The weekend is coming and there is no way you are spending it sober. No, you plan to get drinks with friends and have a great time. Hit up your favorite bar, dance, flirt a little and pay too much for a ride home because no one wanted to be the designated driver.
You have been working all week and you just want to have some fun with your friends. We get it, being an adult is stressful sometimes. Having a few drinks with friends can take a lot of pressure off.
Weekends were made for drinking and dancing with your friends. Mondays, however, mean going back to work. Being hungover at work is quite possibly the worst. Being hungover in general is terrible, but trying to get things done when you feel that gross is nearly impossible.
The best hangover cure is to not get a hangover at all. All you need to do is prepare before you go out. Being aware of what your body needs to feel okay is an important part of being a functioning adult. Especially if you just put your body through kind of a lot. Here are some awesome ways to prepare for a hangover.
1. Go Out to Eat
Go get dinner first! You might be worried about drinking all your calories and be tempted to order a salad in an effort to balance it out. Don’t. Before a night of partying the last thing you want to worry about is eating too much.
Everyone has noticed that the less you have in your stomach the faster you get drunk. Which seems great! Drunk faster means less money spent on alcohol, but it also means you are going to feel terrible in the morning. You will also probably throw up that night.
Eating a big meal with some protein and good fat is the best way to go. So get the burger. Add some avocados and bacon while you’re at it. Filling your stomach with fatty, filling food makes it so alcohol is not the strongest thing running through your system.
Your body cannot store alcohol the way it does food. That means liquor just circulates around in your blood until your liver finally processes it all. Food dilutes the alcohol going through your body because food stores water. Good foods also give you protein so you are more prepared to fight off a hangover.
Really the only foods that you shouldn’t eat before drinking are ones with high sodium content. If what we are going for is lots of water in our bodies then sodium is the enemy. Remember, alcohol can defeat a salad, but it has a bit more trouble getting through steak and eggs.
2. Hydrate Don’t Die-drate
Water is the ultimate hangover cure. Drinking lots of water is basically the best thing you can do for your body. Hydrating gives you better skin, can help you lose weight, and it can help prevent a hangover.
You have probably noticed that alcohol makes you need to pee a lot more than you normally would. That means all the moisture is being sucked out of your body. Just about all the symptoms of a hangover are because you lost all of the fluid your body needs.
You should already be drinking about half a gallon of water a day to keep your body feeling great, but it is even more important to hydrate before you fill your body up with alcohol. Just drinking one big glass before you go out is enough to help a little. Drinking a big glass of water, eight ounces to be exact, about eight times a day before you go drinking will make you feel so much better in the morning.
Hydrating is so important to making your body feel good and keeping your body strong. Partying is fun, but it is hard on your body. So have a glass of water between drinks. Treat your body nicely and give it plenty of water before you go out.
Lots of water is basically the secret to life. So drink water every day, and drink a lot of water before you go out this weekend. You’ll thank me in the morning.
3. Electrolyte Breaks
You had a big dinner, you drank lots of water, and then you filled your body up with alcohol. Between bars, you should probably drink some Gatorade. Really anything that puts electrolytes back into your body will work, but Gatorade is usually the easiest.
Gatorade is full of electrolytes which are fabulous. Electrolytes help you stay hydrated, can help rebuild damaged tissue, and help balance blood acidity. Your blood acidity isn’t really affected by drinking unless you are an alcoholic, but it is still good to make sure your blood acidity is balanced while you are out drinking.
Also, since electrolytes super hydrate you and boost your body, Gatorade is helping your body fight off a hangover. Use Gatorade as a mixer, chug some between bars, keep one as your traveling buddy in the car, just make sure you keep your electrolytes up. If you don’t you may need a Gatorade in the morning to help you regain all the electrolytes you puked up.
4. Take a Nap
Naps are wonderful. The older you get the better naps get. The best time to nap is before a night of body damaging activity. You probably aren’t planning on sleeping much during your weekend, but your body is begging you to.
Sleep replenishes your energy and helps your body relax for a while. During your night of partying, you don’t want to get tired. Getting tired is your body saying it is done, and if you ignore your body you will regret it in the morning.
Sleeping more has been proven to help athletes and students perform better, curb anxiety, and lessen stress levels. If you get a good nap in before you go out then your body is going to be replenished and ready to go. If sleep can help a runner win a race, it can help you make it to the end of the night.
If a nap can lower your levels of stress after a week in the office as well as prevent a hangover then there is no reason to stay awake. Go ahead. Take that midday nap before your friends come pick you up for dinner. You’re going to need it.
Conclusion:
Just keep in mind that your body is telling you what it needs. Your best hangover cure is taking care of yourself. Listen to your body, prepare before you go out, and have a lot of fun. Just remember to use these tips to fight off a potential horrible morning tomorrow.