Hangover remedies

Most of us have experienced the repercussions of a fun night out the next morning—complete with the hammering headache and "I'm never drinking again" declaration. The best remedy for a hangover? Drink in moderation, but hindsight is, after all, 20/20, so let's see what works and what doesn't.

Hair of the dog

While a Bloody Mary might sound like it'll do the trick to kick your hangover, it's one of the worst things you can do. Alcohol is toxic by definition, so your body needs time to recoup from the four Long Island Iced Teas you sucked down. Luckily, your liver is up to the task. Alcohol damages multiple organ systems, including cardiovascular, nervous, and gastrointestinal. Ultimately, you don’t want to fight fire with fire by drinking more the morning after. Filling your glass with water, juice or sports beverages such as a Gatorade is a much safer bet to rehydrating. 

Greasy spoon breakfast

A pile of bacon, eggs and hash browns usually is the go-to-breakfast for soaking up the night before. Getting calories back into your system is definitely the right idea, but stick to something a little easier for your body to digest like toast, cereal or a handful of crackers. It takes a lot of energy (calories) to get all the alcohol out of your system. Plus, lighter foods will help settle your stomach if it's a little upset.

Hangover pills

There is a sizeable market for pills boasting to keep a hangover at bay, but there is little evidence to prove these are worth the money. A better route may be to take a multivitamin, which helps replenish the nutrients you left at the bar.

Cup 'o joe

A jolt of caffeine could relieve your headache, but only temporarily, and could also do the exact opposite if you're not a regular coffee-drinker. Coffee is also a natural diuretic, so can contribute to your dehydration. The caffeine in coffee or energy drinks pulls more water into your urine and can make the hangover worse. Again, water is your best bet. 

Exercise

"Sweating it out" in a Bikram yoga class probably isn't the way to go. However; mild exercise, like a walk with your girlfriends to rehash last night, is a good way to get your blood circulating and reinforces staying hydrating (do you see a theme here?). Getting your blood circulating a little will help flush your system quicker. But don’t go too gung-ho and make yourself more dehydrated.

Sleep

Our body has an amazing ability to heal itself when given the opportunity. We just need to cooperate and not make it an even tougher battle. So, get cozy in a dark, quiet place—maybe throw on some House of Cards—and let yourself rest and recover.