The No-Hangover Guild To Drinking On New Year’s Eve

One of the year’s biggest nights for drinking is New Year’s Eve and with it comes one of the years biggest mornings for hangovers. These tips will help have an hangover free morning.

DO stick with alcohols that are lighter in color. Why? Red wine and dark alcohols (like bourbon and whiskey) are higher in congeners—byproducts of alcohol—than white wine and spirits like vodka and gin. The presence of more congeners can result in more severe hangover symptoms.

DON’T mix different type of alcohols, such as beer and well drinks. It sounds like an old wives’ tale, but there’s some good truth behind it: Mixing alcohols increases the level of aforementioned congeners in your body, upping the chances for next-day nausea.

DON’T hit that bottle of bubbly too hard. Carbonated beverages—beer, champagne—can actually speed up the rate that alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream, giving your body less time to metabolize it. The result: drunker, faster.

DO eat a balanced meal—filled with nutrients and vitamins—before you start drinking to decrease the potential of gastritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal system). Consuming food protects the mucous lining from the damaging effects of alcohol. Steer clear of salty foods (which may make you thirstier and want to drink more) or anything greasy (which can make your stomach roil as the evening wears on).

DO drink tons of water. Yes, you hear it all the time, but hydrating with water is key. Alcohol consumption causes loss of vital electrolytes, which are necessary for cellular function. Rule of thumb: Drink an 8-ounce glass of still water for every cocktail you down. (Also, don’t exceed one alcoholic beverage per hour; ideally, you shouldn’t drink more than two alcoholic drinks during your celebrations.) Also, the morning after, take an electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte or coconut water.

And, in the interest of giving you as much as possible for your ringing-in-the-new-year-safely toolbox, be sure to check out this list of anti-hangover remedies (it includes eating eggs!); eating this surprising veggie may do a world of good; and keep this hangover workout handy, just in case.