How To Avoid A Hangover On Your Next Guys Trip

Vacations mean fun and drinking is often part of the total experience. Whether it's visiting breweries, whiskey tasting at a distillery, or a late night of partying at the nightclubs, drinking too much can lead to a hangover, leaving you feeling sick with headaches and nausea. While the best way to avoid this is to eat something before going out, drink plenty of water, and moderate your alcohol consumption - avoiding a hangover on vacation can be more complicated than that. Luckily, I've had some experience with this and hopefully you can avoid the troubles that I've experienced over the years. Get ready. This article will guide you through steps to prevent that dreaded hangover while still enjoying your vacation drinks.

Before Drinking: Prepare Yourself To Avoid A Hangover

Before you start drinking on your vacation, make sure to prepare. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is absolutely true in this case as well. Eating foods rich in fats and fibers, and taking vitamin C can help slow down how fast your body takes in alcohol.

Eat fatty and high-fiber foods

Eating healthy, fatty foods like avocados can slow down alcohol absorption. Avocados, packed with healthy fats, keep your stomach full for longer. While fatty foods like bacon or sausage have long been cited as hangover cures ... and there's some truth to it, processed foods with nitrates, sugars, and other preservatives can actually make your headache worse and potentially lead to an upset stomach too. Heathy foods though can makes it harder for your body to soak up alcohol fast by extending the time it takes to metabolize the alcohol and transport it around your body.

They not only delay the booze from hitting you too quickly but also protect against harsh hangover symptoms. Including these in your meal before drinking ensures that alcohol finds its way into your bloodstream at a slower pace.

Load up on vitamin C

After eating fatty and high-fiber foods, focus on vitamin C. This nutrient delays alcohol absorption, helping you avoid a hangover. Vitamin C also fights hangover symptoms. One way to get it is through fruit juices, which replenish electrolytes and sugars too.

Another option could be getting an drip with a cocktail of different vitamins and nutrients that can help your body recover more quickly. Depending on where your vacation takes you, there are usually mobile options such as Hangover IV, in Hawaii to help you out.

Smart Drinking Habits

Drinking smart keeps the fun going without the pain later. Choose one type of beverage, like beer or spirits, and stick with it all night — mixing types can make you feel worse. Avoid drinks heavy in sugars, acids, articial colors, and carbonation since they're harder on your stomach.

Remember to drink water between alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated. These habits help avoid hangovers, so you can enjoy your vacation more ... rather than nursing a headache and having to miss that awesome mountain biking experience.

Stick to one kind of drink

Sticking to one kind of drink makes it easier to track how much alcohol you consume. This method also keeps your stomach calm. Mixing different types of alcohol does not make you drunk faster, but the speed and amount you drink do affect how quickly the alcohol hits you.

While mixing different types of drinks - shots, cocktails, beers etc. in the same night won't get you drunker faster and from that perspective, alcohol is alcohol, it can upset your stomach and lead to a general sense of feeling ill depending on the specific drinks you are consuming. For instance, if you are drinking whiskey sours all night and then decide to pound a pint of IPA, that could cause your stomach to be upset and the carbonation from that one drink could lead to issues that simply drinking whiskey sours wouldn't have caused.

Mixing drinks is asking for trouble. Stick to one type; your head will thank you.

Avoid congeners and carbonation

Choosing drinks with fewer congeners helps beat hangovers. Congeners are chemicals in alcohol like whiskey and tequila that make you feel bad the next day. So, pick clear liquors such as vodka or gin to keep your head clear.

Also, say no to fizzy drinks. Bubbles in carbonated beverages speed up alcohol’s trip into your bloodstream, making you drunk faster. This can lead to worse hangovers as well as belching and generate stomach discomfort. Keep it simple—go for non-carbonated options.

Drinking flat drinks instead of bubbly ones like champagne or sparkling water also reduces the risk of feeling sick later on. Remember, slower absorption means a gentler effect the next morning.

Alternate alcoholic drinks with water

Moving drinks with congeners and carbonation, another smart choice is to drink water between alcoholic beverages. This step cuts down on dehydration, a main cause of hangovers. For every beer, glass of wine, or cocktail you have, follow it up with a full glass of water. If you don't like drinking straight water or if drinking water upsets your stomach later, try inflused options such as cucumber water, lemon water, or strawberry water. You can even bring your own flavoring or a hydration powder with you.

This trick keeps your body hydrated and helps flush out alcohol toxins faster.

Drinking water helps the body reduce the effects of dehydration, but simply drinking more helps reduce the chance of overdrinking since you can only drink one thing at a time. By pacing your alcohol intake with water breaks, you'll likely stay in control and enjoy the vacation without morning regrets. This is a trick that I learned from my Polish and Ukrainian friends, who tell me that this is their secret to being able to do vodka shots all night long and still being able to wake up in the morning and go to work.

Aim for at least 8 ounces of water after each alcoholic drink — it's a simple yet effective way to keep hangover symptoms at bay while celebrating.

After-Drinking Care: Nip That Hangover In The Bud!

After you drink, your body needs help to fight off that rough feeling the next day. This starts the moment you leave the bar. If you wait till the next morning to start your hangover recovery, it might be too late to avoid it happening. To avoid the hangover from starting, follow the advice above ... and then once you stop partying, drink plenty of liquids like water or sports drinks that have electrolytes and eat easy foods like toast or eggs to help your body recover.

Stay hydrated with water and drinks that help with rehydration

Drinking water fights off dehydration, a common result of alcohol's diuretic effects. Pedialyte goes further by replenishing sugars and electrolytes lost during a night of drinking with the boys. You might also want to consider drinks and shots that are specifically formulated to include other nutrients and supplements that can help reduce hangover symptoms as well.

This crucial for quick recovery. Rehydration drinks like Pedialyte restore the balance in your body, ensuring you bounce back faster after consuming alcohol.

Eat a balanced meal with bland carbohydrates, healthy fats, and simple proteins

Eating dry toast and oyster crackers helps soak up alcohol and fill up your belly so that the alcohol metabolizes more slowly rather than flowing right into your blood stream. Remember, just because you stopped drinking, it doesn't mean the effects will stop immediately. In fact, depending on various factors such as body mass and composition as well as what you've eaten recently, alcohol can stay in your system and be released into your bloodstream for hours after you leave the bar.

These bland carbs can ease your stomach after a night out. Oats, bananas, and watermelon are also good choices. They rehydrate your body and boost energy levels without upsetting your stomach.

Next, add eggs to your breakfast. Eggs have cysteine which clears harmful free radicals from the liver. This makes them a powerful ally in fighting hangover symptoms like headache and nausea.

Pairing eggs with honey or fructose-rich fruits further battles low glucose levels caused by drinking too much alcohol. 

Your goal here is to have a healthy meal that gives you a chance for your body to respond quickly to the damage that alcohol causes to sensitive tissues.

Consider taking ibuprofen or similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory

Ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) can be a good go-to for headache relief after drinking too much. Ibuprofen, along with Naproxen (Aleve), can help avoid headache pain, but use it wisely. Taking too much is not good for your health. This is especially true if you use aspirine. All of these, though, can cause serious stomach issues if you consume too much.

Remember, never mix acetaminophen (Tylenol) with alcohol because it's harmful to your liver. Stick to ibuprofen or similar medicines to keep headaches at bay without added risks.

It is important to recognize, though, that these pain relievers won't necessarily "cure" the problems. They can reduce inflammation and minimize the pain so that you can continue with your daily activities. To feel better all over, drink plenty of water, get rest, eat a healthy meal and take ibuprofen if needed to help get your through the uncomfortable symptoms of drinking too much.

Additional Tips For Avoiding A Hangover On A Guys Trip

Part of being on a guys trip means that there's fewer limits and moderating influences. While you might party with your wife and her friends ... chances are that couples will call each other out and help you avoid drinking too much. Guys ... well ... too many of us would rather just let you cause your own pain :)

Buddy system

To help avoid this, watch out for your buddy. If they are drinking too much, call them out. Help them avoid disaster. You don't have to be a dick about it, but simply suggesting that they have a glass of water next instead of another beer or maybe ordering a round of bread sticks or potstickers for the group can help the whole group to avoid a nasty hangover.

Get ample sleep

Sleep is your best ally after drinking. It gives your body time to heal from alcohol's effects, reducing tiredness and sluggish feelings. A good night's rest helps keep hangover symptoms like migraines at bay.

Ensuring you get enough sleep aids in recovery from intoxication. Alcohol can disrupt your rest, leading to anxiety or restlessness. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep to combat these issues effectively.

This practice supports physical health, helping mitigate the dehydration and increased heart rate caused by alcohol consumption.

Try milk thistle or other herbal supplements

Milk thistle cleans your liver. This plant has special powers to fight off bad effects from too much drink. Another good choice is red ginseng. It helps calm down swelling in your body caused by alcohol.

Taking these herbs can make you feel better after drinking too much.

Get enough sleep next to keep hangovers away.

Conclusion

Avoid hangovers on vacation. Eat well and stay hydrated before drinking. Choose drinks wisely—stick to one kind and skip the bubbly ones. Water between drinks is a must. Afterward, rehydrate and eat simple carbs or eggs.

Sleep enough, consider milk thistle, and maybe an ibuprofen if needed. Follow these steps; enjoy your trip without morning regret.