Being out with your friends and having a few drinks is great. Until you wake up the next morning and that red wine you had is fighting back. We’ve all been there, ladies, we get it.
However, whatever you do, don’t go pouring yourself a glass of something else to overcome it. This is commonly known as the “hair of the dog”, but there are many healthier ways to help you get back on track.
Whilst there is no completely concrete way to prevent getting a hangover, other than simply not drinking, we’ve got plenty of things you can do to make the morning after a little less painful.
Let’s dive in.
How to master the morning after
Sleep the hangover away
You may find that you dropped off as soon as your head hit the pillow the night before. However, after a night on the town, any sleep you did get wasn’t peaceful. Studies have shown that alcohol can disrupt the duration and quality of your sleep.
So, before you decide to climb out of your bed and function like a normal human, use that snooze button and get a few more hours of sleep to send that hangover packing.
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Fill your boots at breakfast
Hitting the bar without enough food in your system can cause a drop in your blood sugar. We see you nodding along, many of us have enjoyed a few glasses of wine without having dinner. It’s then no surprise that you wake up the following morning feeling a little fuzzy-headed and shaky.
Bump up the carbs by having some toast and a glass of orange or apple juice. It may also pay to add in some protein such as yogurt or a couple of eggs to help keep your blood sugar balanced.
Get yourself some ginseng
Ginseng is something very commonly used in Chinese medicine and has been for many years. With good reason to as this root has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Not only that but it also helps to boost your immune system in fighting off colds and other viruses. Ginseng also has anti-nausea properties and could help to break down the alcohol in your body more effectively.
This particular study of red ginseng and plain water used male participants who had a glass of whiskey. Results revealed that the men who had ginseng experienced fewer hangover symptoms and had lower blood alcohol levels.
One important note is that ginseng can affect other medications, so it would be best to consult your doctor before taking any.
Boost those electrolytes
Drinking alcohol makes you dehydrated which also means that your electrolytes suffer too. A drink like Gatorade will remedy this or you could snack on the likes of:
- Bananas
- Spinach
- Kale
- Avocado
Something else that would be really handy is Pedialyte, it’s great for the nights where you’ve overdone it. Just one bottle has twice as much sodium and five times the potassium as a bottle of Gatorade. Even though there is no research to say this will cure your hangover, it’ll surely help.
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Settle with ginger tea
As if a hangover isn’t bad enough, on some occasions, you may also end up with an upset stomach. When this happens, try to settle your stomach with a warm mug of ginger tea. Research has shown that ginger can be used to fight back against feelings of nausea and vomiting. Ginger tea as well as all other things ginger is often used as a remedy for morning sickness.
What you can do to prevent the hangover before you drink
Eat, eat, eat
It’s a widely known fact that drinking on an empty stomach means your body absorbs the alcohol more quickly. And yes, beer may have calories, but no, it is not dinner.
So, before heading out to meet the girls for cocktails, have yourself a good meal full of protein and healthy carbs. We know it’s not exactly the meal you’d want before heading out, but oats are said to protect against alcohol-induced liver damage. Well, in lab mice anyway; but it’s worth a shot, right?
Pear juice could save the day
Now, this one requires you to be a little proactive, but the benefits will be worth it. Before heading out for the evening, get an 8-ounce glass of Korean pear juice down you.
A 2013 study revealed that this traditional remedy aided participants in breaking down the alcohol and lowering blood alcohol levels. What this does is makes the symptoms the following morning a little less intense.
However, before you go filling your refrigerator with pear juice, we need to point out that the study was only small with just 14 subjects, and not all of them experienced benefits.
Still, it’s got to be worth a try.
What to do whilst you’re out
Match your drink with water
Research has shown that the more dehydrated you are, the more your blood alcohol level rises. Not only that, but alcohol can further dehydrate you by channeling more of your fluids into your urine. However, all of this can be remedied with some good old water.
In order to prevent a hangover fueled by dehydration or a migraine attack, ensure that you drink water throughout your evening. Try and match each alcoholic drink with a glass of water. If you feel the need to spice it up a little, go for carbonated water and add a little lime.
Stay light
Darker alcoholic drinks such as rum, whiskey, and red wine contain more congeners than lighter beverages such as white wine. Congeners are produced during the fermentation process along with ethanol.
Research has shown that higher concentrations of these compounds can be linked to some hangover symptoms, such as vomiting. However, the jury is still out on this one so you can’t take our word for it (yet).
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So, if you’re not willing to take the risk perhaps stay off the dark spirits and opt for something lighter to make the next morning not so awful.
Steer clear of carbonated drinks
We really hate to burst your bubble (pardon the pun), but we’d highly recommend passing on drinks such as champagne and other beverages that are carbonated. Even your spirit and mixer drinks like rum and Coke can be a problem. Studies have shown that carbon dioxide can build up in the bubbles and could potentially cause your digestive system to soak up alcohol faster.
Our conclusion
The only 100% guaranteed way to avoid a hangover? Don’t drink alcohol… simple.
However, if you do want to have a drink, just have one or two and make sure you’re drinking plenty of water with them. But hey, even if you do have a few more than planned, who hasn’t? If you can’t take advantage of a happy hour then what’s the point?
If you do wake up with a pounding headache, just be kind to yourself, get some more sleep, have some breakfast, and down a Gatorade. All of this will help to restore your blood sugar levels and make you feel more human again.
Yes, you can have fun too
Ladies, we’ve all got a goal we want to achieve, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t go out and have fun every so often.
This is when PhenGold can come in handy.
Its 100% safe and natural formula can help you stay on track to achieve your body goals. PhenGold is designed to burn fat and reduce cravings as well as boost your metabolism, energy levels, and mood.
Enjoy yourself and get the body you want, ladies, you deserve it.
