The Hangover

No, this is not a movie review. I'm writing about the real life hangover. You know which one I'm talking about. I'm not talking about your standard "I think I was over-served last night..." day-after hangover where you have a headache for a few hours.

I'm talking about the "OMG, I'm never drinking again!" kind of hangover with a capital H. You know, the one where you walk around with a vacant look on your face all day, where the smell of alcohol (or any strong smell for that matter) makes you want to rip your eyeballs out of your head, where a painful headache would be a welcome improvement, and where the mental fog is so thick you can barely spell your own name. I think that kind of hangover is one of mother nature's clever little control mechanisms to keep us from getting completely tanked all the time, because it certainly makes you want to not do it again for a very, very long time.

When The Hangover does appear, however, there is hope! [Please note: If you are becoming a little more familiar with The Hangover than you would care to admit, it might be time to seek out and pay a visit to a certain two letter organization.] Here is a collection of potential coping strategies beyond the obvious ones (sleep and rehydrate).

*Disclaimer: I am not implying that any of these methods are effective (or safe) nor am I condoning their use. I am simply compiling the information. Please drink responsibly to avoid the hangover in the first place!*

Here we go:

- Sweat it out. Exercise - unappealing as it may seem at the time - can make you feel a lot better. Use your common sense though! Don't do a hard workout that your alcohol-soaked brain (and impaired motor skills) can't handle (think rock climbing or back flips on a balance beam... or chess.)

- Drink pickle juice. I'm not sure why, but they do it in Poland. (And I'm pretty sure the Polish have a little experience when it comes to drinking.)

- Take a probiotic supplement, such as acidophilus, to help restore the flora balance of your stomach, which you probably obliterated with all that booze. It's unclear if this will make you feel better, but at least your stomach will be on the road to health.

- Eat apples on an empty stomach.

- Make a banana milkshake with a bit of honey. Bananas not only calm the stomach, but are rich in electrolytes, magnesium and potassium (which were depleted during your bender.) Honey will replenish your low blood sugar, and the milk should sooth your tummy and rehydrate you.

- Bad headache? Eat a raw persimmon. Or raw cabbage.

- Have a Bloody Mary, because 1) hair of the dog and 2) tomato juice has fructose, which helps your body metabolize alcohol more quickly.

- Take kudzu extract (whatever the hell that is), because apparently its isoflavones, diadzin and puerarin (whatever the hell those are) can cure a hangover like nobody's business!

- Drink a large glass of orange juice as soon as you wake up and realize you feel horrible. It will replenish depleted potassium and help normalize blood sugar. It's also gives you something to do while you sit there wondering what the hell happened last night.

- Drink Pedialyte. A tried and true favorite of those who would know. You can also try mixing it with Gatorade.

- Vitamin B complex. Most of these crucial little guys are lost when we drink so try to replenish asap. Or if you generally drink a lot, be sure to take them regularly.

Got better ones? Let me know (by leaving a comment.) Personally, when I occasionally encounter The Hangover, I don't care as much about the headache, nausea, dry mouth etc. as I do about the general sense of blah-ness and lack of motivation that I feel. It can be overwhelming and pretty depressing. What helps me most in those moments, though, is to stop and realize that it's just a temporary feeling, it will go away, and most likely, I only feel this way because I had an awesome time last night!

Anyway, drink responsibly. But, on the rare occasions when you do go overboard, maybe one of the folk remedies above will right your ship!

Cheers!

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