Hangovers Happen - How to Handle Them Best

I am feeling it this morning. No, not the tequila drinks. At least I didn't throw the Liquor Chick book completely out the window and drink Margaritas all night. I did choose the most healthy option I could at the Country Club affair that drew nearly 100 people to support a great cause. Yes, I raised my white wine glass often and whole-heartedly. It was, after all, a seemingly open bar.

(Well, not really, but that's how it feels when all you have to do is walk up to the bartender and get handed your drink. Belonging to a country club, no matter how few holes of golf it contains, has its advantages -- numbers instead of money. True the numbers translate into a big monthly number that must be paid at some point, but when you're living in the look-at-my-new-hair and dance-the-night-away moments, it all feels free...)

So white wine after white wine was handed to me with nothing more than a nod and a smile. Those wines certainly kept me smiling. And, yes, I may have overdone it a bit. No harm was done, no mystery bruises today. But the effects of the occasional too-much-fun night can last far into the next day if we let them.

So, how can you undo some of the wrongs that you have done to your body? Even Liquor Chick slips up, indulges too much, and has some unChick-worthy moments. But what's most important is how you handle your missteps. Whether you own up to them, or allow them to engulf you and drag you into a next-day binge of sloth, unhealthiness and general malaise. It would be easy to sleep till 9:30, lay on the couch all day, eat greasy food and even keep on drinking. But that is the time where you show your true colors. And let's hope they are pink, purple and blue (Liquor Chick logo - oh, you got that? Yes, I am still a bit groggy - wasn't sure).

Okay, so you've admitted your mistakes .But let's not be too hard on ourselves - it was after all, for a good cause, and you needed the night out just a little bit (a little bit more than a zillion percent, right?). And now you are determined to reassert your healthy practices the very next day. You may have done a little late-night munching, or even converted your 80 calorie glass of wine to a late night, fattening beer (gasp!). Admit your indiscretions and move on. And what can you do to undo what you've done? Start with hydration.

As soon as you awake, guzzle 2 big glasses of water. What's that? You need some Aleve to go along with that water? Sore from dancing, are you? Wine head? Yes, Aleve is recommended. Actually, take twice the recommended dosage (it's okay to do this just this once, but don't make it a habit or your stomach will start feeling like the pepper-infused vodka I made - pure hellish fire) and if you can, and your husband is awesome like mine, go back to sleep for an hour.

Then, when you wake the next time, immediately eat some lean meat and eggs. Protein and a little bit of grease will help with the reabsorbing of the alcohol. Today I made a turkey burger and veggie egg-white omelet. Mr. LQ wanted egg yolks in it, but I had to counter the effects of the heavy h'ordeuvres I inhaled around 11 p.m. so I denied that request.

And then, after breakfast, you've got to sweat it out. I forgot to mention that I added some Serrano peppers to the omelet too, for the same reason. Perspiration leads you back to perfection. Our exercise of choice today was driveway basketball - Him vs. Me. Yeah, he won, but he didn't have 8 glasses of 80-calorie wine last night. He only had two light beers. He beat me at my own game in that respect. And in basketball too. This time.

And keep the water flowing. Have a small snack after your workout. A banana is a good choice. The potassium helps speed the hangover along too. PowerAde or Gatorade - but only the sugar free variety - iwould be wise too, and adds the needed electrolytes back in to your wine-wrought bod.

Don't give in to your heavy eyes, no matter how hard it seems. I know all you'll want to do is lay on the couch and watch football - especially after struggling through making and cleaning up breakfast and then a mean game of hoops. But keep busy -- that's the best hangover advice. Some people believe in hair of the dog - that is, drinking again the next day to ward off a hangover. I'm not going to lie - I've tried it. I don't prescribe to this theory though, because all it does is delay the inevitable. And would you rather have your hangover on Monday morning while trying to dress them, bathe them, pack lunches, find homework, make the school bus, drive to preschool, work for husband-boss, clean house after weekend mess, get 4-year old ready and to dance class, drive to CCD and actually cook some sort of home-made dinner??? Nope, I prefer my hangovers, when they come, to be on Sunday. So resist the urge to go out to Hangover Lunch - or hangover movie theatre concession stand - or hangover ice cream snack - or hangover Chinese food dinner. You'll be glad you did on Monday.

A truly schooled Liquor Chick will know that what you do the day after you fall off the Chick-mobile is way more important than actually falling off. We are human. We are going to slip up. So you didn't have sugar-free cranberry juice in your vodka last night. So you chugged a couple beers with your gambling buddies (Did I mention it was a Casino party??) You're allowed to live it up once in a while. But make sure you go right back to living the better way as soon as you can. Take it from me. And okay, grab a light beer for Sunday Night Football and tell yourself you are still Liquor Chick-worthy.