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Alcohol Awareness
Every holiday I see a lot more swirvy (possibly drunk) drivers on the road and it's prime time for police departments all over the country when it comes to alcohol-related crimes. It stands to reason that people tend to drink more alcohol over the holidays and New Years due to parties or people feeling particularly lonely and melancholy. But don't let the holidays lure you into drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. It's the wrong thing to do on so many different levels. I'll just take the health angle here for a moment.
It's different for women: Men are from Mars once again. Because a woman's body has more fat and less muscle than a man's... alcohol lingers in a woman's bloodstream longer. You see, alcohol can be diluted in water-holding muscle tissue, but not in fat tissue. The health risks for cancer and liver disease are suspected of being greater for women.
In the long term, drinking beyond "moderate" dramatically increases your risk of disease and dying. This just in... Researchers from Italy pooled data from 34 observational studies conducted in Europe, the U.S., Australia, Japan, and China, where participants reported their drinking habits. This included a whopping 1 million people in total. Their data shows that consumption of little amounts of alcohol leads to a reduction of mortality up to 18%. But after a certain number of glasses, things radically change and the (disease) tables turn big time. People who drink too much increase their death risk in relation to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Yes, even cancer. Researchers have linked alcohol to head, neck and liver cancers and they believe it may be a culprit in higher risk for colon, rectal and breast cancers as well.
Drink in Moderation, Drink in Moderation, Drink in Moderation
Did I mention the importance of drinking in moderation? The rule of thumb for people who drink is to limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women and two for men-with one drink equaling 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Granted this can be particularly difficult over the holidays, what with egg nog flowing and wine and brandy bottles everywhere. Here are 6 tips I hope will help:
* Start with a non-alcoholic drink. Try coffee, tea, soda (diet or regular), sparkling water with lemon, fruit punch or juice mixed with club soda.
* Try non-alcoholic options at the bar like non-alcoholic beers and wines (there are some great-tasting non-alcoholic beers!)
* When you do partake of your one or two drinks of alcohol, have the drink you most enjoy and are looking forward to.
* Don't drink on an empty stomach. Take small sips of your alcohol drink so a little lasts a long time and enjoy it with or near your meal so it will be digested along with some food. (This will help slow alcohol's effects).
* If you are the holiday host, help your guests drink less alcohol by having water or tea classes next to every plate at the table. Try using smaller-sized glasses to serve wine and other alcohol. And always provide plenty of non-alcoholic choices. If you are a guest, bring plenty of non-alcoholic drink choices to the party with you (like sparkling apple cider, non-alcoholic wine and beer, flavored mineral water, festive holiday tea bags, etc.
* Be festive without drinking alcohol! Enjoy light egg nog without the added liquor, enjoy sparkling apple cider or sparkling cranberry apple cider at the party or at the holiday table, enjoy coffee without added liquor.
The bottom line is simple: if you're going to drink, don't overindulge. And as always, don't drink and drive.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Top 10 Drinking Dangers, Strategies for a Hangover-Free Holiday
Technorati Tags: alcohol, drinking, holidays, newyear, cancer, mortality
It's different for women: Men are from Mars once again. Because a woman's body has more fat and less muscle than a man's... alcohol lingers in a woman's bloodstream longer. You see, alcohol can be diluted in water-holding muscle tissue, but not in fat tissue. The health risks for cancer and liver disease are suspected of being greater for women.
In the long term, drinking beyond "moderate" dramatically increases your risk of disease and dying. This just in... Researchers from Italy pooled data from 34 observational studies conducted in Europe, the U.S., Australia, Japan, and China, where participants reported their drinking habits. This included a whopping 1 million people in total. Their data shows that consumption of little amounts of alcohol leads to a reduction of mortality up to 18%. But after a certain number of glasses, things radically change and the (disease) tables turn big time. People who drink too much increase their death risk in relation to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Yes, even cancer. Researchers have linked alcohol to head, neck and liver cancers and they believe it may be a culprit in higher risk for colon, rectal and breast cancers as well.
Drink in Moderation, Drink in Moderation, Drink in Moderation
Did I mention the importance of drinking in moderation? The rule of thumb for people who drink is to limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day for women and two for men-with one drink equaling 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. Granted this can be particularly difficult over the holidays, what with egg nog flowing and wine and brandy bottles everywhere. Here are 6 tips I hope will help:
* Start with a non-alcoholic drink. Try coffee, tea, soda (diet or regular), sparkling water with lemon, fruit punch or juice mixed with club soda.
* Try non-alcoholic options at the bar like non-alcoholic beers and wines (there are some great-tasting non-alcoholic beers!)
* When you do partake of your one or two drinks of alcohol, have the drink you most enjoy and are looking forward to.
* Don't drink on an empty stomach. Take small sips of your alcohol drink so a little lasts a long time and enjoy it with or near your meal so it will be digested along with some food. (This will help slow alcohol's effects).
* If you are the holiday host, help your guests drink less alcohol by having water or tea classes next to every plate at the table. Try using smaller-sized glasses to serve wine and other alcohol. And always provide plenty of non-alcoholic choices. If you are a guest, bring plenty of non-alcoholic drink choices to the party with you (like sparkling apple cider, non-alcoholic wine and beer, flavored mineral water, festive holiday tea bags, etc.
* Be festive without drinking alcohol! Enjoy light egg nog without the added liquor, enjoy sparkling apple cider or sparkling cranberry apple cider at the party or at the holiday table, enjoy coffee without added liquor.
The bottom line is simple: if you're going to drink, don't overindulge. And as always, don't drink and drive.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Top 10 Drinking Dangers, Strategies for a Hangover-Free Holiday
Technorati Tags: alcohol, drinking, holidays, newyear, cancer, mortality
2 Comments:
It sometimes seems as if we have our radar out looking for any reason to celebrate or party via drinking alcohol.
Your advice about drinking in moderation is right on target but something we have all heard about before. Some of your other suggestions, however, are super: start drinking with a non-alcoholic drink, drinking non-alcoholic wines and beers, and using smaller glasses when serving wine and other alcoholic beverages. Is it possible for those with their "drinking radar" in active mode to become more receptive to these logical and healthy suggestions?
2 things - First, you have enzymes in your body that get alcohol out of your system. no matter who you are, how much you drink water with the alcohol, or how much you eat, these enzymes work at the same speed in everyone. that is why police can do breathalizer tests. things like water and food may effect the effect and speed that the alcohol effects your brain or the extent to which you have a hangover, but the bottom line is it still takes one hour for a beer to be completely cleared from your sysem. that leads me to my second point. there are so many peole - intelleigent poeple, who go and drive a half hour after theve had a couple of dringks. they falsely believe that if they dringk some water or they have a better "tolerance " to alcohol, they can get away with it - this is not tryur true. you are still intoxicated until your body clears the alcohol with enzymes that work at a fixed rate in everyone.
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