Here's to a Hangover-Free New Year

Stacy Matson | Celebrity Health
Here's to a Hangover-Free New Year

image by: pheee

Bringing in the New Year with a hangover doesn't have to be an annual event. So what do celebrities do when they want to indulge?

Most people don’t set out to drink too much, but sometimes things happen. One thing leads to another and the next thing you know you wake up with a little man in your head pounding away with a jackhammer, your stomach is doing a freefall, your tongue grew a fur coat, and you offer to give the ceiling your first born child if it will just stop spinning. No Bueno.

For the average human with a hangover, staying in bed all day is probably the best way to wait it out. However, celebrities are not your average humans and they usually have obligations that require them to make public appearances, no matter what.

So what do celebrities do when they want to indulge, but showing up with a hang over or looking like Frankenstein is not a good idea? They add a hangover remedy to their morning routines. For example…

Daniel Craig gets sweaty. He said, “You're best off sweating it out after a heavy night. I find if I really can't force myself to work out and get my body moving, a stint in the sauna is the best way to go.”

Kate Winslet takes the greasy approach. She said, “A sausage and bacon sammie usually does me. I also have a big glass of orange juice and a sugary cup of tea. The combination of vitamins and sugar perk you up. I usually take that back to bed with me, have a little sleep afterwards then get in the shower to really wake me up.”

Cameron Diaz likes hairy dogs. She said, “An Egg McMuffin from McDonald's and a beer. You have to drink more of the alcohol you've killed yourself with. Hair of the dog! And you have to eat grease. Grease is the only cure for a hangover.”

Simon Cowell, Madonna, Cindy Crawford, and Rihanna get a “vitamin drip.” The vitamin drip, sometimes called the “party drip” is a trendy, expensive concoction made of vitamins and other nutrients that are delivered intravenously. Celebs swear that it is the best way to reenergize when they are feeling tired, stressed out, dehydrated, or are “under the weather.” (hungover)

Gwyneth Paltrow believes in the power of prevention. She said she relies on a supplement that helps her stay fresh the morning after a night of drinking. She said, “Before I go out at night I drink this, pre-drinking kind of vitamin drink, called Mercy, and it’s got all these vitamins in it, so you drink it before and it minimizes the hangover.” But, if she forgets to take it and wakes up with a raging headache, Gwyneth treats herself to “something greasy, like a cheeseburger and fries.”

If you started the New Year by paying the price for tossing back one too many cocktails, what do you do? Drink lots of water, take an aspirin and a vitamin, and if you can stomach it, a bit of coffee and food won’t hurt. However, while most people crave greasy foods like pizza and egg sandwiches when they are hung over, in reality bland snacks like toast and crackers are best for boosting your blood sugar and settling an upset stomach.

So, to avoid that dreaded hangover the next time...

Before you start drinking...

Load up on food. Yes, the whole absorbing the alcohol thing is true, to an extent. But you have to pick the right foods. Fatty, carbohydrate-filled foods, such as pizza and pasta, are best for preventing hangovers, because fatty foods line the intestinal walls and carbs digest slowly, which will decrease your body's ability to absorb alcohol. On the off chance you are trying to eat healthily this time of year, you can eat an oily fish such as salmon, trout, or mackerel and whole grain pasta. These foods will work, but they are not as yummy.

Drink water. It’s important to make sure that you are fully hydrated before you start imbibing and to continue drinking water throughout the evening because alcohol is a diuretic and full of impurities. The diuretic effect of alcohol and the subsequent dehydration it causes is a major reason people get hangovers. So, if you remember this mantra, “one water, one drink, one water, one drink” you should be fine.

While you are drinking…

Choose your poison carefully. This means you should avoid sugary and carbonated drinks because they increase the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. Also, try to drink clear liquors rather than darker alcohol like bourbon or tequila because they contain higher levels of congeners, a substance known to cause hangovers. While you are out try to choose drinks that have a lower alcohol and sugar content like sake, soju, or wine.

Then again, maybe the arsenal of stylists, assistants, personal chefs, and make up artists who are paid to make celebrities look really good, is the answer.


Stacy Matson, a health enthusiast from Southern California, regularly blogs on Celebrity Health for A Healthier World, as well as contributing to the Best of the Best.

Introducing Stitches!

Your Path to Meaningful Connections in the World of Health and Medicine
Connect, Collaborate, and Engage!

Coming Soon - Stitches, the innovative chat app from the creators of HWN. Join meaningful conversations on health and medical topics. Share text, images, and videos seamlessly. Connect directly within HWN's topic pages and articles.


Be the first to know when Stitches starts accepting users


The Latest from Celebrity Health

Susan Lucci's Real Life Soap Opera
Susan Lucci's Real Life Soap Opera

I am the luckiest actress on the planet - Susan Lucci

Help St. Jude
Help St. Jude

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver - Maya Angelou

Stick It to the Flu
Stick It to the Flu

Imagine the action of a vaccine not just in terms of how it affects a single body, but also in terms of how it affects the collective body of a community — Eula Biss, author of On Immunity

Stay Connected