Do you always go out with the best of intentions but can't seem to manage your drinking? There are a few things you can do to reduce the after-effects of a good night out.
Siobhan McCann of Drinkaware says, 'Gender, height, weight and stress levels all affect how you process alcohol.' Here’s her how-to guide to drinking without destroying the next day.
1. Eat a carb-heavy meal beforehand: Carbs slow down your body’s alcohol absorption rate.
Try lining your stomach with one of our 3 great pre-party meals
2. Be fashionably late: You’ll be a couple of drinks behind so you can pace yourself. Also make sure you book your taxi home before you arrive so you don't get tempted to pull an all-nighter.
3. Choose wines with a lower ABV: Pick wine with an alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage of around 9% rather than stronger 14% ones. If only higher ABV wine is on offer, have it as a spritzer.
How alcoholic is the wine you drink?
4. Stick to lighter spirits: Alcohol contains congeners – impurities caused by the distilling process. Dark drinks, such as red wine, brandy and whiskey, contain more than lighter drinks like white wine, gin and vodka, so result in a worse hangover the next morning.
Eat a clever canapé
TOP TIPPLE: A single vodka, lime and soda = 54cals. Vodka is pure alcohol, drink it with a squeeze of fresh lime and plenty of soda and ice and you’ll offset the dehydration effects of the booze, too.
Or you could swap the vodka for gin for the same calorie and alcohol count.
But, swap it for two glasses of Champagne, and you’ll clock up four times as much alcohol and calories.
