Sorry I didn't get this posted sooner. Our NYE party ended a few hours ago. And I've been dealing with my own hangover. And strange people on my couch.

To effectively battle the morning after, it helps to know what causes a hangover. The brief answer is dehydration and toxins. (If you want a more detailed explanation click here.)

One of the things you can do to help is to eat a fried or greasy meal before drinking. The grease slows the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream, giving your system a little extra time to deal with the byproducts of your boozing. (Hence the popularity of late night "border runs" to Taco Bell.) Keep in mind your body can only process three quarters of an ounce of alcohol per hour. That's about half a shot or mixed drink. So figure it takes about 2 hours to clean out each drink.

Let's assume you didn't hit a grease pit last night, and now you're hurting. Here's some things you can do:

• Hair of the Dog. One word of advice: Don't. Part of what makes you feel so shitty is the effects of your liver battling to clean the flood of toxins out of your polluted bloodstream. Adding more alcohol may make you feel better briefly. But eventually your liver is going to have to clean the new toxins out, prolonging the misery.

• Water and Sports Drinks. Part of why your head is pounding is dehydration. You need fluid. And you need to dilute some of what may be left in your stomach. Sports drinks also refill you with sodium, which you were losing all night.

• Fruit Juice. Besides supplying you with much needed vitamins, the fructose helps speed your body's ability to rid the toxins.

• Eggs. Hitting a 24 hour diner for some late night breakfast before heading home? Good. Skip the pancakes and order the eggs. Cysteine in the eggs helps break down acetaldehyde, a toxin that contributes to hangovers.

After that, all you can do is ride it out. You did some damage last night. Your liver is pissed. And rightfully so. Give your body the time it needs to heal. You can use the downtime to plan this weekend's party.