Pressure Power: To silence your jackhammer, try acupressure, an ancient Chinese practice of applying pressure at specific points to relieve pain. "If your head hurts, try putting steady pressure on that little web between your index finder and your thumb," says Pat Wigner Isaacs, a licensed Denver acupuncturist. If you're feeling nauseated, count two thumb widths up your arm from your wrist crease and apply pressure between the two tendons with your thumb. "It&'ll definitely alleviate that queasy feeling that you get from drinking too much," she promises.
Spice Is Nice: If your stomach is telling you that it needs some sustenance ASAP, whip up some piping hot chilaquiles, advises Rafael Vargas, assistant manager at Benny's Cantina. A traditional Mexican hangover cure, chilaquiles are a mix of tortilla chips, hot salsa, diced veggies and meat (if desired), fried and topped with two eggs cooked over easy. {"The spicier the better," says Vargas. "It'll make you sweat out your hangover."
Pump It Up: As a former Mr. America in bodybuilding and current owner of Terwilliger fitness at Riverfront Park, Tom Terwilliger knows a few things about sweating. His advice is to stop being such a girly girl and hit the gym. Terwilliger recommends thirty to forty minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike, lots of water, Vitamin C and an electrolyte drink such as Gatorade. "The best thing to do the night before, when you're out indulging in the spirits, is alternate each martini with a big glass of water," he says. "Dehydration is one of the biggest factors in causing hangovers. But the next day, exercise is one of the best things you can do to flush out your system."
Fitness Be Damned: Michael Long, chef at Opus Restaurant in Littleton and a big believer in the "hair of the dog" school of thought, disagrees. His recommendation? Have a Bloody Mary
Michael Long's Opus Bloody Mary
4 ounces tomato juice
2 tablespoons pickle juice
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces ice
6 ounces cold vodka
Pour the vodka over a glass of ice and slam it. Mix all the other ingredients together and serve with shrimp while lounging on the couch watching football.
