption is a great way of

maintaining sugar levels in the body

One of the most common effects of alcohol consumption is frequent urination which can lead to dehydration (have you noticed how your tongue feels all dry the next morning?). The processes performing the activity of breaking down alcohol for metabolism are also producing acids which prove to be a hindrance to the production of glucose and electrolytes that maintain sugar levels in your body. Dropped sugar levels are the reason why you feel dizzy after drinking a lot. Keep drinking water after at least a couple of drinks. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks during the consumption of alcohol as caffeine doesn't go well with alcohol and in severe cases, may result in diarrhea.

Another handy solution – Before going out, prepare a 500ml drink of just water and lemon juice in a 250:1 ratio (for every 250 ml of water, lime juice extract of 1 lemon) and before going to sleep, drink the lemonade minus the sugar. Repeat when you wake up in the morning. It is the easiest way to avoid a hangover. In fact, you’ll be happily surprised to see the results.

5. Sleep as much as you can

Waking up with a bad headache is one of the worst feeling ever. After a night of heavy drinking, there are a lot of metabolic activities happening in your body and like you; all the organs also need some rest. Try staying in bed even if you wake up. If possible, drink the water and lime juice mixture (in step 4) and urinate as much as possible. It flushes out all the toxins that were produced as a part of the metabolic activities.

6. Replenish the essentials

A wholesome breakfast is really important to replenish the essential minerals

Even if you do get a hangover, make sure you have a wholesome breakfast. The levels of sodium, potassium and glucose in the body drop after consuming a large quantity of alcohol. Have a healthy breakfast which includes food items containing salt for restoring sodium levels, preferably potatoes for restoring potassium levels and anything sweet for restoring glucose or fructose levels.

With that said, the best tip is to decide when to stop. If you cannot drink more, realize your limits and stop drinking, as there is no point in making anything in the stomach come out from the wrong way. These tips are not a sure shot way of eliminating the possibility of a potential hangover, but they will definitely help you in getting over one. Following these tips will surely reduce the effects of hangovers after a heavy night of drinking. If you’re lucky, you might even end up waking up perfectly fine with no hangovers.

PLEASE NOTE: Alcohol consumption is injurious to health. Please DON'T drink and drive, it puts yours and the other people’s lives in danger.