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If you had a little bit too much fun yesterday (yeah, I saw people drinking as early as 11 am) then you’re likely paying for it today. I mentioned a few tips briefly in my post on How to Make the Most of Your Sundays, but I felt that post-St. Patrick’s Day requires some reinforcements. So, unless you’re one of the enviable freaks who never get hangovers, read on to see my twists on a few classic tips for curing the college curse.

Note: For best results, combine any of these remedies with lots and lots of water. Your body gets extremely dehydrated when you binge drink, and this dehydration is the underlying cause of most, if not all, of your hangover symptoms. So forget the hair-of-the-dog and get to chugging the clear stuff if you really want to beat your hangover.

Old Remedy:

Drink Gatorade

Combine With:

Eat Beef Jerky

You may have heard to drink Gatorade or a similar sports drink to cure a hangover, and it can help because it helps to rehydrate your body and replenish lost electrolytes. However, drinking electrolytes is not as effective as eating them, because they are easier for your body to absorb from food. Fresh fruit and vegetables have electrolytes, but if you want to really pack a punch, eat a couple pieces of beef jerky. Jerky is low in calories but contains almost as much electrolytes as the energy drink. Have some jerky with your Gatorade (and, as stated above, lots of water) to help your body recover.

Old Remedy:

Fresh Air

Combine With:

Exercise

Although the last thing you want to do is leave your bed when you’re hung over, fresh air can help energize you and make you feel less fatigued. To make the most of your quick jaunt outside, go for a brisk walk, do a few quick jumping jacks, or toss a Frisbee around with your sympathetic friends. Going outside to exercise may make you feel worse at first, but a few minutes can make a difference in the long run because it wakes you up and gets your metabolism moving so that you can process the alcohol faster and rehydrate more easily, making you less tired, sick, and sore.

Old Remedy:

Aspirin

Combine With:

Cayenne Pepper

Our first response to a pounding headache is to reach for the Aspirin or Tylenol bottle. While this can minimize symptoms, it’s a bad idea to pop these medications all day long, especially after drinking. Any alcohol left in your system can react with the aspirin, making its side effects worse. Instead, take your painkiller with a tall glass of water, and a side of cayenne pepper, a natural remedy for headaches. Cayenne comes in capsule form, which you can take with water, but if you don’t have these, then regular cayenne pepper mixed with water will do the treat. It isn’t pleasant, but it’s worth it. Just make sure to only mix a teaspoon or less with 2 cups of water, because cayenne pepper is strong and you might gag if you try to take a larger dose.

photo credits: 1,2,3,4,5

Old Remedy:

Eat pickles

Combine With:

Drink pickle juice

This is kind of a weird one, but many people swear by it. The salty flavour of pickles help settle your stomach and may aid in rehydration, but to get even better results, take a swig of the mineral-rich liquid in the pickle jar. This pickle juice can maximize the benefits of just eating a pickle, and if you like pickles, you won’t mind the flavour.

Old Remedy:

Take a cold shower

Combine With:

Use a cold wash cloth

Taking a short, cool shower can wake you up and get your inner systems working to relieve your hangover, but it’s hard to stay in a cold shower for more than a minute or two, especially when you’re feeling less-than-fab. To make the refreshing feeling last, wet a wash cloth with cold water after you get out of the shower, and lay in a dark room with the wash cloth over your forehead and eyes. This can help ease the symptoms of a headache and the overall dryness that’s associated with hangovers.

If all else fails, wait it out. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to cure a hangover but wait for it to pass. Next time, take precautions to pace your drinking throughout the night, and rehydrate with water between drinks. Don’t worry, you’ll still get drunk, but without having to pay for it the next morning.

What Do You Think?

What are your hangover cures? Have you tried any of these, did they work? Did you go out for St. Patrick’s Day? Leave a comment and let me know, I love hearing from my readers!

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kaleigh