By Olivia Tindall
Picture this: You’re running late to your first party of “halloweekend.” Your roommates are
rushing you to take one more tequila shot before you go and wash it down with some “witches
brew” (contents unknown, besides definitely cinnamon and fireball). You stumble into an uber
XL in silver platform heels, blast a SoundCloud remix to the Adams Family theme… and
honestly, the rest of the night is a blur.
You wake up with slobber on your pillow, candy corn in your teeth, and your friend is passed out
beside your bed in his spiderman costume still clutching a Four Loko for his dear life. Am I
digressing?
Anyways, let’s face it, Halloween is an excuse to dress up and get f**ked up. The festivities are
always well prepared for, but the recovery? Often neglected. Let’s run through some home / over-the-counter remedies that are actually effective— speaking from personal experience here.
- Liquid IV
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Founded by a fellow LMU student, Brandin Cohen, Liquid IV is a “hydration multiplier”
electrolyte drink mix that carries three times the electrolytes in sports drinks. Hydration is key when
you’re hungover— as most of us know, alcohol is extremely dehydrating, so pouring one stick of
Liquid IV in your cup of water after drinking can help to eliminate some symptoms of
dehydration, or a gnarly hangover.
Liquid IV is sold at Target, Whole Foods, Vons, Walgreens, or you can buy them in bulk online
as well. Their website provides more information regarding Liquid IV’s mission,
the science behind the product and all of the options available for different flavors and sizes of
Liquid IV. - Vitamin B12.
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Take one of these a few hours before a night when you know you’ll be getting a little boozy. It is
a lifesaver. A friend of mine, who is a med student at Northwestern, said that her biochemistry
professor recommended this supplement for hangovers more than anything else.Here’s the science behind it:
Health Line says that “Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential vitamin that your
body needs but cannot produce.” The enzymes that digest alcohol need vitamin B12 as a
coenzyme to function properly. When your liver can’t digest alcohol anymore, toxic
byproducts, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, build up, which is what gives you a hangover. How
to prevent these toxins from building up is by taking a vitamin B12 supplement before you drink
and the morning after.
Naomi Hoffner can back me up on this point here, according to her article written for Spoon
University titled “B12 is the Hangover Remedy You Never Knew Existed”:
“Taking a B12 supplement has many benefits because B12 is needed for your body to
function. B12 plays a key role in the functioning of the brain and nervous system, but
many take it to boost mood and energy, to strengthen the immune system and for healthy
skin and hair. However, B12 has a hidden talent that many are not aware of: it’s one of the
greatest hangover cures.”
So, B12 has superpowers besides just being apparently the ultimate hangover cure!
B12 will not necessarily make you feel rejuvenated and reborn after a bender by any means. It is
just a good preventative measure, and will probably eliminate certain aspects of a hangover. - Milk Thistle
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My housemates and my pantry is always fully stocked with milk thistle, which was randomly
recommended by our friend and has been our hangover savior since.
Milk thistle is a flowering plant that comes from the same plant family of the daisy. How cute?
It’s used to make natural remedies to treat a plethora of bodily issues, including liver problems.
According to Medical News Today, “The active ingredient in milk thistle, silymarin, acts as an
antioxidant by reducing free radical production. Scientists think this creates a detoxifying effect,
which is why milk thistle may be beneficial for liver problems.”So, you know the drill. Along with your cup of Liquid IV and B12, pair it with a capsule of milk
thistle. You can find these pretty much at any convenience store or website like amazon. - Go outside!
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This may be the last thing you want to do when you feel nauseous, fatigued, and have overall
low energy. You probably want to lay on the couch and watch a movie, or just sleep all day. But,
hangovers can weigh on one’s mental state.
WebMD explains that “Alcohol is a depressant. That means any amount you drink can make you
more likely to get the blues. Drinking a lot can harm your brain and lead to depression.” So, it is
important to prioritize your mental health as much as your physical well-being on a day when
you’re recovering from a night of drinking.
While staying inside and not doing much all day can help your body recover, it will not do the
same for your mind. Going outside, taking a walk (or a run, depending on how awful you’re
feeling), or even just laying out in the sun can help improve your mood and boost your energy.
Wake up! Make your bed, smell some flowers, listen to a podcast. Call your mom. Go about your
day as if you feel fine, and your body will respond accordingly. Fake it till you make it! - Go to brunch with friends.
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This is by no means a scientifically proven hangover cure. I just find that after a night of
drinking with friends, there is no better cure to the Sunday scaries than debriefing the night over
breakfast with them. It is just as (if not more) fun than the actual night.
It also, as mentioned earlier, is extremely important to make sure to hydrate yourself after
drinking and also fill up with some carbohydrates. What better way to do that than over a meal
out? Turn your Sunday Scaries into the Sunday Sillies! Sorry, I’ll stop.
Reminder: You Don’t Need to Drink to Have Fun!
These tips imply that going out to party with friends in the spirit of spooky season must go
hand-in-hand with alcohol consumption (if you are of age to do so of course), but there are a
plethora of ways to go out and have fun with your buddies without having a cocktail in hand.
Play in-theme games, go on a haunted house tour, go to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal
Studios, go to a scary drive-in movie. The list goes on.
Happy and Healthy Halloweening!