Guys night out. Is there anything better?We think not, but there is one thing that’s worse … the day after guys night out. Yes, hangovers are a literal pain, but they can be prevented. Follow these steps to make room for a rager while minimizing the sickness and health pitfalls that always seem to follow.
Don’t Skip the Workout
Preparation for the big night out should always start in the gym. While a solid workout won’t fully ofset a night of boozing, it can reduce some of the damage by priming the body for better blood flow (something alcohol consumption can hinder). Aside from the overall benefits of exercise, regular workouts can give you the stamina you’ll need to stay sharp as the party goes late into the night. Try a short, intense workout before joining friends:
- Run 1 mile at a slow, steady pace
- Do 3 sets of push-ups to failure
- Do 3 sets of sit-ups to failure
- Do 3 sets of 30 air squats
- Run 1 mile as fast as possible
This workout should take no more than 30 minutes, and you should do it at least one hour (or more) before your first drink; any less than that could have the opposite effect.
Eat Pre-Drink Snacks
Now that you’re showered and dressed for a night out, it’s time to eat. Back in the day, conventional wisdom had it that eating a lot of bread before drinking up would reduce the alcohol’s effect. Turns out that this is totally wrong. Carb loading actually speeds up the delivery of alcohol to your bloodstream, and you won’t make it past midnight.
What you’re looking for is a high dose of healthy fats, which slow the delivery of alcohol to the blood and makes you feel more satiated. That, in turn, cuts the craving to drink to excess. Here are some fatty foods you’ll want to munch on before leaving the house:
- Yogurt
- Hummus
- Salmon
- Chicken (preferably dark meat)
- Avocado (bonus points for some delicious guac)
- Almond butter
- Whole eggs (with yolk)
Again, this isn’t a license to throw back 10 shots of Fireball, but it can make the difference between spending the night on a pillow or kneeling over your toilet.
Choose Your Drinks
It’s time for the main event. You’re out with the squad, and there will be drinks. Sure, it’s tempting to jump on that $2 domestics deal and order buckets of Miller High Life, but “light beer” can be deceiving. The mind trick is that because a beer is low-calorie or low-alcohol content, you can drink 30 of them and be just fine, right? Wrong.
Just look at Guinness. A stout so dark would seem to be high-calorie and high-alcohol content, but that’s not true at all. A single pint of a richer beer like a Guinness stout or Nitro IPA is more satisfying than a pitcher of domestic. You’ll drink less, spend less, and enjoy it more.
Get Ready for Bed
The night’s over and you’re ready to crash, but don’t pass out just yet. To prevent a nasty hangover, chow down on some of that leftover guac you didn’t finish before leaving the house, pop two small ibuprofen and watch some TV to let the buzz wear off before you fall asleep. You’ll feel a lot better in the morning than you would have it you’d just walked through the front door and passed out on the couch.
