Friday December 29, 2000

The Cure For Hangovers

Many of us enjoy a drink or two but we all hate a hangover. Well raise your glass to Fred Beyerlein, author of "Drink As Much As You Want And Live Longer." This registered dietician claims he can teach you how to prevent beer bellies, liver damage and those head pounding hangovers.

Fred says, "I'm saying if you've already decided to drink, its important you do it in the healthiest manner."

According to Fred, once you've got a hangover you're stuck. Those folk remedies are myths: a cup a coffee, hair of the dog, late night diner, aspirin… none work, and the aspirin could be dangerous.

Fred says, "It's going to hurt your liver. It's going to cause microbleeding in your stomach."

Follow Fred's formula he says, and you can drink hangover free. Fred says, "Take your body weight, divide it in half and that's the number of ounces of water you need to drink before you even start drinking."

Step two: A cocktail of vitamins and herbs before you imbibe.E. B complex. and selenium replace nutrients stripped by the alcohol. Herbs like artichoke and milk thistle protect the liver. Fred explains, "This alcohol here is robbing your body of magnesium, a bunch of water soluble vitamins."

Step 3: Forget what you've heard. Food and alcohol do not mix. Fred says, "You want to actually drink on a near empty stomach. You should stop eating three hours before you start drinking.

"You realize that sounds crazy, drinking on an empty stomach, that's maybe frat party stuff just to get a quicker buzz. The biggest reason people end up with a hangover and are likely to vomit while drinking is because food is still in the stomach while they start to drink."

Try drinking this before bed: Lemon water with more milk thistle and vitamin B. You'll have a great night sleep and you'll wake up feeling wonderful.

A revolutionary approach to drinking. But you might give it a shot... all you've got to lose is your headache.

If you over-do it, try eating some honey. It's a natural hangover buster. And here's some interesting EXTRA info: Coca-Cola was first marketed as "the best cure for a hangover."

An interview with Fred Beyerlein