There is a right and a wrong way to do almost everything; drinking is no exception. Here are some tips on how to avoid the downsides of drinking alcohol.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare to Drink
Step 1. Stay hydrated
Alcohol dehydrates you, so it's important to compensate for this. Your body will react better to intoxication if you are properly hydrated before drinking alcohol.
- You should already be in the habit of drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated. If not, it's best to start. To be clear, sodas, fruit juices, and tea don't count as water. They certainly contain it, but they cannot replace pure H20 when it comes to hydration. Drink even more water when you know you will be drinking a lot of alcohol in the near future.
- Consider physical exertion when deciding how much water to drink. If you went to the gym or exercised before going to the bar, drink plenty of water before switching to alcohol. If you plan on drinking when you dance at the club, be prepared to supplement alcoholic beverages with plenty of water.
Step 2. Consider other substances that dehydrate you and be careful not to mix them with too much alcohol
The most common are caffeine, sugar and sodium. Absolutely skip dessert if you plan on drinking a lot of alcohol.
- It was recently discovered that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day does not dehydrate the body as much as was originally theorized. You should still be careful with drinks such as energy drinks and caffeinated sodas, as they have a tendency to contain unnatural amounts of sugar and caffeine. Also note that the sweeteners in diet sodas dehydrate you even more than natural sugar. If you wish to mix alcohol with Red Bull or Coke, be sure to drink a glass of water after each cocktail.
- Remember that we all have different reactions to the substances we introduce into our bodies. Depending on your weight, height, metabolism, and other biological factors, you may need to drink more or less water to counteract the symptoms of dehydration.
- Pay attention to your body's reaction to dehydration, so you can stay in control of your condition throughout the evening. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, and nausea. Be prepared to quit drinking alcohol and switch to water as soon as you notice those signs.
Step 3. Eat a large meal before drinking alcohol
If you drink on an empty stomach, you will get drunk much faster and the effects will be more intense.
- Be careful when drinking alcohol while eating. Some beverages, such as wine, are better suited to food than others. Accompanying a meal with beer will make you feel full faster. It is not a bad idea to start drinking at least one hour after your meal.
- On a full stomach, less alcohol will be introduced directly into the blood and you will be able to enjoy more adult drinks before the situation gets out of hand.
- The best foods to eat before drinking are those rich in protein, fat and carbohydrates. Some examples are hamburgers, fries, eggs, bread, potatoes, cured meats, wraps, etc. Fried foods, while certainly not good for health in general, are a great base for an alcoholic evening.
- Drinking alcohol until you get drunk puts a lot of effort into your body. To improve your reaction, you can regularly take multivitamin supplements. However, be careful, as many supplements take time and water to absorb properly. If you plan to drink in the evening, take your vitamins in the morning, with plenty of water.
Step 4. Be aware that alcohol often doesn't get along well with medications
Studies show that 70% of Americans take medications regularly. If this happens to you, check the package insert for any unwanted interactions between alcohol and the medications you take.
- Check the package inserts for all over-the-counter medicines as well.
- Alcohol reduces the effectiveness of many antibiotics. It can also cause nausea or other side effects when combined with those medicines.
- Many antidepressants and anxiety medications should never, under any circumstances, be mixed with alcohol. Chances are your doctor has warned you about this, so you should already know that you shouldn't drink when following those therapies.
- You should never combine painkillers with alcohol. Even over-the-counter dosages of acetaminophen and ibuprofen can cause liver damage when mixed with alcohol. If you took a couple of ibuprofen tablets in the morning for headaches or body aches, wait 4-6 hours before drinking.
- Medicines usually require a lot of water to fully absorb into the system, and some can dehydrate you. Even if the medications you take do not have negative interactions with alcohol, make sure you drink enough water to compensate for the dehydration caused by alcohol.
Step 5. Rest well
Symptoms of sleep deprivation do not go well with the effects of alcohol consumption. In fact, sleep deprivation causes many symptoms similar to those of intoxication. If nothing else, you will lose consciousness much more quickly than you normally would. Consider this before you start drinking.
- If you didn't get enough sleep last night, you may feel drunk after a couple of drinks.
- Take a nap before going out to avoid taking risks. You can do this after you get home from work, before getting ready for the evening.
Step 6. Avoid drinking alone
Besides being risky, it's not particularly fun. When you drink alone, it's easy to overdo it and lose control of the situation. Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself. Also, alone, there will be no one to take care of you if you pass out.
Be careful when drinking alone. The reduction of inhibitions could lead you to seek the attention of strangers and end up in potentially dangerous situations. Always go out with at least one trusted friend
Step 7. Establish a designated driver before you start drinking
Otherwise, you run the risk of walking around, driving with a drunk, or driving when you shouldn't.
- Save some money for a taxi if no one wants to stay sober and remind your friends to do the same.
- If friends are drinking at your house, be sure to offer a place to sleep for those who can't drive home. It is your responsibility as a landlord not to let anyone drive drunk.
Part 2 of 3: Drinking Responsibly
Step 1. Remember your past experiences
They should give you good guidance on what and how you can drink before you lose control.
- Most people don't respond well to a particular type of alcohol. It is good to know the content of the cocktails you wish to order, so as to avoid the drink that is giving you problems.
- If this is your first time drinking, start slowly with a couple of beers or glasses of wine so you get an idea of how you react to alcohol.
- Be especially careful when experimenting with something new. It can take years to really realize how different types of alcohol affect you.
Step 2. Avoid mixing too many types of alcohol together
Some people react better to combinations than others, but you will usually put less stress on your body if you decide to drink the same drink all night.
- Tequila is known to be incompatible with other types of alcohol.
- Creamy liqueurs, such as whiskey cream, can be perfect in a cocktail, but they cause a clotting effect that can irritate your stomach much faster than normal. You should never consume them in excess.
- Many people also have problems when mixing beer with spirits. Unfortunately, the best way to know how you will react is by trial and error.
- Some drinks contain various types of alcohol. Be aware that cocktails like Long Island Iced Tea are made up of a lot of spirits and can get you drunk quicker than other drinks. Be especially careful with cocktails of that type and limit your consumption accordingly.
- Don't drink anything you don't know. All good bartenders are able to tell you exactly how the cocktails they serve are composed. It may be helpful to observe the preparation of your drink, so that you know what awaits you. If you are making your own drink, always follow the recipe and use a measuring cup.
Step 3. Beware of syrups and sugar-based cocktail mixes
Beginners often try to mask the taste of alcohol with sweet products, in order to still be able to drink. As mentioned earlier, sugar increases the dehydrating effects of alcohol and is often associated with fainting and hangover.
- Some liqueurs like rum, brandy, bourbon and cordials already have a high sugar content. Be especially careful when mixing them with sugar-based preparations.
- Remember that when you order a drink like a whiskey and cola, there is only one shot of whiskey inside your glass. The rest of the drink is mostly high fructose corn syrup. By the time you have drunk enough to feel tipsy, you will have consumed two to three times more cola than alcohol.
- You also need to know that most bars don't serve 100% pure juices, so all fruit juices used in your cocktails will contain added sugars.
- Some of the more popular cocktails like Sex on the Beach contain even less liquor than long drinks. They are served in shot glasses, but contain less alcohol than a glass of pure spirits, thanks to the presence of other drinks.
- Diet preparations may be sugar-free, but some substitutes cause even more dehydration than sugar itself.
- If you want to avoid the dehydrating effects of sugar, the best drinks for your cocktails are soda and tonic water. Soda is nothing but carbonated water. Tonic water contains quinine, which has mild pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains sugar, but not in the same amount as other fizzy drinks used for cocktails. Some brands of dietary tonic water do not contain any sweeteners, so they are particularly suitable for use with alcohol. They likely won't mask the taste of the liquor much, but they will contribute less to nausea, headaches, and other hangover symptoms.
Step 4. Only drink products from the best brands if possible
Cheap spirits contain more impurities and often cause worse after-effects. You may not be able to afford a lot of expensive drinks in one evening, but the taste will be much better. This means that you can enjoy the taste of alcohol even without other drinks to cover it.
Step 5. Don't rush
You may be tempted to gulp down your drink, but it would be harder to notice the effects. It's much easier to drink too much when you do it fast, because you don't notice the effects of alcohol before deciding whether to order another drink. A good pace to start is one drink per hour.
- Make sure your drinks are measured correctly, so you can limit yourself. If you are drinking in a bar, you can rest assured that this is under control. If you make your own drinks or are at a party, always measure the amount of alcohol in your cocktails.
- Listen to your body. Once you've finished a drink, look for signs of dehydration before ordering another one. As mentioned earlier, these are headaches, nausea and dizziness. Stop drinking alcohol and switch to water as soon as you notice those symptoms. Also pay attention to your motor skills. If you find yourself stumbling all over the place or having a hard time talking, you probably shouldn't keep drinking.
- Listen to your friends. If someone who loves you suggests you slow down or stop drinking for tonight, they are probably right.
Step 6. Know when to stop
There are many ways to do this, but ultimately you need awareness and self-control. These qualities are usually learned with maturity and experience, so this is the hardest lesson for anyone who starts drinking.
- Set yourself a limit at the start of the night. Three drinks is a good goal for an inexperienced drinker. It should be enough to experience the euphoria and social disinhibition of a light intoxicated state, without risking vomiting, fainting or losing control of the situation.
- If you think you are having trouble containing yourself, tell a friend or designated driver about your limit and ask them to monitor you.
Part 3 of 3: Ending the Night the Right Way
Step 1. Eat something
Avoid sugars in this case. The next morning you will be thankful you did.
- Stop at an all-night café or bar on the way home and grab some breakfast. Look for liquid-absorbing, greasy, and carbohydrate-rich foods. As mentioned earlier, these are foods that are bad for your body, but are ideal for digesting alcohol without getting it into your blood.
- At a minimum, eat foods that absorb liquids, such as crackers, popcorn, or pretzels before bed.
Step 2. Drink at least one glass of water before bed
If you can, even more.
Make sure you empty your bladder before going to sleep
Step 3. Take a single 200 mg tablet of ibuprofen
This will act as a preventative remedy for hangovers.
- You should only take the drug AFTER eating and drinking a lot. Drinking large amounts of alcohol may have temporarily damaged the stomach lining. Food, water and a couple of hours should be enough to improve your condition enough for the ibuprofen pill to have more positive than negative effects.
- In order not to risk, do not take a larger dose.
- Avoid acetaminophen, which puts you at a higher risk of liver damage.
Step 4. Remember that you will sleep more soundly after drinking
However, the quality of sleep will be lower. Do what you have to do to compensate for the problem.
If you need to get up at a certain time, set your alarm earlier than usual. It will probably take you some time to get back to the world of the living
Warnings
- Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bangladesh; drinking alcohol in these countries can lead to heavy fines.
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DO NOT DRIVE AFTER DRINKING.
Driving while intoxicated is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, can cause accidents and put you at risk of arrest, especially in Malaysia and Singapore.
