International Hangover Day: 8 Tips On How To Avoid a Hangover

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The first Saturday of August is the International Hangover Day. We asked Suman Agarwal, the most sought-after celebrity nutritionist, who is the founder of SelfCare, to tell us how to ensure there isn’t that nasty headache the morning after. In this interview the health expert tells us how to avoid a hangover.

How a hangover affects you

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Alcohol is a depressant so it basically slows down your brain activity. It has an immediate physiological effect on your brain, heart, liver and other organs. Since, alcohol triggers the release of dopamine you end up feeling an elevated sense of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure.

No wonder when you get drunk and feel giddy like you can soar through the sky, you end up making a series of unfortunate decisions, like texting your ex.

But most of all, being drunk to the point where your senses have no control over yourself will lead you to wake up with a maddening hangover and who needs that right?

Now, if you love your drink, you must have faced a few instances where you have woken up sullen, holding your head in regret and throwing up the remains of the food you last ate because your body is revolting to last night’s shenanigans. Having a stipulated amount of alcohol can be good for your system indeed, but there’s a fine line between having safe fun and risking your sanity. Once crossed, your hangover will be a culmination of all the silly drinking decisions you made last night and the result will be one huge regret when you wake up. But there are ways you can avoid a hangover.

8 Ways to help you avoid a hangover

Suman Agarwal gives us some sure-shot remedies to ensure you do not end up waking up with an excruciating headache after a jolly night with your friends.

1. A full stomach

Usually, when you go to a party, a few rounds of drinks are served before the full-fledged meal is ready to be devoured. So it’s always a prudent idea to make sure you have eaten something filling before going to the party, where you are bound to start with a drink. If you’re a vegetarian, a little treat like ‘chila’ would be great. If you’re a non-vegetarian, having a bowl of salad or sandwiches will be fulfilling.

Even a bowl of yogurt would do. A bowl of stir-fried vegetables with moong, paneer or tofu is also a healthy option.

Having something in the stomach would secure a person from getting high.

2.Have sparkling water between two drinks

If you can ensure you are having a glass full of water between two of your drinks, it’ll lessen your chances of having an awful hangover. Usually, men do not like to consume water between their drinks, since they do not want to jeopardize their image of having ‘great endurance and capacity.’

But having a quick drink of sparkling water mixed with lime will make it seem like a drink of vodka tonic. This will dilute the intoxicating effect of the drinks and prevent the occurrence of a hangover.

3. Stay hydrated

Dehydration will end up spoiling your next day because you’ll wake up with a painful headache and the after-effects of the alcohol you consumed last night. So not only having sparkling water between your drinks is a smart choice but also drinking water after the party is a must. Just follow this tip to avoid a hangover.

So, when you decide to retire to bed after the party, make it a point to have at least half a liter of water.

4. Hangover medicine

There is also the availability of medicines like ‘Party Smart,’ which you can buy over the counter at the chemist’s shop that’ll help one not have a bad hangover. You can pop one pill before you go to the party where you sure you’ll have a drink or two. Also, always follow the instructions and precautions that are mentioned on the label of the medicine box, before consuming it.

5. Do not mix drinks

There are certain drinks that one cannot stomach due to the ugly effects they’ve on the internal body mechanism. So ensure you are only consuming the alcohol that your body doesn’t repel. It’s also effective to not mix different drinks together. If you have chosen to consume vodka, make sure you continue to have it. Do not mix it with other alcoholic drinks!

6. Make your own drinks

When you allow someone else, say your friend, to make a drink for you, they tend to usually make a bigger peg than you generally consume.

So, be certain that you make your own drinks since you know what suits you the best and how diluted you like your drinks to be.

7. Shots are a big no-no

Alcohol shots end up giving you a stronger hit than any other drink. So, avoid consuming shots. And if you really want to drink a few shots, dilute it with either water or soda. When a drink is diluted, it doesn’t give such a staggering high. And you can easily get over a hangover or avoid a hangover altogether.

8. It’s important to eat

If you end up being blackout drunk and wake up with a horrible hangover, then make sure you eat something. It’s common to throw up after taking in the first meal. But, the second meal should go down easily. Being an empty stomach will not help their situation. Having orange juice or lime juice will be helpful as well.

It’s better to be a smart drinker than to regret the morning after!