How to Prevent a Hangover

Some people enjoy going out and having a few drinks with some friends and then there are those who set out to become plastered and outright drunk. Regardless of the intentions, the following steps can be taken towards a pain free and enjoyable morning after drinking.

Eat:

If you consume food before hand or even directly after you drink, the food can work to absorb the alcohol in your system and help to sober you up. My suggestion, something that I swear by, is food from McDonald's right before or after alcohol is consumed. Even if you're not hungry, eat an order of fries at least. If you're somewhere where you cannot get McDonald's, eat something like bread, eggs, crackers, honey, or chicken noodle soup.

Stay Hydrated:

Alcohol consumption can cause you to have to go to the bathroom a lot and therefore robs your body of the water it's storing and causes you to become somewhat dehydrated and can make for an unpleasant after effect. Before you go to bed or even after you're just done drinking, drink at least a full glass of water. Sports drinks such as Gatorade, Propel, and Powerade will also help replace electrolytes and hydrate you.

Rest:

If you know you don't have a lot of time to be able to rest after you're done drinking, it's probably not a good night to drink. If you get enough rest, your body will have time to repair itself from the alcohol and you will feel far better if you're able to get eight hours compared to that three hours you'd get if you had to go to work the next day.

Pain Killers:

Along with your full glass of water, take a couple of Motrin or Tylenol to help keep down the headache that could manifest in the morning. You should not take more than one or two of these and do not mix them with your alcohol, take them with your water.

Know Your Limit:

We all have a limit, whether we're lightweight or not. If you know you're getting to the point that you think you'll be hungover the next day, do yourself a favor and stop there.

Just know that not all of these tips or tricks may not always work for you personally and the only true way to prevent a hangover is to not drink at all!