A girl's guide to hangover prevention

If there's one thing you're guaranteed to get during the festive season, it's a hangover. iVillagers share suggestions to minimise the effects, plus how to cope with a pounding head, dodgy tum and inevitable bacon sarnie cravings, with no hairy dogs in sight...

• Before you go drinking
• While you're out
• When you get home
• The morning after the night before

Before you go drinking

It's the night of the office Christmas party and you're hot to trot. Ahead lies an evening of fun, frolics and cheap sparkling wine. This year, however, a bit of forward planning wouldn't hurt in your bid to minimise the effects of tomorrow's all-too-predictable killer hangover.

Milk thistle extract
An ancient preventative and remedy, the milk thistle plant is considered to be a powerful liver protectant by homeopaths. It's an antioxidant but also works to protect the liver cells from alcohol by making it more difficult for the poisons to penetrate the cell. Buy from your local health food store and take in capsule form, before and after a big night out.

'I've tried everything there is to try in a bid to lessen the effects of hangovers. Last Christmas my mate recommended Milk Thistle for hangover prevention and cure. I was willing to give it a go and I have to say they really help minimise the sick feeling and headaches you can get. I could still feel the effects of the alcohol in my system the morning after but by taking Milk Thistle before I went out, my hangover wasn't as bad as it would normally have been. Nowadays I swear by it!'
melbal_35

While you're out

There's a very simple way you can reduce the effects of your hangover even while your night out is still in full swing: drink less alcohol. However, if that just sounds a bit too boring, why not drink one glass of water or soft drink to one alcoholic drink? Or you could water down your alcoholic drinks by mixing white wine with soda water?

Alcohol dehydrates you, causing those thumping headaches, dizziness and sickness. By taking water onboard throughout the evening (or by diluting your drinks) you're keeping your hydration levels topped up, which should help minimise the hangover. Check out iVillagers' suggestions:

Eat while you're drinking
'Lining your stomach with a good meal either before you go out or while you're drinking will really help banish tomorrow's hangover. Having a full tummy helps absorb all the booze and means it's processed by your body quicker. Doesn't mean I won't still want that kebab when the pub shuts but eating a meal before I go out always seems to do the trick.'
hencat1

Try an anti-hangover supplement
'My friend introduced me to some herbal tablets called Hangover Over, he swears by them. I took some this weekend (strangely you take them with your first drink!) and they work! Can't praise them highly enough. You can find them on the web www.hangover-over.com. Cheers!'
canny21