So you were out and about on Christmas Eve hissing like a rattlesnake at Santa’s little teenaged sluts wearing stupid Santa hats on the way to getting yourself smashed. You wake up the next morning with a killer hangover and wanting to do nothing more than slice your head open with a fillet knife – except that you can’t get out of bed much less go to the kitchen to hold one.
There’s yet be a known cure or remedy for hangovers. In fact, experts the world over haven’t come up with anything conclusive and a 4 page feature published in the British Medical Journal concluded with, “No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to practise moderation.”
But hey, nobody said you couldn’t or shouldn’t try. Before you go out and damage your body again on New Year’s Eve, I’ve asked around to see what works for other busy party people to minimise that dreadful hangover.
1) Hydrate yourself
If you don’t already know that alcohol removes water from your body (why do you
think you trot around from the bar or dancefloor to the toilet so much) then maybe you should be staying home to knit instead. When your night is over, drink as much water as you can to replace the lost fluids.
What I like to do is fill up a 1 litre bottle with lukewarm water and chug it down as I prepare for bed and change from my well-dressed self to Dobby’s long lost dumpy twin brother after a night of partying.
2) Ginger and spice and everything not so nice
I discovered this on a drinking session at Cornerstone where I was quickly lightheaded. My friends decided to grab some food off the menu and we ended up having black pepper squid, and black pepper beef. Within minutes, I snapped back to clarity.
I also like to drink ginger tea at your everyday coffeeshop when I’m done clubbing. Ask for Teh Halia or Susu Halia, the former meaning tea with ginger and the latter, milk with ginger. I had this in the morning after ZoukOut (I downed tequila shots like water that night) and while I was really tired the following day, I didn’t have a hangover at all.
3) Vitamins
This is a no-brainer. I pop a multi-vitamin pill before sleeping. Vitamin C boosts the metabolic rate for your liver to process the alcohol while vitamin B1 breaks down the leftover alcohol in your system.
When available, I drink a glass of fruit juice before sleeping, because besides the vitamins I ingest, the fruit juices available at supermarkets contain levels of sugar. And your body needs that sugar to breakdown the alcohol.
4) A cold shower
Unless you’re an army boy, 5am showers are unheard of. In fact, the idea itself sounds somewhat preposterous. But stepping into the cool shower does wonders. Your mind immediately snaps together and research has shown that it might simulate your body to repair itself. A cold shower is akin to a tiny dose of something harmful and the body would naturally want to repair itself.
Check with your doctor if you’re having heart problems with regards to cold showers. But then again, what the heck would you be drinking your life away if you’re having pulmonary complications anyway?
5) Frightful fried food
You come home and you see a plate of fried chicken laid innocuously on the stove. The next thing you know, you’re shoving it down your throat. Chemically, greasy food helps only slightly. And that’s because fat is turned into sugar, hence, energy. But for of us, we just whack it because it’s comforting.
6) Panadol
Two pills taken before you sleep should be enough to kill the throbbing headache. But this shouldn’t be a permanent fixture on your drinking routine. With your liver and kidney already working overtime, panadol would add on to the strain and excessive use can lead to kidney failure or liver damage. But maybe once in a while shouldn’t be too bad.
All that said, the best way to prevent hangovers is to drink in moderation. Ask for water with a slice of lime in between drinks to keep yourself hydrated. If you have any other suggestions or comments to treat or prevent hangovers, feel free to pop them below!
Here’s wishing you a Happy New Year! 
