Hangovers: An Ounce of Prevention - Well, You Know!

In preparation for tonight's big night, you might be concerned with how you'll feel on New Year's Day. No one wants to start the New Year crouched over a toilet bowl, clinging to the cool porcelain throne.

NPR's "Morning Edition" aired an informative piece about how people wind up in so much pain after a night of overindulgence. Basically, if you're hungover, you just "pickled" yourself:

"The second theory of hangover involves a type of chemical -- called congeners -- found in many alcoholic drinks, especially darker-colored ones. The most evil is a type of alcohol called methanol. The liver breaks down methanol into formaldehyde. 'Formaldehyde is embalming fluid,' [Dr. Robert Swift of Brown] says. 'And when this gets into your blood it makes people feel … uncomfortable.'"

To avoid that formaldehyde feeling, Lifehacker recommends relying on prevention rather than cure. If you can, alternate champagne chugging with water chugging. You'll get an early start on cleansing your body of alcohol-related poisons. While a big, greasy diner breakfast can be the perfect end to a night out, you might consider taking in some "absorbency" while imbibing. One Lifehacker commenter swears by Vegemite, but Bostonist recommends that only for the daring.

Image of Cheap Trick's "Music for Hangovers" from allmusic.com.