Sure fire ways of avoiding a hangover...

Drink plenty of water - before consuming alcohol - between drinks and before going to bed, to avoid dehydration. Your body needs a lot of fluids to dilute the alcohol and break down the toxins that can build up. It's these toxins that add to the ill feeling caused by the alcohol.

Eat - To avoid a hangover, chow down before you order your first drink and snack on finger foods while continuing to imbibe - This will cause the alcohol to be absorbed more slowly into your system. Have a large meal before you leave for the bar or the party. High protein foods, or starchy foods will help coat your stomach and slow the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.

Pace yourself and drink slowly (One drink an hour is highly recommended) - The faster you drink the faster you'll feel the effects of the alcohol and the more likely you are to consume more alcohol. Timing is important because the liver is only able to process alcohol at about one serving of alcohol an hour which is 4-5 oz. of wine, 1-1.5 oz. of hard liquor, or 12 oz.of beer. Drinking games, shots, and funnels are a sure fire way of guaranteeing a hangover the next day.

Rotate your intake of beverages - Start your partying with a drink, next consume a non-alcoholic beverage such as water or juice, then revert to alcohol - Keep remembering to pace yourself!

Choose what you drink carefully - Generally the darker alcoholic beverages such as brandy, scotch, whiskey and red wine have a higher level of congeners (byproducts of fermentation), than lighter drinks such as vodka, gin and white wine. These substances enter your system as the liver breaks down alcohol ... adding to the effects of your hangover.

Avoid mixing different types of alcohol - It takes your body longer to metabolize the various types of alcohol and this leads to more severe hangover symptoms.

Dilute your drinks, but watch what you mix it with. Stay away from sweet drinks - the sugar in them masks the taste of the alcohol and may cause you to drink more quickly and could cause you to consume more alcohol than you realize.

Carbonated drinks speed up the absorption of alcohol, speeding up your level of intoxication and heightening the severity of your hangover - avoid sparkling wines and drinks mixed with pop.

Try not to drink the less expensive alcohol...the more costly brands undergo a more extensive distillation procedure which removes more of the congeners that worsen your ultimate hangover.

Remember - The fastest cure for a hangover is to take steps to avoid it!

Take an over-the-counter medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen. to alleviate the pain of a headache. Avoid Tylenol or other medications that contain acetaminophen because when mixed with alcohol the combination could be harmful to the liver. Use sparingly to avoid irritating the lining of your stomach.

It should also be borne in mind that the safety margin with ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories is surprisingly small even for healthy individuals, and with a compromised liver through alcohol toxicity the margin may be much smaller. The Liver Balance Health Disk offers a much safer alternative to prevent and reduce hangovers!

Drink more water in the morning to help your kidney and liver flush the toxins out of your system. Other beverages such as flat ginger ale, and juices can assist as well. Avoid coffee - it is a stimulant and a diuretic, which can lead to further dehydration and compound your hangover symptoms.

Eat some more - To alleviate a hangover...dry toast or plain crackers may help settle the stomach. Foods high in protein and fat such as dairy products may assist you in your recovery. Eggs can be particularly useful, as they contain large amounts of cysteine, a substance that also helps to break down the toxins in the liver. Foods containing fructose such as honey or fruit can be beneficial too, by increasing your body's energy level, which in turn helps your body eliminate the toxins faster. Bananas can replenish potassium lost to dehydration. Fruit juice or soups will provide nutrients and vitamins, which may have been depleted and are excellent ways to replenish the fluid levels in your body. Soup, additionally, will aid in the replacement of minerals, particularly the sodium your body is thirsting for due to dehydration.

Hot Shower - A good hot shower may alleviate your headache, caused by tense neck muscles and constricted blood vessels. The shower can help to ease the tension and the heat can help sweat the toxins out of you.

N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) - This amino acid supplement may lead to faster cure for your hangover, as it contains cysteine which assists the liver in breaking down the toxins found in the alcohol. It is normally available in health food stores.

Vitamins - Your body has been deprived of vitamins so a vitamin B or C tablet or a multi-vitamin tablet wouldn't hurt.

Antacids - Help with the indigestion or other stomach problems you may be suffering from

Exercise - If you're up to it try to increase your metabolism - a nice brisk walk can stimulate your circulation helping your body get rid of toxins faster and sending oxygen and blood to the brain where its needed most.

R&R - Assuming you have the luxury to be able to do so, try sleeping in and let nature just take its course. Unfortunately, the only real cure for a hangover is time!