Hangover cures to help you enjoy your holiday party world tour with gusto.

Holiday parties are fun; the holiday party aftermath, not so much. There’s the headache, the nausea, the universe hating, and if you’re nursing your fifth hangover of the season, a pinch of self-loathing. Feeling as if your life is spiralling out of control this time of year is inevitable, but your post-party holiday hangover doesn’t have to be.

The best way to avoid a hangover is to stop it before it starts. Here are 8 hangover cures to keep in your back pocket at all times:

1. Alternate

One of the primary causes of a hangover is dehydration. Before you get your drink on, drink a tall glass of water, and try to consume one glass of water for every drink you have. It’s also a great way to avoid ending up on YouTube from drinking too much, too fast (trust me).

2. Avoid congeners

These are the compounds that give liquor its flavor and color. Stick to lighter-colored, highly-filtered alcohol – the more filtered it is, the less congeners it contains, which means lowering your odds of ending up with a hangover. Bonus: Lighter alcohols tend to have a lower sugar content compared to their darker counterparts.

3. Don’t cheat on your bevvy

Pick your drink for the night, and stick to it. When you mix drinks, you’re pretty much asking for a hangover, since different alcohols contain different additives, flavors and sugars.

4. Supply your own mix

This of course depends on where your holiday parties are being hosted, but if at a friend or co-worker’s house, don’t feel shy about bringing your own mix, such as raw, organic, cold-pressed juice. Raw juice with your alcohol will give your body a fighting chance at breaking down and processing the alcohol, sans hangover.

5. Hydrate before bed

Before bed, try drinking two to three glasses of water to avoid a post-party headache in the morning.

6. Nix nausea

One of my favorite hangover cures – especially this time of year – is ginger tea. It’s a great way to de-queasy yourself. You can pick it up at any health food store, or make your own: Cut 10-12 slices of fresh ginger root and drop into four cups of water. Boil the water for 10 minutes, then strain.

7. Nap when you can

A lack of sleep can make you feel hungover even when you haven’t been drinking, so it goes without saying getting enough rest is a key hangover cure. Either do everything you can to keep your usual sleep pattern in tact, or opt to squeeze in ample recovery time after your get-togethers.

8. Decide on a go-to hangover workout

You might not have the energy or wherewithal to survive your usual workout routine, but there are plenty of hangover-inspired workouts out there to help you get your blood flowing and burn off any alcohol still lingering in your system.

Which hangover cures do you turn to this time of year?

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