How To Avoid The New Year's Day Hangover

BOSTON (CBS) -  While it's great to celebrate the start of a new year with a glass of bubbly, no one wants to begin 2016 with a hangover.

So here is some advice on how to avoid the nausea and headache.

Stick with light colored liquors like vodka. Dark liquors contain more of the chemicals which can make a hangover worse.

Dehydration is your enemy. For every drink you consume, drink a glass of water and don't forget to rehydrate before bedtime.

There are three things that can lead to a rapid absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream:

1) An empty stomach - so you should eat before you drink and then continue snacking along the way.

2) Bubbly beverages - like champagne and beer or mixing alcohol with carbonated water.

3) Diet soda - because of the artificial sweeteners. Avoid using it as a mixer.

What should you do if you still wake up feeling miserable in the morning?

If your first response is to have another drink, called the "hair of the dog," you may have a drinking problem. It is one of the warning signs.

The best thing you can do is rehydrate with lots of water or a sports drink.

You can try ibuprofen or aspirin for your headache. But don't take Tylenol or acetaminophen which can overburden your already taxed liver.

And in the end, the only real cure for a hangover is time.

Or, of course, not drink in the first place.

Happy New Year!