Going out tonight? Need to wake up early tomorrow morning for work or class? Hold it right there. You know better than to spend your money buying "hangover cures" from the pharmacy when there are seven real, easy ways to feel 100 percent once again after a long night out.
1. Rehydrate!
Imagine waking up in the morning after a night out, throat parched, and body sore from the strange bruises that you’ve somehow acquired all over. After dancing for hours and peeing about 12 times throughout the night, you’ve had dreams about either swimming in a lake or tipping a bucket of water down your throat. So when you finally emerge from your slumber the very first and natural thing you should do is drink a large jug of H2O. But don’t limit yourself to just water; drinking green tea, coffee (mmm, caffeine) or smoothies can also help you to rehydrate. Gatorade is known to have medicinal properties for the best hangover cures, replenishing both your salts and fluids in an isotonic mixture of deliciousness.
2. Exercise.
Sweating is good for the heart, mind, and soul. You may feel like you need to spend another two days hospitalized or in bed, but perhaps all you need is to release some of those nasty toxins you’ve built up from the past night. The fresh air will not only bring you a new sense of freshness, but exercising will trigger those indispensable endorphins that make you feel GREAT. A light jog or walk is encouraged, but if the weather is bad then some home yoga or tai-chi can do the trick.
3. Eat bread.
Scientifically proven or not, bread seems to be able to immediately absorb the alcohol from your system hours after your last drink. Even in small amounts (half a loaf to 12 dinner rolls), bread can be beneficial in curing the worst of hangovers. Now while many people think that greasy foods are key, sometimes, overly deep-fried foods can make you feel even sicker. Bread, on the other hand, is a magical phenomenon that has curing properties blessed by the gods. And really, what better excuse do you need to eat some extra carbs?
4. Go to the toilet.
Not only is it a diuretic, but the ethanol in alcohol speeds up the digestion process and often turns the next morning into an immediate race to the bathroom. While staying the night at friends, holding it in can cause one to feel sick in a different kind of way. It is important to be able to release this build-up inside of us to be able to freely frolic through and make the most of the rest of our day. So make sure to stay at a close friend’s or your own humble abode, because as the common saying goes: it’s best to excrete once you’re replete.
5. Ibuprofen.
Now let’s not forget that we live in the 21st century, where comfort comes at the snap of our fingers. If you’re feeling a little under the weather, then run straight to your first-aid kit and grab the first painkilling agent that you see. For the next few hours, you will be completely numb to any discomfort from the night before. What hangover?
6. Sleep.
When all else fails, sometimes the best thing to do is to jump into your super-comfy clothes and bundle back up into a ball underneath the blankets. Not feeling too tired? Try some meditation – there’s just something incredibly calming about listening to the sounds of waves, birds, and butterflies.
7. Drink more alcohol.
If you're still reading and you’ve reached this stage of the list with no avail, then it seems as though you may need to consider a different approach. Drinking more alcohol is a good idea; a left-field approach that is not often suggested as you need to think outside of the box. Studies show that the short-term effects of alcohol include increased energy, confidence and pain relief. Unfortunately, if you take this approach, you will need to be prepared for tomorrow’s hangover.