How to survive New Year's Eve parties (and the hangover) with our dignity intact

Do you remember the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's, when Audrey Hepburn struggles to get out of bed, lifts her eye mask, puts on a man's shirt backward, and drags herself to the door to open it? Well, there is no human being who, after partying and toasting all night, looks that chic and elegant. Perhaps only Kate Moss, someone who knows a thing or two about wild parties and recovers from sleepless nights following Joan Crawford's method in the movie Mommie Dearest: plunging her face into a sink full of water, ice, and cucumbers.

Many of us, ordinary people who haven’t dated Pete Doherty, seem to plunge into a giant glittery black hole at the end of December. Between work dinners, gift exchanges with friends, New Year's toasts, sore feet from heels, long and expensive trips to reunite with family we face an overload of panettone, nougat, tortellini, roast meats, salmon, and food worthy of a Lucullan feast, all washed down with champagne and Barolo. The result? A potential disaster, a gauntlet full of pitfalls that could lead to Christmas Blues or, worse, outright burnout: the absence of a loved one, heartbreak, food issues, strained relationships with parents, forced socializing, the pressure to behave or look a certain way, and many other details that make the holidays difficult to handle despite their positive aspects. Who wouldn’t want to experience this time with a touch of lightness and joy, like in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie? That would be lovely. Unfortunately, we don’t have a magic formula to provide tailor-made solutions for surviving the holidays, but we can share some tips to handle feasts and champagne flutes, preserving both our dignity and, as much as possible, our health. 

Hangover and nausia: prevention is Better than Cure

As with many things, it would be helpful to arrive prepared to face the holiday season. What does that mean? Simply following the same guidelines and healthy habits as the rest of the year, such as drinking water, eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and taking care of ourselves—body, mind, and spirit. If we are healthy and in shape, Christmas and New Year’s won’t disrupt our condition. If we reach December 31st with drained batteries, burnout is almost guaranteed.

A Matter of Balance

Can we avoid feeling socially drained, anxious, bloated, and with a pounding headache? We hope so. The best advice is to experience this period in our own way, without, as much as possible, letting relatives or friends dictate our behavior. And don’t feel the need to justify yourself by promising a restorative Dry January or a detox and rigid pilates sessions starting January 2, 2025. You don’t even have to participate in family bingo, answer intrusive and spiteful questions from your aunt, or say yes to all invitations. The choice is up to each of us and the common sense we should possess.

Hangover: Myths and Legends

There is only one way to avoid a hangover: don’t drink alcohol. Alternatively, drink in moderation. Couldn’t resist and got carried away by the festive spirit (in every sense of the word), celebrating with drink after drink for Santa Claus, the elves, the Befana, the new year, and, to top it off, the first time you beat your cousin Jacopo at Monopoly? So be it. The damage is done: you woke up feeling awful. A persistent buzz in your ears, a parched mouth, a pounding head, and daylight streaming through the shutters feels torturous. What now? In the United States, they’d serve you a concoction of raw eggs, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and tomato juice, known as the Prairie Oyster or Corpse Reviver. In Japan, you might resort to Umeboshi, an ancient hangover remedy made of pickled plums and green tea. In Mexico, your best friend might serve you shrimp salad or a seafood mix prepared with lemon, onion, and coriander. If even hearing these ingredients makes you want to vomit, perhaps it’s best to skip it. Also to avoid is the so-called Hair of the Dog, the idea that drinking more alcohol relieves hangover symptoms. Drinking beer for breakfast only delays the worst of the hangover, which will come back stronger than ever to reclaim its reign of nausea, anxiety, vomiting, and headaches.

Hangover: Know It to Avoid or Reduce It

The risk for every party girl and boy, especially on New Year’s, is consuming too much alcohol and earning a terrible hangover as a gift. Toasting with prosecco, mulled wine, champagne, Cosmopolitans, vodka, or any other alcoholic drink stresses the liver and contributes to fatigue, bloating, and a long list of other ailments. However, there are small precautions recommended to prevent or at least minimize the damage. Curious?

Eat Before and After Drinking

If you know an alcoholic marathon awaits, a little trick that can be helpful is to eat. Experts suggest that drinking on an empty stomach allows alcohol to pass directly into the intestines and be absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly. Being a sugary drink, it creates a glucose spike that causes inflammation, insulin release, and fatigue, whereas drinking on a full stomach slows the alcohol’s journey to the liver, reducing its stress. Avoid fatty and sugary foods at dinner as they lower blood sugar and increase the liver’s toxin load. Pay attention to post-hangover breakfast as well. We’ve already excluded alcohol; instead, focus on protein-rich foods like red meat, chicken, shellfish, avocado, mushrooms, and whole grains, which are rich in zinc and nicotinic acid—two nutrients that, according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, have been shown to reduce hangover severity.

Stay Hydrated

The best approach would be to alternate each alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic one. In any case, it’s crucial to monitor your fluid intake because alcohol’s diuretic properties can lead to water loss and potentially cause dehydration. Go for water, kombucha, coconut water, and non-alcoholic and caffeine-free beverages.

Get Moving

A bit of exercise helps manage holiday stress and recover from overindulgence. Even if you feel exhausted, summon the strength not to curl up on the couch watching yet another Netflix series. Dancing at the parties you attend or taking a brisk walk after lunch, preferably for at least 15 minutes at a fast pace in nature, stimulates the lymphatic system and aids in toxin elimination.

Don’t Forget to Rest

There’s no need to run a marathon to recover from a hangover; equally important is sleep to allow your body to recover. Alcohol is a powerful inhibitor of the sleep hormone, so when you sleep drunk, you might wake up tired even after eight hours. A restorative nap is therefore not a bad idea.

Natural redemedies, vitamins and antioxidants

When it comes to food, it’s best to focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins whenever possible. Recovery can also be supported with liposomal glutathione, an antioxidant that helps eliminate toxins produced during alcohol metabolism. You might also consider supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals. In such cases, it’s advisable to consult a doctor who can recommend if and which supplements to purchase. Some people turn to natural remedies to recover from overeating or excessive alcohol consumption. For example, peppermint tea helps relax the intestines, and its intense aroma can reduce feelings of fatigue. Ginger and turmeric, on the other hand, are highly recommended for nausea, one of the most common symptoms of a hangover.

 Don’t Forget Skincare

Alcohol and overindulgence also take a toll on the skin, leaving it looking tired, dull, and stressed, while the eyes can become red and puffy. Prioritize cleansing, hydrating, and purifying masks, as well as products designed to detoxify and reduce puffiness.