Some Words of Wisdom For The First Day Of The Year

Hangover Cure

Yahoo News actually posted something useful:

• Rehydrate. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after consuming alcohol.
  
• Eat. Eating helps decrease the absorption of alcohol systemically. Eating salty foods will also help the body retain fluids. (I once knew a guy from Denmark who swore that he never had a hangover because he took a teaspoon of table salt after a long night of drinking. Be warned - this remedy is not verified!)
  
• Replace Vitamin B. Brits and anglophiles swear by a product called Berocca which is a fizzy tablet like Alka-Seltzer that contains high amounts of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. Berocca is not available in the U.S. currently, but a similar product, called Emergen-C is available.
  Choose your poison. Some drinks give you worse hangovers than others. Clear liquor like vodka and gin are lower in congeners (alcohol impurities) because of the filtering process involved. Fewer congeners mean a lower risk of hangover.

I know many of you will not want to hear this, but, of course, the best thing to do is avoid a hangover all together. Some good behavioral tips to limiting your consumption but still participating in the festivities:

• Try alternating beverages. Drink an alcoholic beverage, then drink water or club soda. You'll likely cut your alcohol consumption in half.
• Choose something you don't really like. Many of us like to have a drink in our hand as a crutch at a party. We can always take a sip when there's a lull in the conversation. Choose a drink that is not to your liking. You'll be reminded of the fact every time you take a sip, and you'll be unlikely to finish the whole thing.