Don't forget the big meal

Eat a balanced meal before the fun starts

Before you take your first sip of alcohol, it is very important to make sure you had a proper meal to help regulate your body’s absorption of alcohol. A nice, slow-burning meal with some protein, a few carbs, and some fat will introduce the alcohol to your bloodstream gradually so your body can process it without overworking itself. Red meat is a pretty decent choice because, it has a high concentration of protein and B vitamins, which help process alcohol byproducts in your body.

The food in your stomach when you start drinking affects how quickly that booze goes to your head. With more food in your stomach, alcohol is absorbed more slowly, and it takes longer to feel its effects, explains George F. Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “When you drink on an empty stomach, you feel tipsy very fast, whereas you might not even notice if you consumed the same amount of alcohol with a meal,” he says.

While just about any food in your belly is helpful, Koob notes that some experts argue meals with protein and fat are even more effective at slowing alcohol absorption.