With the festive season around the corner, exuberant imbibing is in full effect. But there’s a price to pay for all that merriment.
The surest way to avoid a hangover, obviously, is to not drink. Abstinence is the only guaranteed way to avoid that splitting headache the next day. But temptation is everywhere this time of year. So let’s just accept many of us are going to drink — lots. Is there anything you can do to head off the headache? And the nausea? And the morning-after death wish?
In fact, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, but it takes a little forethought.
Fill up on food first
First, don’t drink on an empty stomach. A full tummy slows down the body’s absorption of alcohol and helps protect against irritation and vomiting.
Bottoms up!
It’s not too late to minimize the damage even once you start drinking. Remember, sip, don’t slurp. Try limiting yourself to one drink an hour. In other words, skip the beer bong. Same goes for any shots that your so-called friends try to impose you. Believe us: Feeling good in that moment won’t be worth the price you’ll pay come morning.
Drink wisely
Your drink of choice also plays a big role in how much you’ll feel it later. One theory pins hangover symptoms on the toxic byproducts left behind when your body metabolizes alcohol. Largely to blame are congenors, biologically active compounds present in some alcohol, which trigger inflammation and that achy, flu-like Wish-I-Were-Dead-But-Wait-It-Feels-Like-I-Am condition. Generally, the darker your drink, the more congenors.
Ultra Liquors supports responsible drinking.
