A new year is almost upon us and we are once again presented with an age old question.
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How can I stave off the dreaded New Years Day hangover?
Whether you'll be amongst the throng in the city watching the fireworks, partying with friends and family or sitting at home with the Sydney fireworks on television, enjoying a few (or a few too many) beverages to say goodbye to 2018 presents the same challenge.
We all know the classics: eating the biggest, greasiest breakfast you can find, litres of Berocca or Gatorade, and for the brave (or stupid), just keep on drinking alcohol.
But the experts say there's no real way to cure a hangover. There's only mitigation, and that begins and ends with water.
Accredited practising dietician Leanne Elliston said the number one cause of a hangover is dehydration.
"Alcohol acts as a diuretic in the body so the best thing to do is to stay hydrated," Ms Elliston said.
"Keep your water intake at the same level as your alcohol intake through the night and have a big drink of water before bed."
She said different types of alcohol can affect people's bodies in different ways so the severity of a hangover may be affected by the type of alcohol consumed. She said mixing drinks was always a bad idea.
As for the next morning, water is again crucial, but rather than the greasy breakfast it's probably best to keep things fairly bland with plain toast or crackers.
She said the body could be craving salt after a night of heavy drinking, which was why the big breakfast might feel good at first, but could sit in the stomach longer and make matters worse.
A combination of electrolytes and glucose helps rehydrate the body, and helps with that salt craving, so sipping diluted sports drinks was the way to go, she said.
"My other bit of advice is maybe think twice about that last drink - it could be the one that tips you over the edge," Ms Elliston said.
Now that is all very sensible and almost certainly the way to go... But if you read that and still think,
"no, I want to drink as much as I can but remain a vaguely functioning human being to start the year", we've canvassed some more creative cures to help you out.
Milk: Whether its plain, choccy-flavoured, in a smoothie or straight from a cow, get that milky goodness down you and watch it soothe away your pains.
Exercise: Get up! Resist the temptation to never move again and down a litre of water before getting on the bike, pulling on the runners or doing whatever you do to sweat the demons out of you.
Garlic bread: Many people settle on the holiest of breads. I mean, it's fantastic at any other time, so why not when you have a nuclear hangover? The hot tip is to have it before going to bed.
Hot chippies: Preferably from a fish and chip shop and I'm reliably informed if you partner these with a diet coke, several Zooper Doopers and heading back to bed you'll be right as rain.
Hydralite and paracetamol/ibuprofen: Get it in you before bed and just hope for the best.
Weird and whacky: Mamee noodles and orange juice - hey it was good as a seven-year-old from the tuckshop; One colleague swears by activated charcoal mixed in water - I'm not sure what that is but it sounds healthy.
Co-owner of Kith and Nosh in Braddon Kadav Modi will be cooking up some big brekkies on New Years Day and expected to be kept busy by some customers with a sore head.
He recommended the big breakfast or the bacon and egg roll for those who worship the grease gods, but for the health conscious the kickstart bowl with broccoli rice, kale, poached eggs and other goodness was the way to go.
Those that find themselves on the south side and in a right state can turn to Bean and Table at the Kingston Foreshore.
Co-owner Bostijan Savle said the eggs benedict with bacon washed down with a cold brew coffee was sure to help but said their recharge green juice would also get you back on your feet.
So there's plenty of options but the consensus is that prevention is better than cure - but where's the fun in that?