Hello ladies, and welcome to “the morning after.” Fall Ball has come and gone and if you are anything like me you woke up with a pounding headache and felt, well…like crap. Hours wasted lying in bed, or sitting in Dana clutching a mug of coffee. By the time you’re lifted from your haze half of the day is gone. Turns out, there is a science to the hangover. HCC is here to help dissect it for you!
One might ask, first: what exactly IS a hangover? We know all the symptoms but where do they come from? When we drink, our bodies get dehydrated. Alcohol makes us urinate more; partying makes us sweat. Over the course of a night we lose vital electrolytes and fluids that leave us dizzy, parched, and weak. We are also susceptible to the side effects of a set of enzymes called Alcohol Dehydrogenase. Different people have different levels of these enzymes, so we all “digest” our alcohol at different rates. The slower our rate of digestion, the more sugars our bodies lose and the greater the build up of toxins in the body. People who have more of the enzymes are less prone to hangovers and those who have less get hangovers more easily.
There are ways, however, to beat your body at it’s own game. The Internet offers hundreds upon hundreds of different hangover “cures.” First are the more traditional options: energy drinks, fruit juice, or plain old water; taking aspirin or Tylenol (usually in combination with a mug or four of coffee); and perhaps the all-time favorite: lots and lots of sleep. In Poland people drink pickle juice, full of minerals. In Turkey Tripe Soup, made from the stomach of livestock, is a crowd favorite. Some people argue that the best way to get over a hangover is to drink more, explaining that new alcohol distracts the body from the toxins still at work from the previous night. The Bloody Mary, a cocktail made from spicy tomato juice and rum or vodka, is the classic example of this “hair-of-the-dog” approach. Though some of the more outlandish choices might not be easily available to us at Colby, there are certain basic actions that everyone can take to make the transition to daylight just a little bit more painless.
- First, and probably most obvious: hydrate!
- Get your minerals and electrolytes! When people tell you to drink Gatorade they are absolutely right. We lose a lot of electrolytes and other vital minerals when we drink, and sports drinks are a great way to counteract that loss. You can even consume Gatorade proactively- make a mixed drink, or take some sips on the side. Eating salty or mineral rich foods can also help.
- Replenish your body’s sugar! Drink juice or eat some fruit and other complex carbohydrates (the three P’s: pizza, pancakes, and pasta)
- Contrary to common belief, caffeine is actually worse for your hangover. Caffeine dehydrates- the opposite of what your body really needs!
- Though Tylenol and Advil are great for headache relief, in combination with the alcohol still in your system they do a number on your liver. Try to avoid taking these medications if you can!
Fall Ball always promises good- or, well, interesting- times. It’s a great way to get dressed up and let off some steam…and, oddly enough, a great way to bond with the rest of your Colby community. See someone milling around in Pulver whom you haven’t seen since freshman year; bump into someone at the Spa who you sit next to in class but have never talked to. Knowing how to deal with the aftermath (at least hangover-wise) can help make future experiences that much better.
For more interesting hangover tips from around the world, check out http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-weird-hangover-cures-from-around-the-…. Some really great entertainment, if nothing else!
Sources:
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/hangovers/a/causes.htm
http://cocktails.about.com/od/healthsafety/ht/hngovr_rmdy.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/12/gatorade-excedrin-tylenol-ent-hr-cx_mf_…