DR. WALLACE: I'm a college student, and once in a while, my friends and I have a few drinks. I don't want to reveal my age to you. Let's just say that I'm over 18 and not quite 21. I will admit that sometimes I get drunk. Not always, but there are some occasions I drink a bit too much.

I'm writing to you because I need to know the fastest way to sober up. I still live at my family's home, and I don't want my parents to find out I've been drunk when I sneak home late at night and dive into my bed in the dark. Once I'm under my covers, I always feel like I won't be caught, but there have been two times already that I had a massive hangover but I told my parents that I had an upset stomach from eating some spicy food at a new hipster restaurant with my friends the night before.

I need to know how to avoid feeling like this because, sooner or later, my mom will catch on to what I'm doing. There are only so many stomachaches I can fake! — Need Fast Hangover Remedy, via email

NEED FAST HANGOVER REMEDY: Nothing but time will cure a stiff hangover. Since you have admitted that you are under the legal age of 21, my fundamental advice to you is to not consume alcohol at all. This will end both your hangovers and your chances of being found out by your parents.

As long as we are on this topic, I suggest that you take a few minutes of your time and go to the Mayo Clinic website to read their excellent list of facts about hangovers and the dangers of alcohol and alcohol poisoning. Here are a few highlights:

"A hangover is a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms that can develop after drinking too much alcohol. As if feeling awful weren't bad enough, frequent hangovers are also associated with poor performance and conflict at work.

"As a general rule, the more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to have a hangover the next day. But there's no magic formula to tell you how much you can safely drink and still avoid a hangover.

"However unpleasant, most hangovers go away on their own, though they can last up to 24 hours. ...

"Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners, which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and can contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and bourbon, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.

"Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or increase the severity of a hangover. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can still make you feel bad the next morning."

I WANT TO BE A NUTRITIONIST

DR. WALLACE: I'm very concerned about foods high in salt, fat and cholesterol, specifically meats. I live in a part of the USA that is well-known for our consumption of meats! I do eat them and enjoy them, but I don't want to get overloaded on unhealthy habits while I'm still young. I'm 16 years old, and I want to be a nutritionist when I grow up, so healthy eating is important to me, and I also want to be able to talk to the people I will care for intelligently about nutrition at my future job.

I was wondering if you might have a couple tips you could share with me on this topic? Is there a way for me to eat meats and meat stews and soups without loading up on too much fat and cholesterol? Also, is it hard to become a nutritionist? Is the competition really hard to get one of those jobs? — Dreaming of Nutrition, via email

DREAMING OF NUTRITION: The fat on meat is saturated fat, and reducing your intake of it may lead to lower cholesterol levels.

You can do the following:

— Trim visible fat from all meats.

— Remove the skin from poultry, either before or after cooking.

— Use a fat separating measuring cup to separate fat from soup stock and pan juices. Or refrigerate stocks and juices to solidify fat for removal with a spoon at the top of the bowl or cup prior to heating.

— Refrigerate canned broths before opening, and skim away the fat that hardens on the top.

— Cook stews a day ahead. Then chill in the refrigerator, and remove the fat before reheating.

And yes, becoming a professional nutritionist is indeed a challenge! You'll need a lot of dedicated studying and schooling, and the sooner you start planning for this type of profession, the better. At 16, you're off to a good start to realize this is a profession you're quite interested in. Ask around your town to see who may know a nutritionist personally, and see if you can arrange a 20-minute meeting. You'll be able to learn a lot about the job and how to pursue it from someone who has achieved that goal and can tell you what it takes and how best to pursue it. Good luck!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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