Monday, March 03, 2008

Hangovers

Shortest title ever at The Brew Lounge?

As Philly Beer Week bears down upon us and we all attempt to figure where we'll be and when, you may want to review some hangover tips (prevention and "cures") for the inevitable struggle between moderation and day-after grogginess. Here are some links to recent articles on the subject.

The Mayo Clinic files the subject matter under 'Mental Health.' Perhaps their sneaky way of saying that you've got mental issues if you drink so much that you suffer from a hangover? "Go Back To Bed" is a favorite treatment approach.

While I'm sure some of you will give this statistic a run for its money during Philly Beer Week, try not to. I don't think you want to suffer from flame hemorrhages, now do you? This interesting article describes.

Jane Marshall, at BeerExpert across the pond, weighs in with some tips which include an egg, tomato, and fatty meat meal.

Me? For starters, I stick to my normal daily vitamin routine. When I know I have a big event looming, I try to exercise a bit more (not for any scientifically-proven reasons...it just makes me feel better/stronger), drink an extra 25% or so of water per day (I already consume around 2-3 liters a day), and get a bit more rest if possible (since I know the sleep after drinking won't be as beneficial).

During the event I try to stick to as small of glassware as possible (I gave up drinking from Das Boot back in college) and keep the hyperactivity in check (much easier said than done, of course). Then, before bed, at least one tall glass of water. The next morning? Salty, sugary, and fatty foods have always seemed to work well for me. (What'd you expect me to say? Go for a run? Well, it has been done, but it's not always a pretty sight!)

In the end, hangovers are tricky things to avoid. So many different variables seem to come into play from what you're drinking, to how you're drinking, to the mood you're in, to the physiological state that you're body is in at the time. With that said....good luck during PBW 2008!

What tips/tricks have worked for you in dealing with hangovers?

7 comments:

TheName said...

Good ideas on prevention. All-important. As for the cure?

Two words: Pho and pho. Magical, spicy beef broth and noodles; I'm now conditioned to be virtually hangover-free as soon as I even smell the stuff. It works wonders.

Some options in Philly: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pho&find_loc=Philadelphia%2C+PA&ns=1&rpp=10

Adam said...

Good advice Bryan!

Preparing your body is better than trying to deal with symptoms afterwards. So ahead of time make sure you...

- get well hydrated
- Get some vitamin B in ya (tablet or via some B rich food) It helps convert the alcohol to useable sugars and get it out of your blood stream
- moderation like Bryan said. tricks I've tried... don't finish that beer you don't really like, get smallest glass possible
- don't drink on an empty stomach
- don't go to bed dehydrated
- pace yourself
- just drink homebrew or unfiltered beer (I guess that's not possible) the yeast left in there has lotsa B vitamins

Of course this is always a struggle for me :-/

Greg G. said...

Here is what not to do....drink until 2am with your friends that come to visit you in Europe and go to work the next morning at 7am...not good

Jeremy said...

My favorite hangover cure is a Quarter Pounder with cheese from McDonalds with fries. If I am feeling too queezy for that... just a snickers and a gatorade will get me by until the afternoon ;-)

Anonymous said...

this may sound stupid but coffee, loads of it, Asian food with rice, shopping usually works for me.

Bryan Kolesar said...

I don't recall where, but recently I'd read something about acids in coffee helping to bring balance back to your stomach, which presumably has had certain acids stripped away during a "session." Or something like that. I probably shouldn't have written it without going back and checking sources first, but there you go :)

Shopping, I can't comment on that. If I feel that badly, I ain't leaving the house! (Or are you talking about online shopping?!)

Anonymous said...

actually, re: Prevention-I've always found that something fatty greasy beforehand works well too help you "maintain":) It seems I only eat them before I go out, but a whopper with french fries really does the trick!

advice from my high school advisor: always eat a slice of bread and drink a glass of milk! maybe...