5 Things to Consider Before a Night Out on the Town

It’s finally the weekend. You’ve got big plans with friends, which usually involve a drink. Then that drink becomes another round – and another. Night of you’ll be laughing and enjoying your time. However, you may feel a little worse for wear the next day.

How are you supposed to catch up on groceries and laundry when all you want to do is lay in bed until your crushing headache fades away? What if there were ways to help you have a productive weekend without sacrificing a fun night out? 

While there may be no cure to hangovers, simple solutions like eating a solid meal and a pre-party hangover drink could help. Try out these five steps before your next night out. You’ll no longer have to set aside a “sick Sunday” every time you let loose on Saturday. With a little trial and error, you’ll find what works best to curb your hangover woes and enjoy every moment of the much-deserved weekend, whether that’s through a hangover drink or one of our other options.

1. Set Some Guidelines 

If you’ve spent a night causing mayhem with friends at clubs and bars around town, “lack of judgment” is probably a side effect of alcohol you’ve experienced firsthand. Nobody makes the best decisions when alcohol is involved. 

Take some pressure off before leaving the house. Think about what you want to accomplish the next day. Try and set a bedtime for yourself. Pick a time and make that your personal last call. If you tend to get lost in the moment, set an alarm on your phone reminding you it’s time to call it a night. 

2.Eat a Balanced Meal Before Heading Out

You will get drunk faster and possibly feel miserable the next day if you don’t eat a healthy meal to help soak up the alcohol in your body. When you have food in your system, your body has a bit of a buffer, which helps you metabolize the alcohol at a slower rate. 

While many people swear by greasy foods to fight hangovers, this may not be the best solution. Some food is certainly better than no food. However, if it is likely to cause bloating or indigestion, it may only worsen your hangover symptoms the next day. 

Instead, opt for a healthy balance of fats and carbohydrates, scientifically proven to decrease the blood alcohol curve – or, in layman’s terms, slow the speed with which alcohol enters your bloodstream, causing you to feel drunk. Some tasty options to consider would be: 

• Avocados –  these tasty fruits are full of potassium and healthy fats. The fats take longer for your body to digest, which slows the absorption of alcohol, and potassium provides the essential electrolytes your cells need to function. 
• Sweet Potatoes – a complex carb which, like healthy fats, take your body longer to break down. 
• Salmon – is rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can help fight inflammation in the brain.

If you plan on having dinner at a restaurant with friends as part of your epic night, consider a salmon and avocado roll at a popular sushi spot. Have some guac and fish tacos with your margarita—snack on a side of sweet potato fries with your first beer at the local sports bar. Having food in your stomach will help you have fun all night long and feel better in the morning. 

3.Throw Back a Hangover Drink

Eating a balanced meal and having a plan can only help so much; sometimes you need a supplemental boost from a hangover drink to feel better the next day. When shopping around for a hangover drink, consider ones that support liver function, replenish nutrients and electrolytes, and promote hydration. All of thesee factors can help you reduce your hangover symptoms like headaches, heart-pounding, and more.

4.Pace Yourself

Your body needs time to process the alcohol you drink. If you drink too fast, your blood alcohol level will spike. Then you’ll stay drunk longer, and your body will have to work harder to flush toxins out of your body – resulting in you feeling like trash come sunrise. 

Try and pace yourself. Have a glass of water in between cocktails. Do a tequila shot with friends, but avoid doing two shots in the same hour. Let loose and have fun, but give your body the time it needs to play catch up. 

5.Try and Sober Up Before Bedtime 

Nothing beats a good night’s sleep if you want to wake up feeling rejuvenated. Alcohol can disrupt essential sleep patterns making it difficult for you to get quality rest. 

While you may fall asleep faster, a higher blood alcohol content will cause you to sleep fitfully and wake throughout the night as your body seeks to find equilibrium. Having your last drink an hour or two before bedtime gives your body the time it needs to detoxify. 

Hopefully, following these five simple steps will have you waking up rested and ready to tackle your Sunday.