Move Those Feet!

Five Steps to a Hangover Cure

Sure, it’s nice to be fit and conscious about what you put in your body. But holiday parties beg for a martini or two. The following tips will help you to minimize any ‘hangover’ effects you might experience.

1. Alcohol is dehydrating. Drink plenty of water before you go out, but don’t overdo it. I usually drink about four cups of water in the two hours before a party (yes, I find the bathroom as soon as I arrive at the party). I’ve discovered it also helps to drink a cup of water between drinks and to drink water as soon as I wake up in the morning (which I do anyway, to replace water I’ve lost at night). I’m also not drinking as much alcohol, since I’m counting calories. Those drinks will pack on the pounds!
2. Alcohol also will rob you of electrolytes. Fitness magazine suggests drinking coconut milk to regain some of that loss, and the magazine added the fact that coconut milk contains carbs for energy. But, you may reel when you see coconut milk’s calorie count at 552 calories per cup. Try a banana instead, because you can get your potassium there without the calories (602 mg of potassium and only 140 calories).
3. Don’t skip your morning coffee, even though it may smell and taste horrible. You don’t want a coffee withdrawal headache on top of your hangover. With that said, if you’ve wanted to cut your caffeine intake, a hangover may present a great opportunity to quit the coffee habit. You may be so hung over that you won’t notice the coffee withdrawal!
4. I have some friends who swear by this tip - they take two ibuprofen before they go out to that party. You can try this trick as well, but you might want to eat a piece of toast or something light so the ibuprofen doesn’t bother your stomach. If you forget to ingest the pills before you head out, don’t hesitate to take them the following morning if you need them.
5. Don’t mix drinks, because you’re overtaxing your system with a variety of toxins. And, avoid drinks that contain obscene amounts of sugar as well as alcohol (like sweet liquors, syrupy drinks, cola mixes, etc.). This combo will push your system over the edge and will increase your fat retention. Alcohol reduces the number of fat calories you burn, and it can increase your appetite for fatty, greasy foods.

Finally, the best tip on how to avoid a hangover might be to abstain from drinking altogether. Ask any recovering alcoholic…what you have in your glass is of no concern to the person who’s had two drinks or more. If you stay sober, you might be highly entertained, rather than be the one who’s doing the entertaining…

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