champagneYou drank a bit too much champagne and danced long past the countdown and well after the sound of the party horns faded. Now you're feeling it: the New Year's Day hangover. Your head is pounding. You're exhausted. You ache all over. You're seriously thirsty and those hors d'oeuvres that tasted so delicious last night are not sitting too well in your stomach this morning. Also, will someone please dim the lights and stop the room from spinning?

Yes, yes, you're filled with regret. You'll never drink to excess again. (Or at least perhaps not until next New Year's Eve.) But in the meantime, what can you do to cure your hangover -- fast? Here are a few tips:

Drink up: No, don't try "the hair of the dog that bit you" routine. You've already had enough alcohol, my friend. More at this point will only make you feel worse. But do sip plenty of water or fruit juice. You need to rehydrate.

Eat something: I probably don't need to tell you, given the way your stomach feels right now, to stick to small portions and bland foods, like crackers and dry toast. These will boost your blood sugar and actually may help your stomach recover a bit. You might sip a little clear bouillon broth to replace the salt and potassium your body has lost. And try drinking or eating something with fructose in it, which can help speed up the rate at which your body burns off alcohol.

Hit the medicine cabinet: Taking a pain reliever like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) or aspirin could help your headache. However, beware: Aspirin may also irritate the lining of your stomach. And if you're a heavy drinker, acetaminophen can damage your liver. If you do take an over-the-counter pain reliever, try to take only a small dose.

Try a natural remedy: There's evidence that some vitamins and herbs can help clear your body of toxins (like too much champagne): You could try B vitamins, vitamin C, evening primrose oil, milk thistle (Silybum marianum), or globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus), if you happen to have them around. Then again, you don't always know how your body will respond to alternative treatments, so if you try them, proceed with caution.

Get some sleep: What were you really hoping to accomplish today, anyway? If you can, sink back into your pillows and sleep it off. Sweet dreams!

Do you have any preferred tricks for curing a hangover?

 

Image via e_calamar/Flickr