Hangovers: The iVillage guide to the morning after

Before you start
For some of you, the battle against the hangover starts even before you take your first drink. This commonly involves lining the stomach with anything from milk, milk thistle, garlic, olive oil (four dessertspoons worth, flavoured with vanilla essence, if you want to improve the taste) or simply junk food.

Protecting the stomach makes good sense: food - and particularly dairy products - slows the absorption of alcohol, and eating foods rich in vitamins B and C will limit nutrient loss later on. It might also make you feel fuller, and therefore less keen to drink.

As you drink
Those of you who want to party all night know the importance of keeping up your fluid levels - even if this means in your mixers. Favourites include soda, Irn-Bru and colas. Many of you consider fruit cocktails to be healthy, despite the addition of vodka and rum.

A more sensible suggestion is to drink one soft drink or glass of water for every two or three units of booze. But hey, who's counting?

'Make sure you eat some crisps or peanuts,' recommends one iVillager, 'they help with your salt levels.' 'A bag of Doritos when you start to feel queasy,' says another. And you thought bar snacks were a cunning ploy to make you drink more?