The Morning After: How to Cure a Hangover

Happy New Year urbanistas & urbanistos!!! 2010 is here! The number "10" is believed to represent "perfection of divine order." Think about the many references to the number...there are 10 Commandments, normally we have 10 fingers & 10 toes, the original calendar only had 10 months & so on. Whatever you believe the point is that it's time for a new decade...a new era. Old things have passed away. So let's push forward.

I don't know about you but as for me 2009 refused to leave quietly. Now while you were popping bottles and shaking it to the ground at the final hour of '09, I was in bed nursing a flu. But don't cry for me b/c unlike many of you I don't have to pay the cost for over-crunkin' it. Here are a few tips for how to deal with a hangover so you don't have to spend the entire first day of 2010 blaming it on the alcohol:

1.Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. Also try taking a multi-vitamin and drink a lot of water before going to sleep.

2.Replenish your body with fruit juice and water. Drink orange juice for Vitamin C. Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade for nutrients.

3.Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.

4.Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.

5.Drink a Bloody Mary. While your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back.

6. Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.

7. Try Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. Results have been proven.

8.Get some exercise & drink lots of water.

Lastly, do NOT...I repeat do NOT pop a bunch of pills. The side effects of aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen can be magnified when alcohol is in your system, so it is best to avoid them to kill the hangover pain. Aspirin is a blood thinner, just like alcohol, and can intensify its effects and Tylenol (or acetaminophen) can cause more damage to your liver. Ibuprofen can also cause stomach bleeding. So be cautious when going for the quick relief.

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