Hydration is Lucky on St. Patty's!

Whether you’re truly Irish or just wearing green shirts and four-leaf-clover sunglasses, you’ve probably come to know St. Patrick’s Day as one of the biggest party and drinking days of the year. (The website dailymeal.com ranked Paddy’s Day as one of the top-five drinking holidays in the United States. 1*)

It’s long been rumored that the Irish like to drink. In Gaelic, the words for whisky are “Uisce beatha,” which literally translate to “water of life.” (2*) While there’s a lot more about St. Patrick himself than just the holiday whisky, we can bet that if you partake in the water of life on the holiday, you’re more than likely to be worshiping the porcelain god the next day.

We know alcohol causes dehydration because it’s a diuretic, causing you to lose more water than you take in. Dehydration composes one major part of the hangover, inducing symptoms like headache, thirst, fatigue and dry mouth. So, why not add actual water to your celebratory festivities?

Some strategies to avoid the Mourning of Saint Regret on March 18:

1. Drink a glass of water in between each drink, especially if you plan on drinking heavily.

2. Add a big glass, around 16-24 ounces, before going to bed

3. Be sure to stay hydrated the next day and eat whole foods made with water (watermelon and celery are some good choices).

If you can relieve some of those symptoms, March 18 might come off your ‘Least Favorite Day’ list. So, while you cheers to Erin go Braugh while drinking the water of life, don’t forget to drink some water for your life.

1* www.thedailymeal.com/top-10-drinking-holidays

2* https://irishimbasbooks.com/irish-folklore-water-values/