You've probably received all kinds of advice to aid planning your New Year's Eve celebrations: champagne recommendations, cocktail recipes, dinner ideas, the best bars to hit.

But think about New Year's Day: chances are you'll be waking up with a hangover. You've spent hours planning your New Year's Eve, why not put a little effort into the pre-production of the morning-after to ease the pain.

WHAT: THE HANGOVER

SCIENCE:

Consider the three things you'll be facing:

1. •dehydration
   

2. •withdrawal symptoms affecting the nervous system
   

3. •the toxins that remain in the body.
   

Researchers claim food speeds up the metabolism helping the body get rid of the booze.

REAL LIFE:

"Why did I have that last Scotch?" "How many glasses of Champagne did I have?" "What was her name?"

WHAT: COFFEE

SCIENCE:

Caffeine is a stimulant and a vasoconstrictor, so it reduces the size of blood vessels.

REAL LIFE:

You are groggy. You have a pounding headache. A good cup of coffee will start you on the right foot. Beans from Intelligentsia or Stumptown Coffee will begin your New Year right.

CONSIDER:

Caffeine is a diuretic, which causes dehydration. Not the best cure, but it might help jump start your day.

WHAT: FRUIT JUICE

SCIENCE:

Fructose naturally increases the body’s energy and increases the rate which the body rids itself of toxins. Juice helps replenish nutrients that were depleted from alcohol’s diuretic effect.

REAL LIFE:

There is nothing quite as reviving as a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

WHAT: TOAST & BACON

SCIENCE:

Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids and helps clear the head.

REAL LIFE:

Just the smell of bacon can revive some from the dead. Two words: Bacon Butty. Try Flying Pigs heritage breeds bacon and pick up a multi-grain loaf from your local bakery (think Balthazar or Sullivan Street).

CONSIDER:

Nothing to consider here, it's been proven by science.

WHAT: EGGS

SCIENCE:

Eggs replenish certain amino acids, which break down the hangover-causing toxin acetaldehyde in the liver's easily depleted glutathione.

REAL LIFE:

Eggs are the perfect accompaniment to bacon. It's like the breakfast holy trinity: eggs, bacon, toast.

CONSIDER:

The cholesterol? After what you did to your body on New Year's Eve, just get on the mend. Work on the New Year's resolutions on January 2nd.

WHAT: HAIR OF THE DOG

SCIENCE:

It reintroduces ethanol (alcohol) into your system at a point when your liver is breaking down an alcoholic compound called methanol, which is more toxic than the ethanol.

REAL LIFE:

Convince yourself there are vitamins in the tomato juice and feel better in the short term.

CONSIDER:

You're delaying the inevitable, the hair of the dog approach won't eliminate the hangover.

WHAT: GOOD LUCK TRADITION

SCIENCE:

None.

REAL LIFE:

Try the Southern staple Hoppin' John, made with black-eyed peas, smoked ham hocks, and onion. It's said to bring a year filled with good luck, if served on New Year's Day.

CONSIDER:

Is it really worth risking a year of bad luck?

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