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Quiz: The Truth About Hangovers

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:05:14 -0700

You just got a big promotion at work and you're out celebrating with friends. After a few rounds of cosmos, you start to lose count, and in the morning, you feel so horrible that you curse yourself and vow never to touch another drop of alcohol again.

Many of us have taken that same ride to hangover land, and because skipping happy hour to prevent it in the first place isn't always an option, take this quiz to learn the truth about drinking and how to ease hangover symptoms.

Source: Flickr User calebdzahnd

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Could Asparagus Help Your Hangover?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:11 -0700

I've heard all sorts of crazy hangover cures, from Bloody Marys to pickled herring. The only surefire solution I've found is lots of water and, well, not drinking too much. However, a new study suggests that asparagus could also aid your post-indulgence misery.

Apparently, the nutrients that make asparagus so good for you in other ways could also prevent hangovers. Researchers in South Korea studied the effects of asparagus on human and rat liver cells and found that the cells could be protected by the amino acids and minerals found in the green veggie.

Who knows if an asparagus-heavy dinner could really make a difference, but considering that asparagus is also high in vitamins K, C, A, folate, and potassium, it's definitely better than fending off your hangover with a greasy late-night meal. Do you think you'll give it a try?

The Morning After: Match the Hangover Cure to the Country!

GiggleSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:02:00 -0800

Everyone has her favorite way of staving off a major hangover. It's a perfect day to look into the wisdom of how people in other countries deal with having one too many on New Year's Eve. Can you match the hangover cure to the country of origin?

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The Anatomy of a Hangover

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

It happens to all of us at some time or another but maybe to more of us on New Year's Eve. We drink too much and then we pay for it the next day. Are you hung up by your hangover?

Let me take a moment to explain what that excess of alcohol does to your body once the party is over:

Your throat and mouth are dry due to dehydration, which is caused by the diuretic properties of alcohol. The dehydration also affects your muscles, making them feel weak. So drink up! And I don't mean booze. Keep yourself well hydrated today to fight last night's excesses.
The excessive alcohol also irritates the lining of the stomach, causing nausea and sour stomach. The inflammation delays digestion, which in turn contributes to the feelings of nausea.
Your liver gets backed up trying to metabolize all the alcohol, so you might be experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia, meaning you are highly irritable and moody. Some folks end up feeling ravenously hungry after a night of partying due to whacked out blood sugar levels too. If you can eat, you should eat.

Unfortunately, there are a few more symptoms of a hangover. To learn those, if you are not already experiencing them, read more.

Your central nervous system becomes chemically overexcited, causing sensitivity to light, sound, and touch.
Blood vessels in the brain dilate, and that is what is causing that throbbing headache, which is only exacerbated by your dehydration mentioned above.
Your pituitary gland becomes confused and releases the wrong amounts of the hormones that regulate sleep. So while you may want to sleep it off, your sleep pattern is severely disrupted.

On the bright side of things, it is not clear whether hangovers affect cognitive abilities. But fear not, the aftereffects of your partying should only linger about for about 24 hours. Tomorrow is another day and it is a fresh new year too. Here are some recovery tips if you need them.

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10 Tips on How to Survive a Wild Night Out

DearSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Before you hit the town tonight, you might want to be prepared. Last weekend I ask you to tell me how you recover from a wild night out and your suggestions were awesome - looks like you've all done this before! In an effort to be more positioned this time around, I've compiled my 10 favorite suggestions for how to avoid a nasty hangover. Check them out below:

Don't drink the cheap stuff
Don't drink the sweet stuff
Don't mix alcohols
Hydrate before and after a night of drinking
Eat before, during, and after a night of drinking

Want to see five more tip? Just read more.

Wash your face and brush your teeth before bed - for some reason it helps
Sleep
Sweat it out at the gym the next day
Ibuprofen
Hair of the dog - have the same drink you had the night before!

Did I miss anything?

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Do Tell: How Do You Recover From a Wild Night Out?

DearSugar — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

For those of you who look forward to the weekends all week long, chances are Friday night fun means a late night and possibly a few too many drinks! Going all out can make Saturday morning lack its usual prestige, especially when you’re too tired to even enjoy it. Some of us have to take a rest day, while others hit the gym or another bar! Everyone is different, so do tell, how do you recover from a wild night out?

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Collective Staff Hangover

GiggleSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0700

I guess if everyone parties together, no one gets in trouble! I like the sound of that.

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You Asked: Why Do Hangovers Make Me Hungry?

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:30:00 -0700

You're asking, and I'm answering.

Dear Fit,

I've noticed that on a day after a night of heavy drinking, whether I'm hungover or not, I tend to be ravenously hungry. I know that people joke about "hangover foods," but for me, it's not just craving greasy treats. I actually just feel insatiably hungry. Why is this?

- Hungry and Hungover

To see the answer, read more.

Ah, yes. As if the headache weren't bad enough, you also have to worry about a hangover interfering with your healthy eating habits. Before I started researching this answer, I assumed it had something to do with blood sugar, and indeed, blood sugar takes the blame for postparty hunger pangs.

Alcohol, as we know, is high in carbohydrates, and drinking heavily can temporarily decrease your blood-sugar levels. Basically, alcohol throws your blood sugar out of whack, and your body spends the next day trying to readjust, leading to increased hunger.

Here's what else I've been able to figure out from my research. When you drink, your liver is so busy metabolizing the alcohol that it neglects to produce glucose like it usually does. It's especially bad if you're drinking on an empty stomach, because then the drop in blood sugar is even more dramatic, resulting in ravenous hunger. In addition, drinking inhibits the production of a stimulant called glutamine, so the next day, when you've dropped drinking, your body churns out more glutamine than it needs. The resultant overstimulation may also contribute to increased hunger.

I'm no doctor, so that's about as much as I've been able to figure out, and it makes sense to me. Got your own knowledge of the subject? Share it below.

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Buzz News Roundup, 7/14

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:00:18 -0700

Army Wives will be back for a third season, with 18 episodes scheduled to air sometime in 2009, Zap2it reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms will star together in a "bachelor-party comedy" titled Hangover.
Jordana Brewster will guest-star on Chuck as Jill, the college girlfriend who legendarily broke Chuck's heart, reports Entertainment Weekly.
The success of Wall-E has apparently sparked new talk of a Hello, Dolly stage revival, Variety reports.
ABC and FX topped GLAAD's annual "responsibility index," Reuters reports, while NBC and Fox, among others, received failing grades.
ComingSoon has the news that Jon Heder will star in another Napoleon Dynamite-type oddball comedy, titled Loudermilk.
Gio wins? Ugly Betty's Christopher Gorham has been cast in the CBS midseason series Harper's Island - though ABC still insists we haven't seen the last of Henry, TV Guide reports.
ComingSoon writes that Fox has acquired the screen rights to the recent NYT bestseller One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War.

Photo courtesy of Lifetime

Buzz News Roundup, 10/5

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:59:04 -0700

HBO has renewed "Tell Me You Love Me" and picked up pilots about a medical research facility and a biker gang, Zap2it reports.
Warner Bros. has bought a Todd Phillips script titled Hangover all about "three pals who lose the groom at his Vegas bachelor party, 40 hours before the wedding," writes Variety.
Yahoo Music has news that the Sex Pistols may not be able to swear during their upcoming reunion tour.
"30 Rock" is getting more big-name guest stars, USA Today reports, including Al Gore, David Schwimmer, Steve Buscemi and Meredith Vieira.
The release date for The Kite Runner has been pushed to December as families fear possible backlash against the film's child actors, reports E! Online.
Variety reports that Warren Beatty will be awarded this year's Lifetime Achievement award from AFI.
Comedy Central has picked up a pop-culture debate series with Lewis Black as the moderator, and the Futon Critic has the details.
A show written and directed by Tim Robbins might be coming to Showtime, writes the Hollywood Reporter.

Photo courtesy of HBO