[Rhodes22-list] How to Avoid a Hangover

[Robert Skinner]

Thank you, Leland, and Happy New Year!
/Robert

Leland wrote:
> 
> Robert--Don't know.  I reached it through another link, which may explain why
> I didn't get your sign-up screen.  Here's the article:
> 
> How to avoid starting '08 with a pounding headache
> By Suzanne Bohan
> Bay Area News Group
> Article Launched: 12/31/2007 01:37:46 AM PST
> 
> Before throwing back those celebratory glasses of champagne, whiskey or beer
> tonight, consider what will happen when that booze - usually too much of it
> - makes its way through you.
> 
> That's right: The infamous New Year's Day hangover.
> 
> But with a few smart strategies, and a little self-control, you can raise a
> midnight toast - and still raise yourself the next day.
> 
> "It is feasible to prevent a hangover," said Dr. Jerry Goldstein, a
> University of California-San Francisco neurologist and director of the San
> Francisco Headache Clinic.
> 
> So long, he added, as you follow the advice of hangover experts like
> Goldstein before, during and after your New Year's celebrations.
> 
> Let the good times roll
> 
> Initially, alcoholic beverages bring on nothing but good feelings. Because
> alcohol stimulates the liver into producing more sugar, that first drink
> rewards you with a sense of heightened alertness, since glucose is the
> brain's primary energy source.
> 
> And that first drink - and maybe the second one - also relaxes your nerves
> and releases inhibitions, bringing out that party spirit your friends know
> and love.
> 
> So what's not to like?
> 
> Nothing, so long as you stop after a few drinks. But during the nation's
> longest party night, that's easier said than done.
> 
> That easy charm? It tends to fade as you press on.
> 
> As one study stated, "loss of critical judgment" creeps up, accompanied by
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Advertisement
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> "emotional instability." Next up is impaired perception, comprehension and
> reactivity. That means it's time to hide the keys.
> On the inside, once you surpass the body's ability to clear out alcohol (an
> hour or two per drink; it's quicker for lower-alcohol drinks like wine and
> longer for hard liquor), you're just about doomed to suffer the effects of
> all that fun.
> 
> As alcohol works through your body, it's converted into a chemical that your
> body can't wait to get rid of: acetaldehyde, which is 30 times more toxic
> than alcohol. Usually, it does that easily, breaking down acetaldehyde into
> harmless by-products and eliminating them from the body. That process, by
> the way, takes a lot of energy, which is why alcohol warms up people.
> 
> So when you drink too much, and generate too much acetaldehyde, that's when
> real nastiness manifests: Excess acetaldehyde translates to nausea and
> vomiting during and after drinking binges, since the chemical irritates the
> lining of the stomach and small intestine, and releases stomach acids.
> Acetaldehyde also can trigger a rapid pulse and sweating.
> 
> But acetaldehyde overdose is only part of the story. As your body valiantly
> works to metabolize all that extra sauce, it depletes your stores of blood
> sugar, leaving you lethargic, irritable and foggy-headed. Alcohol also
> depletes electrolytes like sodium, potassium and calcium, which retain
> fluid.
> 
> With those stores diminished, you'll excrete more water, causing dehydration
> - another hallmark of a hangover. Four eight-ounce drinks, for example,
> consumed over several hours will cause the elimination of up to 32 ounces of
> water. That dehydration, in turn, creates headaches and other hangover
> symptoms, according to one study.
> 
> So what's a person to do?
> 
> The most sensible approach is to limit how much you tip back. Alternate
> booze with water or juice. The latter is especially helpful, since it
> contains fructose, which not only replenishes sugar levels, but accelerates,
> by up to 80 percent, the metabolism of alcohol into its harmless components,
> which are then eliminated, Goldstein said.
> 
> Also, indulge yourself and eat a hearty, high-fat meal before the night
> begins, experts advise. Food slows the passage of alcohol into the small
> intestine, where it's more quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. And fat
> slows the absorption of alcohol down even more.
> 
> Before bed
> 
> A critical juncture in your hangover prevention quest is just before
> retiring. One of the best remedies is just a glass of milk and cookies.
> 
> A cup of bouillon also restores electrolytes, as do sports drinks. Goldstein
> also recommended fruit juice, which will also replenish sugars as you sleep,
> as will honey.
> 
> A pain reliever can also help prevent a New Year's Day headache, but experts
> caution against taking one if you're nauseous, as it may worsen symptoms.
> And avoid acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), which can be toxic to the liver
> when taken after drinking.
> 
> Finally, drink plenty of water during the evening, and before retiring. With
> these steps, Goldstein said, "You can eliminate the possibility of a severe
> hangover."
> 
> Robert Skinner wrote:
> >
> > Leland wrote:
> >> Don't drink, but if you must:
> >> http://www.mercurynews.com/lifeandstyleheadlines/ci_7848194?nclick_check=1
> > -----------------------------------------------
> >
> > Why do I have to sign in/up to see this article?
> > Snapshot of screen attached.
> >
> > /Robert
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-- 
Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven" 
Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."