It’s fete season here in T&T and most of us are trying to hit every single one! While that sounds like not only a good time, it sounds like you’ll be drinking a whole lot and possibly eating foods that don’t align with a healthy diet.
While having a few drinks while you’re out on a casual evening with friends is okay, drinking in excess can leave you severely dehydrated, causing some pretty rough hangovers if you don’t properly hydrate. Drinking alcohol is linked to a significant drop in the antidiuretic hormone also known as arginine vasopressin.
This hormone’s job is to preserve the amount of water that you lose through urine, it binds to kidney receptors and promotes the reabsorption of water back into circulation. With the levels of this hormone are reduced, more fluid is lost due to increased urination. In addition to this, while drinking alcohol, it is natural that you drink less water and this can leave you with much less fluid than your body is accustomed to.
Here are a few habits to keep up during the party season to enjoy it more and have less hangovers:
Always go out hydrated
Most fete seasons are planned and you know exactly what parties you’d like to go to and when. A good practice would be to load up on some water a few hours before the event. While we cannot actually hold water, it will just be excreted via urination, a few extra glasses before the fete can ensure that you arrive properly hydrated.
One drink, one water
Alternating alcoholic beverages with a glass of water in between can help counteract the dehydrating effects of alcohol. This is also a great way to help track the number of drinks you have in a night out, don’t refill your alcohol until your glass of water is done.
Try choosing hydrating mixers
Try to cut out the colas and soft drinks out of your night as these products are usually highly caffeinated. So where possible choose soda, or some type of water. Let’s say you’re drinking vodka or scotch, try adding either soda or coconut water as your chaser, a little water can go a long way.
Hydrate before bed
This may be the last thing on your mind, but the best way to not wake up with those nasty hangover symptoms, is to guzzle a lot of water before going to bed.
Aim for a 500 to 600 ml bottle to start, and if you’re still feeling thirsty, drink some more. Always take an extra bottle to bed so if there’s a chance you wake up feeling thirsty it’s there to drink. If you’re feeling thirsty, you’re likely still dehydrated, so keep drinking until your urine is clear and you no longer feel thirsty.
You will need to drink one to one and a half litres of water to rehydrate from a long night of drinking alcohol.