New Year’s Eve is one of the best party nights of the year. It’s a great chance to get together with friends, enjoy some good food, and laugh the night away. If, like me, you enjoy having a good time on December 31st, you may have experienced a vicious New Year’s Day hangover. You go to bed happy, albeit a bit dizzy, and wake up the next morning in misery. Your head’s pounding, your stomach’s in knots, and you can’t quite remember the three hours leading up to midnight. But have hope! (Sorry for the exclamation point; it even reads too loud.) Here are three great ways to handle a hangover.
- Hair of the dog: I’m not sure where the saying came from, but please don’t take it literally. Don’t lick your dog. It won’t help. If you don’t have anywhere to go on New Year’s Day, start the morning with a glass of whatever bit you the night before. A large part of the misery of a hangover is the alcohol withdrawal your body goes through coming down. So put it off a little bit longer; drink a glass of wine, a beer, or, my personal favorite, a Bloody Mary complete with all the trimmings with your breakfast. It can help ease the headache.
- Eat a heavy breakfast: Sure, the thought of food is enough to make you puke again, but if you’re able to get something down, it could help. One option is to convince a sober friend to drive you to one of Lake County’s many restaurants where you can get the fattiest thing on the menu, along with fries and a shake. A blend of fats and carbohydrates is key. Think biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs and toast, or some barbecued ribs. If you don’t throw it up, you may be on your way to sobriety.
- Drink gobs of water: Dehydration’s one of the biggest problems when it comes to drinking booze. Even though you keep putting more beer in, more water’s leaving your body. If you happen to be reading this pre-party, I recommend pounding as much water as you can before you start pounding beers. If you can stuff a gallon of H2O in your body early in the day, you may pee all night, but you’ll be grateful the next day. If you’re reading this on January 1st and feel like crap, do your best. After you finish that morning mixed drink, start sipping on water all day. It does help.
So there you have it; these are my best three recommendations for turning a three-day hangover into a few hour one. Best of luck to you in the New Year, and remember to always party responsibly. The best way to have fun is to be safe and have a designated driver.
