How to Party Without a Hangover

...and Still Have Fun!

3 min

By Natascha Klemm
November 22, 2022

Why trust us?

Dancing the night away, downing shots, and rewarding yourself with a kebab on your way home – a night of partying is actually quite demanding, but it’s also really good fun, of course. During the Christmas season these nights can really pile up though. A party here, a birthday there, and of course, the work Christmas party, where it’s often impossible to stay sober and leave at a respectable time. It’s not easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle while being the life and soul of every party. We’ve put together our top 10 tips for partying and having fun, while still avoiding a hangover the next day.

#1 Drink Water

The age-old trick of drinking water between every alcoholic drink is said to prevent or alleviate a hangover. While this sounds good, it hasn’t been scientifically proven yet. Let’s face it, if you chug drink after drink then a hangover will be unavoidable, no matter how much water you drink. What drinking water does help with, however, is enabling you to consume alcohol more consciously and to be more aware of how many drinks you’ve had.

#2 Eat Before You Go

Going to a party hungry is one big mistake that is easily avoided – it’s almost as fatal as shopping when you’re hungry. Try to eat the usual amount throughout the day and, importantly, make sure you eat enough protein. Healthy fats like avocado and salmon will keep you pleasantly full so you’ll find it easier not to binge on potato chips, pizza, and other unhealthy snacks.

#3 Don’t Skip Your Workout

If you think going to the gym isn’t worth it when you’ve got a party that evening, you’re wrong. For one thing, you’ll have burned off plenty of calories before you eat the party snacks, and for another, 11 studies have shown that the workout could make you feel less like drinking. Ideally, you should wait at least an hour after your workout to replenish your nutrient levels before reaching for a glass of wine. It’s important to realize that alcohol has been shown to decrease protein biosynthesis by up to 37% – and that means your muscle gain. Which brings us directly on to the next point:

#4 Opt for Non-Alcoholic Drinks

The way to avoid a hangover is also the most obvious – don’t drink alcohol. If a non-alcoholic sparkling wine is too boring for you, you can easily mix a delicious alternative that is guaranteed to save you the headache. Try mixing Wild Berry with mineral water and jazz it up with fresh mint and a few berries or try our refreshing grapefruit mocktail.

#5 Avoid (Sugar-Laden) Alcohol

Sorry to be a spoilsport but alcohol isn’t healthy in any form. But if you do indulge in a glass or two, avoid the hits of sugar like sickly cocktails or mulled wine. Alcohol alone contains 7 g of sugar per 100 g, so try to make sure your mixers are sugar-free.

#6 Bring Healthy Snacks

Although bringing a lunch box of chicken and rice to a party might not be the best idea, you can check with the host beforehand to see if you can contribute something, and then prepare some healthy snacks or a high-protein salad. That way you’ll know exactly what’s in it, you won’t have to reach for potato chips to fill yourself up, and you’ll make yourself popular with the other guests!

#7 Fill up on Nutrients

Make sure you provide your body with the energy it needs to get through the night and handle the stress, especially on the day of the party. Choose fresh vegetables, fruits, and high-quality carbohydrates. Need a little inspiration? Try out our colorful veggie bowl.

#8 Plan It Out

Let’s face it, vague plans like “I’m only going to have one or two tonight” or “I’m not going to stay out late” almost never work. You don’t need to have a plan for the whole night, of course, but you can set some limits, like the number of drinks or the time of the train you want to catch home. The WOOP method could help you focus on specific goals.

#9 Stay Flexible

You didn’t really want to drink anything, but you let yourself be persuaded into having a beer. Once you’ve done that, then it doesn’t really matter if you drink have another two or three, does it? This train of thought can be deadly. After all, even though you had that extra drink, slice of pizza, or handful of potato chips, it’s never too late to return to your original plan. You’ll soon realize that it does make a difference whether you had two drinks or ten, even that’s not until the next day when it hits you.

#10 Have Fun

The most important thing is to have fun! As cheesy as it may sound, you won’t ruin your healthy lifestyle just because you enjoy a few festivities this winter. Listen to your body, maintain your routine as best you can, and treat yourself to whatever you like.

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