Author: Alicia Bell

With the economy today we all have pretty busy work schedules. However to keep our sanity we still make time to go out and have fun. Most of the time we try and plan for weekend party time. Unfortunately sometimes we just can’t fit any days off. That’s when fun ends up being on a week night. We have all had those nights that last until 5am or 6am in the morning and have had to be up at 8:30am for an important meeting or to punch in on time at the office with a pounding headache, churning stomach, the room feeling like it’s spinning and smelling like a bottle of patron. With the economy today we all have pretty busy work schedules. However to keep our sanity we still make time to go out and have fun. Most of the time we try and plan for weekend party time. Unfortunately sometimes we just can’t fit any days off. That’s when fun ends up being on a week night. We have all had those nights that last until 5am or 6am in the morning and have had to be up at 8:30am for an important meeting or to punch in on time at the office with a pounding headache, churning stomach, the room feeling like it’s spinning and smelling like a bottle of patron. Well you should know that you’re not the only one that has ever gone to work with the hangover from hell, many people go to work with a hangover. As we all know going to work with a hangover is never a positive outcome and can reflect badly upon your professionalism. The following are 12 rules that you can follow to prevent hangovers so you can enjoy the next day after a wild night, rather than dreading it. Rule #1 Take vitamins on a regular basis. Alcohol depletes the body of important nutrients. So you are doing yourself a favor, especially if you are regularly taking Vitamin B and C. According to Wikipedia (2010) the depletion of Vitamin B in the human body can lead to hangovers. Vitamins are particularly good to take because some are antioxidants that rid the body of free radicals. Which are the little buggers that cause damage at a cellular level. Some work directly on he liver which will help you fight off that hangover. Rule #2 Make sure to eat before heading out for a big night on the town. When you stomach is full the alcohol that you consume won’t be absorbed as fast into your blood stream. Also sometimes when you drink on an empty stomach your body can’t handle it and wants to expell the toxins. Vomitting at the club is never a good look. Rule #3 Try to avoid mixing different types of alcohols at all costs. When you drink different types of alcohol at once such as liquor, wine, champagne and beer you are usually concocting a mixture of disaster. Some people have sensitive stomachs. So remember that each type of alcohol is made differently and sometimes your own body can’t handle all of that at once. Rule #4 Try and avoid sweet drinks containing sugars or cocktails with a sweet juice base such as having too many red bull vodka, patron and pineapple, Rum and Cokes, Daiquiris, Margaritas or mojitos. Sugar causes a spike in your insulin levels. You may feel great for a minute with lots of energy but your body will quickly crash. This is what is known as a high HIGH followed by a low LOW. This can cause the dreaded hangover so I suggest you stick to diet or sugar free mixes. Rule #5 Keep your body hydrated during the day and while you are out at night. I know we all hate running to the bathroom every five minutes but it is important to keep your body hydrated. Especially when you drink. H20 is the best thing one can take. Particularly PH water. I know when you’re out all you want to drink is alcohol but try and slip in a few glasses of water here and there it helps. Also try and down a glass or two before hitting the sheets when you get home. I guess Vodka waters kind of count in this department but don’t go overboard. Rule #6 Eat Something before bed. Just like rule #2 When you stomach is full the alcohol that you consume won’t be absorbed as fast into your blood stream. I find when you eat something before going to bed after a hard night of drinking it also helps. Something like a few soda crackers or a slice of bread to help absorb the alcohol helps. Rule #7 Try to get a good sleep. 2hrs won’t cut it. Sleep is when your body regenerates and recovers. Therefore the less sleep you get, the harder it is for you body to recover. A good amount is between 5 and 8 hours. Any less than that and you aren’t getting the proper sleep to help your body recover properly. Rule #8 The next day, try to avoid caffeine. A of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want if you are trying to do to cure a hang over. So try and reach for some water instead of that regular cup of joe. Rule #9 Take a Contrast Bath or a Shower. Taking a shower always helps. Try switching between cold and hot water. This will help with sore muscles from a night of dancing and also help to wake you up. Plus it will help you not smell like the bar, the booze and the brauds that you encountered the night before. Rule#10 Get some exercise. Try doing some sort of physical activity. Try anything that will keep you sweating. It takes a bit of willpower to move like that when standing seems like a challenge, but trust me sweat it out and get the endorphins going and you’ll feel 1000x better. Rule#11 Call in Sick to Work if non of the above remedies works. No one wants to tarnish their reputation or professionalism at their place of work. So It is best to stay in bed. Tell them that you think that you have the flu. You will already be In rough shape and most likely sound horrible on the phone so they will believe you. Just make sure that none of them saw you at the bar, and that you didn’t do anything to make the news or tmz the next day. GOOD LUCK and happy hangover free partying! Follow Alicia Bell on Twitter