The Healthy Way to Treat Your Next Hangover
By: Cody Collins
Tags: Hangover, Alcohol, Party, Drinking, Health

Photo by Jenny Pace on Unsplash

“The key to making money in a situation like this is to position yourself now before the settlement. Because by the time you read about it in The Wall Street Journal, it’s already too late.” — The Wolf of Wall Street

The same applies to hangovers.

If you don’t take any precautions to avoid it until the next morning, it’s already too late and you’ve lost the battle. The obvious solution is to not drink as much. But sometimes this isn’t a viable option.

So in those instances, here’s what you can do to mitigate the hangover pain.

Eat before going to sleep

Chances are you just drank alcohol for the past two or three hours. And I’d be willing to bet you didn’t eat much if any food during this time. Your body will not respond well the next morning if you have no food and only mass amounts of alcohol in it.

There isn’t an abundance of science on which type of food is best in this situation.

While healthy options like fruits and vegetables seem like solid choices, they lack the substance other foods offer. Since you’ve already thrown health out the window this night, eat whatever appeals to your taste buds.

You may have to go extra hard on your next workout, but that’s a problem for another day. Whatever you choose to eat though, consume a decent-sized portion of it.

Drink water before going to sleep

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but people don’t follow this rule enough.

Alcohol dehydrates you; water hydrates you.

Water has endless benefits and uses in life. And one of them is curing your hangover. Aim to drink a whole bottle of water from the time you get home to the time you go to sleep. It’s also best practice to keep water next to your bed so you can start chugging it in the morning as well.

Or, Eat a big meal in the morning

Food is fuel for your body.

After a late-night of drinking your body needs food to feel energized. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to lay on the beach or have a grueling eight-hour workday ahead, you’re going to want to eat.

This is now the time when you want to eat healthily. Once you wake up and get your bearings, start thinking of your next meal. While a meal from McDonald’s is better than nothing, there are plenty of better options out there.

Each of these options provides certain nutrients that you lose from drinking. Some top foods to eat include eggs, bananas, and meat.

Get up, don’t lay around

Do get an adequate amount of sleep. Don’t wake up and lay in bed for hours.

Laying around and complaining about your headache won’t do you any good. Once you get some food and water in you, get up. And if you can, get some fresh air. Moving around will help your blood circulation. It could also help your body burn off some of the alcohol.

By moving around I’m advocating for a leisurely walk. Trying to run five miles the next morning will likely dehydrate you and do more harm than good. The key is to know your body, and recognize that laying around will make you feel worse.

This can’t be stressed enough. If you want to win the hangover battle, you have to prepare the night before. When you come home, eat and drink plenty of water. You’ll thank me next time you’re nine Natty Lights deep.

Originally published at https://yardcouch.com on August 7, 2020.