3. Drink water before, during and after alcohol
Having a glass of water for every glass of alcohol will help you with moderation and prevent or lessen the effects of a hangover. Alcohol is a natural diuretic, meaning it will cause dehydration. However, if you drink lots of water before drinking alcohol, you will feel less thirsty and you will drink more slowly. The rule should be drinking an equal amount of water for every drink of alcohol.
4. Pay attention to the shape of the glass
The way your beer glass is shaped apparently impacts your drinking behavior. One study found that drinking from straight-sided glasses significantly lowered alcohol intake compared to drinking from glasses that were curved. Additionally, when there were volume measurements marked on the glass, drinkers drank their beer more slowly; 10 minutes, as opposed to 9 minutes with glasses that had no marks.
This led scientists to conclude that those who pay attention to their drink portions and the size of their glass are more capable of monitoring their consumption. Presuming that a standard beer portion is approximately 12-oz, (~360 ml), you would ingest ~155 calories. An 8-oz. Glass would contain approximately 100 calories. The light beer variation would have even less, depending on how much alcohol it has, from 54 to 96 calories in 12-oz.
5. Eat more protein
Consuming protein before or even during drinking has the potential to reduce the amount of beer we drink in one sitting. Protein is very satiating and carries a thermogenic effect of 20-30%, meaning that 20-30% of the calories coming from protein are utilized while your body is processing them.
Eating a meal rich in protein before drinking will help you control the alcohol levels in your blood. Protein is also very effective when it comes to reducing alcohol absorption rate and raising its elimination rate. Meals rich in protein have the ability to stimulate your liver and delay the emptying of your bowels, thus decreasing the rate at which it enters the bloodstream to 40%. This means that a healthy meal can significantly reduce the potentially harmful effects of alcohol. You can get protein from chicken, steak, turkey, tuna, eggs and many other sources.
