A cure for the modern hangover

> Don’t let a hangover keep you from surviving your day

Rebecca Peterson Staff Writer

t’s been almost a week since St

Patrick’s Day, so one can only assume we've all at least started to dry out by now.

However, holidays like St Patrick’s Day have a bad habit of bringing out the worst in us. Most days, we’re responsible, put-together human beings who would never drink excessively during the week. In fact, drinking excessively is a habit most of us try to avoid in order to preserve our livers.

Still, were human. It happens. And unless youre in that one small per cent of the population who have apparently been blessed by Dionysus, we eventually have to pay for it. However, there are steps we can take to minimize our suffering, or at least make it seem like we have our life together, even if we don't.

Obviously the best way to cure a hangover is to avoid having one in the first place. If you know you'll be drinking, take the chance to line your stomach in advance. Carbs are the key to keeping your stomach settled—potatoes are my personal preference for this task. Try to avoid dairy if you can, or light foods like salad and sushi.

These tend to interact badly with copious amounts of alcohol, and will likely result in an unpleasant ending to the evening, never mind the next day.

Water is the key to smart drinking. Try your best to stick to a one-to-one ratio of drinks and water—you'll have to pee a lot, but your body will thank you. If you can, before stumbling off to sleep, force yourself to drink one or two more glasses of water. Anytime you start to feel nauseous or headachy

throughout the night, drink a glass of water. The importance of staying hydrated cannot

be emphasized enough. Most alcohol-induced headaches are caused by dehydration.

If, however, you forget these steps and wake up the next morning in agony, it’s not too late to salvage the day.

There are three key components of a hangover cure: hydration, electrolytes, and carbs. The water, as mentioned above, will help with both

The benefits of an associate degree

> Paper certification of two years of post-secondary

Cazzy Lewchuk Staff Writer

B eing in post-secondary education is a difficult time. Many of us are working towards our bachelor’s degrees, while others of us are working towards a specific upgrade or program diploma, and others still may be taking different classes to see what we like, having little to no idea of our eventual goals. An associate degree is sort of a happy medium between a bachelor’s degree and diploma. They take roughly two years to complete, and only require around 60 credits. A typical course offered at Douglas or most other BC institutions yields three credits, with some longer (especially lab-based) ones giving four. At four courses a semester, an associate degree can be yours in five semesters of instruction. After a year of taking classes unsure of my eventual path, | learned about the Associate of Arts Douglas offers in creative writing. It requires six creative writing courses, along with

various electives and first- or second-year courses (such as a lab science, because it’s very important a writer knows how to measure chemicals.) At the time, I already had four creative writing courses. If you have a specialization or interest study already in place, an associate degree may be closer than you realize. One of the best benefits of having an associate is guaranteed degree transfer. Some of your built-up credits may not transfer over for study at another institution if you're just taking them with no path. But if you have an associate degree, you are guaranteed a full 60 credits towards your bachelor’s—this is essential to getting a degree without worrying about wasting time or money. It’s especially good at a place like Douglas, where many of the students are going to be transferring to a university after completing their studies. In addition to the credit transfer, many institutions in Canada give preferential

admission to those with an associate degree—benefits include priority registration and a lower overall GPA requirement. This can be a lifesaver to those who have worried about their future admissions with their grades (including yours truly). Associate degrees are also an asset to employers, so having one looks great on a résumé. It won't open the same doors as a bachelor’s will, but it can be very useful for entry-level positions in your field. I myself am taking a bit of time off after leaving Douglas before applying to university, and having my associate is the perfect time to do that. I'll be working during my gap, and having a two-year degree looks much better on an application than “built-up college classes that didn’t translate to anything.” Whether you plan to continue your studies immediately, continue after a gap, or enter the workforce directly, an associate degree can be a perfect point to make these decisions.

Image via toriavey.com

headaches and nausea, and will flush any remaining toxins from your body throughout the day. Electrolytes help regulate this hydration. Consuming anything high in electrolytes such as salts and potassium will also help to replace vitamins and minerals lost while drinking. Carbs will settle your stomach and absorb toxins, giving you a steadier mind and body to carry you through the day.

In practice, here are some easily accessible hangover-curing

breakfast options:

- A fruit smoothie, a bottle of water, and two hash browns

- A banana, two slices of toast with a nut spread, anda mug of green tea

- A package of dried fruit, a cup of coffee, water, anda breakfast sandwich

Though it might seem healthy

to reach for breakfast options like yogurt and eggs, dairy and egg products are not always easily metabolized by the body and can serve to upset your stomach more. As well, it’s often suggested that the best cure for

a hangover is another drink in the morning, which I strongly advise against. At best, it will just mask the symptoms that will likely come back to bite you later in the day. At worst, it’s habit- forming. In either case, it will not help. Hangovers occur because your body is in need; strangely enough, the body doesn’t appreciate being dehydrated and flooded with toxins. Adding more alcohol to the mix will only make things worse.

We all overreach ourselves

sometimes. Keep yourselves safe, have fun, and remember to drink if not responsibly, then at least with a glass of water close at hand.

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