Every now and then, when we’ve got a new promotion, feasting the arrival of the holiday season, or just enjoying a reason to celebrate with friends and family, one tends to lose count of the drinks one ends up consuming. And the next morning when we wake up we have very little recollection of what transpired last night because we’re too busy dealing with the awful queasiness and bouts of nausea.

But there’s no reason to despair, because like all illness and ailments, nature has the perfect cure for this one too. You don’t have to bear the awful fatigue and tiredness all day long, and you can certainly got your face out of the toilet seats because there are countless remedies to prevent and cure hangovers instantly.

Research reveals that one can reduce the risk of hangover by picking out one’s drink carefully, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and consuming certain hangover-preventing foods before indulging in drinking.

However, it is also important to limit one’s indulgence, but if one fails to do so and finds oneself struggling against a nasty hangover, we’ve picked out a variety of natural foods, fruits and juices that will fill you up in energy and relieve the uneasy symptoms in no time.

Here, take a look:

1. COCONUT WATER

Coconut water does not contain any preservatives or harmful ingredients, and it is your best pick for boosting up your natural electrolytes and powering your body with a whopping dose of energy. However, you need to be careful about which coconut water brand you pick out, because most brands are not as organic as they claim to be. We recommend Zico Natural Pure Premium Coconut Water because its authenticity has been validated by ample research.

2. TOMATO JUICE

Freshly squeezed organic tomato juice is packed with minerals and vitamins, which are highly essential to nourish the body after a night of binge drinking. Tomato juice is rich and delicious and the best part is, it really works wonder at hydrating the body. Much like honey, tomato juice contains heaps of fructose that flushes out the lingering effects of alcohol and help you get rid of the awful hangover symptoms.

3. BANANAS

We all feel fatigued and energy deprived when we wake up after a night of heavy drinking. It’s actually our poor muscles who suffer the most when we binge drink, and it’s absolutely normal to feel tired and slow. It happens because the body’s potassium levels have fallen, and eating a banana can help energize your body because it is packed with heaps of potassium.

Banana will improve the functioning of your muscles, and eliminate the feeling of tiredness and nausea.

4. EGGS

Eggs are packed with a rich dose of protein, an essential nutrient for regulating blood sugar levels and combatting toxins due to its cystine content. Organic pastured eggs which come from grass-fed hens raise on organic feed because they are loaded with Vitamin B, and help rejuvenate your body and brim you up with energy.

5. HONEY & CRACKERS

Honey contains heaps of concentrated fructose and antioxidants, which aid the body by flushing out all the alcohol present with the body instantly. You can always eat a spoonful of raw organic honey, or you can add it to warm water and enjoy it hot like a cup of tea. But eating honey with crackers is probably your best trick as it goes easy on the stomach and helps you digest the honey.

6. ASPARAGUS

Asparagus is your best pick to prevent and cure the symptoms of a hangover. If you eat it before drinking, you won’t have to suffer at all, but if you couldn’t, you can reduce the symptoms by eating one then. Research reveals that asparagus leaves and shoots contain certain extracts that increases essential enzymes that are needed for breaking down and metabolizing alcohol after a night of binge drinking.

You don’t necessarily have to pick out an asparagus recipe, just be sure to eat one before you head out to the club or bar. You see, an asparagus makes it a lot easier for your body to break down the alcohol within the belly before it gets absorbed by other digestive organs

Besides, when there’s food within your belly while drinking, the alcohol disrupts the bloodstream in a subtle speed, as opposed to an empty stomach that allows the alcohol to rush up the bloodstream. This also reduces the adverse impact caused on the brain as it creates a lesser accumulation of toxic substances, and the hangover that results is also much more bearable.

7. QUINOA

This South American grain is known for its therapeutic and fitness benefits, and it is extremely beneficial for curing the symptoms of an awful hangover.

You see, when you consume too much alcohol, the amino acids present in your body, which are the essential building blocks of protein, get reduced, and this deprives you of energy. In such a situation, quinoa is your best friend because it has a rich amino acid content and it can help you nourish your body and heal the damage.

8. NUUN

If you’re an athlete who has a day full of practice session but cannot seem to move his/her hangover body for a teeny tiny inch, Gatorade is just what you need to eliminate the grogginess and charge up your body. You see, binge drinking disrupts the chemistry of the body, and you must power it with natural electrolytes to balance out the chemical content. Gatorade fills up your body with electrolytes and provides a powerful hydration therapy without adding any calories whatsoever.

Nuun electrolyte-enhanced tablets are your best pick to cure a bad hangover because they contain 1 gram of carbohydrates, and their U Natural Hydration line doesn’t contain a single trace of preservative of artificial chemicals. You must always keep some in your bag in case it comes handy, and you can buy it in different flavours to make this remedy bearable for your taste buds.

9. TOAST

Toast can be a wonderful delight when your alcohol ravaged body is forcing you to put your head into the toilet seat and survive through the awful bouts of nausea. Eating a toast can help you get through the symptoms of a hangover or a mild flu like a breeze, and your liver will really appreciate this help after you’ve been plying it with alcohol all night.

You see, when the blood sugar lowers down, the liver turns towards stored carbs to create a sufficient supply of glucose within the body. But after having too much alcohol, the liver is unable to regulate the blood sugar because it’s too busy metabolizing all the alcohol that has accumulated within the body.

And this causes your energy levels to deplete, and you feel cranky and annoyed. A toast will not only cheer you up, but it is easily digestible for the stomach and it will eliminate awful queasiness.

10. PRICKLY PEAR

This healthy cactus fruit has a powerful anti-inflammatory profile that aids in repairing the damage caused by heavy drinking. A recent research revealed that if one consumes a prickly pear cactus at least five hours before drinking cuts down 50% risk or severity of the hangover symptoms as opposed to drinkers who didn’t have any.

You can enjoy this succulent fruit raw, or you can eat it as a capsule extract. A hot cup of prickly pear tea will be equally effective in preventing a hangover.

You must make a habit of drinking some water between your drinks or cocktails, because water will help dilute the alcohol present in your stomach along with keeping your body well-hydrated. But if you can’t seem to get past the hangover no matter what, just grab a bowl of organic broth to energize your body with a rich dose of potassium and salt.


11. LOW-CONGENERS DRINKS

You can easily prevent a hangover from developing in the first place, all you have to do is pick out your drinks and mixers with care. And this isn’t just applicable on the day after the binge drinking session, but even more so when you’re drinking. You see, picking out drinks such as gin, vodka and rum, which tend to be lowering congeners that are responsible for causing a hangover, can help you avoid this problem altogether.

Basically, congeners is a fermentation ingredient and alcohol rich in this by-product, such as whiskey, champagne, red wine, bourbon, brandy, tequila and cognac, trigger hangovers. Alcohol disrupts the release of a hormone, known as vasopressin, which signals your kidneys to conserve water, and hence, the body gets quickly dehydrated as you go on consuming these spirits.

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Strategies for a Hangover-Free Sallah Holiday Season

'Tis the season to celebrate -- but beware! One too many glasses of eggnog at the office holiday party, or a bit more bubbly than you anticipated on New Year's Eve, and you're likely to find yourself feeling less than cheerful the day after.

Want to prevent a hangover from dampening your holiday spirits? Read on to discover tried-and-true remedies that work, new methods meant to halt hangovers before they strike, and why too much alcohol causes so much misery in the first place.

Hangovers Explained

If, while nursing a horrific hangover, you've ever asked yourself, "How a couple of seemingly harmless drinks could have led to such misery?" consider this: "Alcohol is poison. The hangover is your body recuperating from being poisoned by alcohol and its metabolites," Aaron White, PhD, assistant research professor at Duke University Medical Center, tells WebMD. Symptoms vary, but can include one or all of the following:

Raging headaches. "Alcohol intoxication seems to produce dilation of the blood vessels that surround the brain, which may contribute to the headache in some people. Alcohol also has an effect on some neurotransmitters, increasing levels of serotonin or histamine that may trigger headaches," says Bruce Hetzler, PhD, psychology professor at Lawrence University.
Dehydration. Ever wake up after a night of heavy alcohol consumption and wonder why you're tongue is stuck to the roof of your mouth? Dehydration, also partly to blame for headaches and nausea, is the culprit. It causes excess urination by stopping the release of a hormone that helps the body hold on to fluid. Also sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea that sometimes accompany excess drinking can cause a person to become dehydrated. The signs of dehydration can be dizziness, lightheadedness, thirst, and weakness -- symptoms that are felt during a hangover.
Fatigue. The day after a night of drinking and revelry, you're probably wiped out. That's because alcohol disrupts sleep. Alcohol can work as a sedative to help promote sleep. But alcohol has an effect on sleep quality. "People who drink alcohol tend to have sleep maintenance insomnia -- you wake up too soon and then you can't get back to sleep," White says. That's not the only problem. "You don't spend as much time in 'slow wave', or REM, sleep," White explains. Vital for normal emotional and physical functioning, REM sleep (the dream phase) typically comprises between 20% and 25% of total sleep time.

A breakthrough study this year by Irish researchers Adele McKinney and Kieran Coyle showed that memory and psychomotor (fine motor) performance remain impaired the morning after heavy drinking, even when blood alcohol levels have dropped to zero or near zero.

Other studies have also shown that alcohol can interfere with normal 24-hour rhythms -- such as normal variations in heart rate and blood pressure seen at night. A racing heart can in extreme cases lead to a heart attack. Increased blood pressure and heart rate during a severe hangover can double the risk of a heart attack, reports Jeffrey Weise, associate professor of medicine at Tulane Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

Prevention

Before the hangover hits, you can do some damage control. Here are some of the old-fashioned remedies you may have heard of that really work.

Choose your beverage of choice wisely. "A couple of studies show that alcoholic beverages that are mainly just alcohol and water, like vodka and gin, produce less severe hangovers, while other compounds that contain congeners -- brandy, whisky, red wine, to name a few -- tend to produce more severe hangovers," Hetzler tells WebMD. What if you're a beer lover? "Beer has a relatively low congener level, although the heavier the beer, the more congener it contains," Hetzler says.
Eat before you drink. "The alcohol is absorbed more slowly when you have food in your stomach," White tells WebMD. Exactly what should you eat? Whatever you want. "It's a myth that one type of food is better than another," he says.
Pace yourself. White suggests having a nonalcoholic drink between each alcoholic beverage, which helps to maintain a low blood alcohol level, and keeps you hydrated.
Replenish lost fluids. Before you put your head on the pillow, guzzle some water or other nonalcoholic drink, but avoid caffeine. Like alcohol, it has a diuretic effect and may contribute to hangover symptoms.
Take over-the-counter pain relief before the headache hits. Experts warn, however, to avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol), a common aspirin alternative. "Too much acetaminophen is toxic to the liver. Alcohol can disrupt the metabolism of acetaminophen, making it even more toxic to the liver," White says. Although the risk of liver damage from the combination is minimal, it's possible, he explains.

New Hangover Prevention Strategies?

You may have seen ads for products that promise a night of excessive drinking with minimal hangover residue, simply by popping some pills or even changing the way you consume alcohol. But do they work?

As for the hangover prevention pills, many in the medical community remain unconvinced of their effectiveness. "They haven't been carefully studied," Hetzler says.

A few "hangover helper" pills contain a single key ingredient designed to ward off the unpleasant aftereffects of alcohol. Artichoke extract is one of them. While the product manufacturer touts this natural substance's effectiveness against hangovers, scientists at the UK's Peninsula Medical School found artichoke extract ineffective at curbing alcohol's aftereffects.

Of all the hangover helper pills, HPF Hangover Prevention Formula, an herbal supplement containing derivatives of the prickly pear cactus, has shown the most promise. Researchers found it reduces three of nine hangover symptoms: nausea, dry mouth, and loss of appetite. It's believed to work by reducing the body's inflammatory response that alcohol causes.

But skepticism remains high.

"The supplement [HPF Hangover Prevention Formula] is designed mostly to address allergic reactions that cause headaches. It does nothing for things like abstract memory impairment linked with learning, nothing for the central nervous system suppression, the diuretic effect, etc.," asserts Patrick Breslin, an alcohol and drug prevention facilitator at Western Wisconsin Technical College.

"The only evidence is their [manufacturers'] own internal reports. To the best of my knowledge, there's no evidence that there's any supplement you can take that will prevent a hangover. These claims have not stood up to scientific scrutiny by unbiased researchers," White tells WebMD. Incidentally, the study that demonstrated the prickly pear derivative's defense against hangovers was supported by the product's manufacturer.

Vaporized Alcohol

If hangover prevention pills don't work, there's also a whole new way to consume alcohol intended to curb the nasty aftereffects of consumption. The alcohol-vapor machine, or "alcohol without liquid" (AWOL) device, works by turning shots of liquor into an inhaled alcohol mist. The vaporized alcohol then mixes with oxygen and is inhaled through a tube, creating an immediate high and, according to product claims, no hangover.

But is it safe? With AWOL, alcohol bypasses the liver, which normally filters the body's toxins, and goes directly into the brain -- even before reaching the bloodstream. That means someone heavily under the influence of AWOL could very likely pass a breathalyzer test if, in fact, the alcohol hadn't yet reached the bloodstream.

That's why Diageo, the world's leading beer, wine, and spirits company and an industry leader in promoting responsible drinking, recently announced that it supports proposed New York State legislation banning AWOL machines until further research clarifies possible risks. And, at least one New York City suburb has banned AWOL due to concerns over possible health risks.

So where does that leave those of us who want to dodge the hangover, despite having imbibed a bit more than planned? Resort to old-fashioned remedies. "Two aspirin, a glass of water, sleep, and a multivitamin in the morning -- if you can stomach it -- are probably the best things to do," Hetzler suggests.