PULSE SIMPLE STEPS MAY PREVENT THAT NEW YEAR'S HANGOVER.

Eat, drink and be merry and thou might get a headache. Drink even more and thou shalt have a hangover.

The morning-after throbbing, pounding pain is an unnecessary but all too common part of New Year's celebrating.

Caused simply by alcohol consumption, the discomfort of hangover is experienced the morning after because alcohol causes the blood vessels to swell or dilate, triggering headache pain.

The alcohol also acts as a diuretic, which leads to dehydration, says Suzanne Simons of the National Headache Foundation.

The cure, of course, is to avoid drinking altogether, but that's not a realistic approach for many. So with that in mind, here are some tips to lessen the suffering associated with the hangover headache:

--If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Try to sip your drink slowly. Mixed drinks containing fruit or vegetable juices will probably have less effect than straight alcohol. Avoid red wine, which contains naturally occurring chemicals called congeners, which can increase headache pain.

--Eat some honey. Honey supplies fructose, a sugar that helps the body metabolize the alcohol ingested. At least one ounce of honey on a cracker or toast, before or after drinking, may prevent a hangover, according to the National Headache Foundation. Tomato juice is another good source of fructose.

--Drink fluids containing minerals and salts for relief from the dehydration caused by alcohol consumption. A cup of broth or bouillon, for example, will replace fluid and will not cause nausea.

--Drink a cup of coffee. Caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor and eases the dilated blood vessels causing the headache.

--Take ibuprofen. While aspirin is OK, ibuprofen is typically less irritating to the stomach.

--Alternate nonalcoholic beverages with alcoholic ones to reduce overall consumption and replenish fluids.

--Eat greasy food before consuming alcohol. While it is wise to be health-conscious and avoid too much of these foods, they do help line the intestines, which causes alcohol absorption to take longer.

- Priscilla Nordyke Roden

BEGIN WITH THE BELLY: The first thing to know about Dolphina's ``The Goddess Workout'' series is that aspiring to goddess-dom requires stamina. Swaying those arms and hips at the same time isn't as easy as Dolphina makes it look, though anyone who tests her new video releases should have a good time trying. The woman who introduced belly dancing to HBO's ``Sex and the City'' and to Crunch Fitness in Los Angeles is now shimmying her way to retail shelves with ``Introduction to Bellydance'' and ``Warrior Goddess: Advanced Bellydance'' (GoddessLife, video and DVD formats; $19.95). Dolphina, who opened her own studio in Marina del Rey earlier this year, recently spoke to the Daily News about her belly-dancing workout.

Q: What advice do you have for those of us who felt more like peasants than goddesses the first time through the routine?

A: A lot of the moves are new to the body. You're used to step class or to doing crunches, not to the hips moving fluidly and being open. Sometimes your mind is working overtime. If you do it a couple of times a week, by the second or third week you'll start to see a difference and feel confident. It's challenging, but it's fun once you master it.

Q: What fitness benefits can women gain from belly dancing?

A: It really does target the areas that women feel most uncomfortable about. Even if you're a supermodel or a supermom, you feel your thighs and buns and abs are not what they should be. The other physical element to belly dancing is the isolation. You're trying to move one part of the body while the rest of the body is still or relaxed. That's a great fitness element because it creates a longer and leaner muscle. It definitely gives a feminine curve.

Q: It seems like there's a greater emphasis on injecting an element of fun into fitness these days instead of just slogging along on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Would you agree?

A: With belly dancing, the moves are pleasurable. You can get the same benefits of doing crunches by doing an undulation. You can get the same benefits of doing squats by doing a hip circle. Anything you do that's fun, that stimulates your mind, is going to be something you'll do without watching the clock.

For more information on ``The Goddess Workout,'' visit www.goddesslife.com.

- Mariko Thompson

REEL LIFE AFTER CANCER: Cancervive, a nonprofit organization, is looking for women interested in participating in a documentary video on returning to work after surviving breast cancer. The documentary will be the third in a series of award-winning videos that help people with cancer, survivors and their families. The project includes interviews with the breast cancer survivor, her employer and co-workers. Cancervive is looking for women who have returned or are about to return to work after treatment. For more information, call Bruce Postman at [phone], visit www.cancervive.org or send an email to cancervive(at)aol.com.

- M.T.

MANAGING DIABETES: Valley residents have a new resource in the fight against diabetes. ONEgeneration Senior Center has launched the Diabetes Management Program, which includes an initial home visit by a case manager and nutritionist, biweekly checkup calls and patient education to reduce risk of complications. For more information, contact Val Parris or Sherry Kobayashi at [phone].

- M.T.

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