As I’m writing the final blog post of 2013, I’ve been thinking about the past year while expectantly joyful for what the new year has to offer. Many tasty beers were consumed this year and many more are waiting for me in 2014.
While I’m not what you’d consider a partier, I know a lot of people look to New Years Eve as a time they can celebrate both the end of a year and the coming of a fresh start. And when there is celebration, there is generally much alcohol consumed.
Most people don’t set out to drink so much that they want to curl up in a ball and die the next day, but it so often happens.
We’ve all heard of the hangover remedies such as drinking coffee, drinking more alcohol, sleeping, taking a cold shower, etc… It’s debatable if these actually work, and most people have come to the conclusion that time is generally the best cure of all.
I’ve always wondered why people even put themselves in that position in the first place. Preventing a hangover is much easier than trying to cure it once you have one.
So before you head out on your night of celebration, make sure you plan appropriately so tomorrow the birds will be chirping and the sun will be shining brightly in your life.
The Best Ways To Prevent a Hangover
Water Is Your Best Friend
Ok, beer might be your best friend, but water is a close 2nd. Think of beer like Axl Rose and water like Slash. While they can go off and do there own thing, they are much better when they work together.
Before you drink, make sure you drink plenty of water. If you know you will be consuming alcohol, start drinking water early in the day so you are well hydrated before you have your first beer.
Don’t leave your water drinking at home though. Make sure you drink enough in between drinks. Order a water at the bar with each drink. It’ll keep you hydrated and help prevent that morning hangover.
Know Your Limits
Don’t be an idiot about drinking. Beer is meant to be enjoyed, not to get you wasted. Cut back on the amount you’re drinking. Savor it, enjoy it, but don’t over do it. In fact this is probably the number one tip to prevent a hangover and would save most people the agony of having to wake up the next day with a pounding headache.
If your friends make fun of you since you’re not drinking more than any human should, maybe it’s time to find new friends.
Fill Up Your Stomach
Before you start drinking, make sure you have some food in your stomach. You don’t have to eat dinner first, just make sure you don’t start drinking on an empty stomach. The idea here is to have enough food in your stomach to help dilute the effects of the alcohol.
Take Your Vitamins
Even though beer does have some nutritional value, alcohol does deplete the nutrients in your body. Make sure to take some multivitamins before heading out to help minimize the loss.
Get a Patch
I’ve seen a lot of products out there that are meant to help prevent and recover from hangovers. I always thought they were pretty much snake oil until last year I was sent some samples from a company named Zaca.
While I rarely ever drink enough to get a hangover, every once in awhile the opportunity arises.
Last year I packed these Zaca recovery patches and headed out for a guys weekend at the beach for 2 nights. The first night I forgot to try them out and in the morning I felt like crap. The next day I just put a patch on my shoulder and am pretty sure I drank a lot more than I did the night before (we had some pretty good beers flowing plus some whiskey and tequila).
The next morning I woke up and felt awesome. I’m not sure if it was the patch or not, but every time I’ve used it since I’ve felt great afterwards.
Check them out at their website.
Drink RESQWATER
Another product that I was sent to test out recently was RESQWATER. It’s packed with prickly pear cactus fruit extract, evaporated cane juice, B vitamins, N-Acetal L-Cysteine and milk thistle that is supposed to make you feel better in the morning.
To test it out my wife and I gave it a drink after a night of sampling a bunch of big winter beers. After drinking some pretty amazing beers, drinking this stuff was a bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, fans of ham (the meat, not the beer) might love this stuff. My wife and I both looked at each and said “this tastes just like ham” at the same time. While I enjoy eating ham, drinking a beverage that was so packed with salt that it tasted like meat wasn’t getting me excited.
You have to think of it as a utilitarian beverage. Chug it fast and hope it works. Unfortunately I felt worse in the morning and I rarely ever get headaches from drinking too much beer. I think the salt in the drink may have had something to do with it.
But, everyones body is different so it is worth a shot. They have plenty of success stories on their website.
Drink Responsibly
While drinking is very enjoyable, make sure to be responsible. Never push your limits and make sure you bring a designated driver along if your New Year’s party involves driving.
Here’s to a happy and safe 2014!
