New Years Eve Survival Guide
Monday 27 December 2010
New Year’s Eve is just around the corner (Hurray). We sometimes underestimate how much prepping needs to be done to ensure that, whilst we’re throwing our hands up in the air like we just don’t care, we’re not throwing our health off course as well. Whilst Kyle Minogue eats eggs to cure her hangovers, newly appointed American Idol Judge J-Lo avoids them altogether. So, what do you do? To make it New Years Eve all the more easier to tackle, we bring you some of the best celeb survival tips, as well as some great hangover advice that is guaranteed to do the trick.
All about Hangovers
First and foremost on the survival guide – if there is one thing that a New Years Eve party doesn’t come without, then that is a hangover. Here are some simple steps to take in avoiding that head banger. And, if it’s absolutely impossible for you to avoid it, then have no fear as we also take you through some great celeb ways to deal with the-morning-after effects.
Avoiding a Hangover Rule #1
Ensure that you drink a lot of water throughout the day or in-between drinks, as one of the main causes of a hangover is dehydration, during and after boozing. Try drinking a pint of water before you go to bed to avoid that splitting headache.
Avoiding a Hangover Rule #2
Follow in Kate Winslet’s footsteps and have some orange juice, as you will find that the Vitamin C will aid the liver in metabolising alcohol. Whatever you do, do not have fizzy drinks as that will speed up the absorption of alcohol.
Avoiding a Hangover Rule #3
Do not mix your drinks, take small sips and always insist on having ice in your drink, as this will reduce your alcohol intake if you are having it over a longer period of time.
Avoiding a Hangover Rule #4
Like X Factor judge Dannii Minogue, never skip meals when you know that you’re definitely going to be drinking later on in the day. Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach only guarantees that your chances of getting drunk are increased, and that you are twice more likely to exceed your drinking limits shortly after.
Avoiding a Hangover Rule #5
Last but not least, it’s plain and simple; don’t do it! Don’t drink more than your daily allowance of alcohol. Leave the party early or stick to two to three units of alcohol. As much as we’d hate to say it, Simon Cowell is always right, and he’s right again in saying no to drinking too much, too often.
Hangover Cures
So if you’ve skipped the above section and have come straight down to the Hangover Cures section, for the sole reason you know that you’ll be guilty of a hangover anyway, then shame on you!
Hangover Cure #1
Other than the obvious of drinking a lot of water and fresh juice like Miss Winslet, it is always useful to have some of paracetamol at hand. Take a maximum of two tablets every four hours, as this will help with those pounding headaches, which are brought about by alcohol dilating blood vessels in the brain.
Hangover Cure #2
If it’s your stomach that is in pain rather than your head, try taking some antacids as they may help calm the pain when the alcohol has irritated the lining of the stomach.
Hangover Cure #3
Do make sure that you get some food down you. As stated above, Kylie Minogue likes to ease her hangover by eating an egg sandwich in the morning. Eggs are great energy providers – also containing large amounts of cysteine, the substance that breaks down the hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde in the liver. If you’re not an eggs fan, then having any energy packed foods (or junk rather) will certify that you can soldier on throughout your day. In confessing her slightly extreme cure, Cameron Diaz confessed, “Grease is the only cure for a hangover. My hangover remedy is a sandwich packed with bacon, and a beer. The beer acts as a great hair of the dog.”
Hangover Cure #4
Sweating it off or going to the sauna, like Daniel Craig, will do wonders – not only for sweating the alcohol out, but also for ensuring your body is a step closer to achieving that new body you promised yourself in the New Year.
Hangover Cure #5
It’s no wonder one of the best cures for a hangover is the most natural cure around. Yes, you guessed it; sleep. Making sure that you get at least eight hours of sleep, like J-Lo, will have you feeling energised and raring to go. Also, take your last sip of caffeine at least eight hours before you go to bed – opting for a relaxing cup of chamomile tea instead. Your last meal should be pudding-free and eaten two hours before bedtime to avoid indigestion, which makes drifting off extremely difficult.
So there you have it, follow this celeb-packed New Years Eve survival guide and you can’t go wrong!
Happy New Year!
Yasmine Bendjoudi