It’s girls’ night out, which has been planned for weeks but there’s a 9am presentation tomorrow, which was planned three minutes ago. Bail or fail? Neither. Part of adulthood is being able to work hard, and party harder. As you get ready for the weekend, tune in to some urban wisdom from your friends at ELLE. (Besides, with this jungle of new watering-holes and eat-outs cropping up everywhere, you need some tactics)
1. Stick to lighter liquors
Lighter coloured liquors (such as vodka and gin) give you less of a hangover than darker liquors (such as whiskey and dark rum). Time for some nerdology: This is because lighter liquors are less fermented and therefore contain less congeners which give darker liquors their colour. Congeners are also why you shouldn’t mix drinks, because different types of alcohol contain different levels of congeners which can react with each other badly.
2. A glass for a glass.
Alcohol is a diuretic, which is a fancy way of saying it sucks the water out of your body. Drink at least as much water as you drink alcohol. A good trick is to alternate between a glass of water and whatever your poison for the night is. (Whiskey-water is a badass mix.) Don’t pass out without drinking a lot of water before you sleep and keep a glass by your bed – you’ll thank yourself in the morning!
3. Avoid the bubbles
Although a glass of champagne is perfect for a celebration, try to avoid bubbly alcohols and mixers. The carbonation in these drinks speed up the rate at which alcohol is absorbed in your system, and this increases the severity of the hangover. Mix your alcohol with water or juices instead. Still not sure about what to drink? Try one of these designer cocktails.
4. Carb load!
Eat before you start drinking. In this case, carbs and proteins are your friends. (This calls for pepperoni pizza.) Carbohydrates contain glycogen which slows down the rate at which alcohol affects your body. Proteins also take longer to digest which can prevent your blood alcohol content from spiking quickly.
5. Pop a pill
If you forgot to use our tips while drinking, fret not! Try a vitamin B6 or B12 when you wake up (This will replenish your body with the nutrients it needs to cure itself from the hangover.) Another option is to try Himalaya’s Liv.52 while you’re drinking, (Scientific American says it’s a good idea).
