I suppose it goes without saying that the best way to prevent hangovers is to not drink, or at least limit the amount of alcohol you consume within a given time period.
However if you know before hand that you are going to drink, then here is a few tips you might want to take.
Give your keys to a non-drinker - The first and most important factor before you start drinking is to ask yourself the question "how am I going to get home"? If you plan on driving back home, then plan again.
Make sure you give your car keys to your partner or a friend who will not be drinking; who you trust will get you back home safely, or at least be able to call a taxi for you.
Never drink and drive!!! Eat Before You Drink - When you've got the transportation out of the way, it's time to prepare your body (liver) for the worst.
What I mean by this is to eat a proper meal before you hit the road.
Eating food helps your digestive system cope better with alcohol because there is less acetaldehyde for your body to deal with.
Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance that alcohol is converted to when it enters the body.
Also, have a glass of milk before you drink.
Milk coats the lining of your stomach which can slow the absorption of alcohol.
Keep Track of Quantity and Time - You will be able to enjoy your drinking, and the next day (hangover day), if you stay on track with how many drinks you have with time.
On a general basis, if you can control yourself by drinking one standard drink (i.
e.
a can of beer, a glass of wine, a shot of hard liquor) per hour, then you will be preparing yourself for a less painful hangover.
At one drink per hour your blood alcohol level will stay in a range in which your liver still has considerable control.
Trick Your Body by Staying Hydrated - In general, alcohol makes you urinate more which causes dehydration.
A great idea is to have a glass of water next to your alcoholic drink so you can sip on in between drinks.
This will benefit you double in that you keep your body hydrated, but you also trick yourself into spending more time to have your alcoholic drink (remember 1 drink per hour) giving your liver the necessary time to absorb the alcohol.
Make the Right Choice of Alcohol and Don't Mix - From past experiences no-one knows your body and how much alcohol you can take, better than yourself.
You also know by now how each drink affects you and the kind of hangover it causes you, from past experiences.
If you don't, then start experimenting - only kidding.
You should also know by now to never mix your alcohols - If you do mix, then remember this: Beer Whisky very risky, Whisky Beer never fear.
In other words, if you mix your drinks, starting with the stronger alcohol gets you into less trouble.
Another rule of thumb is to try and go with light color drink (white wine, vodka) over dark colored (brandy, whisky) because they have fewer "congeners" which contribute to hangovers.
Last but not least, try not to mix alcohol with fizzy mixers like soda.
It is thought that the carbon dioxide in the bubbles of fizzy drinks, can speed up the delivery of alcohol to your system.
Drinking with friends and socializing should be all about having a good time, so be sensible and don't spoil the occasion with excessive drinking.