HealthyLife Articles

Tag: Alcohol Use

  • The Buzz About Alcohol

    WELL-BEING

    Image of lemon water.

    Drinking at social events or bars and the ease that a little buzz provides make it hard to limit yourself when friends gather around a pitcher of beer. Dennis Donovan, director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington, has advice for how to drink moderately-or not at all.

    *Count your drinks.In many cases, people lose track of how much they’ve had. This is especially true when sharing a pitcher of beer and someone refills the glass.

    *Know a standard serving size.Large wine glasses, higher alcohol content in some beers, and generous liquor pours in mixed drinks make the “I only had one!” claim questionable.

    *One drink, one hour.Most people’s bodies can process about one drink per hour. Pace yourself to one drink an hour or so, and every hour or two you might take a drink “off” and have water or another non-alcoholic beverage instead. Also, make sure to eat.

    *Ginger ale looks like a cocktail.Teetotalers not wanting to attract attention or questions can stick to ginger ale or other non-alcoholic drinks that look like cocktails.

    *Say no.Firmly, confidently turn down drinks and become resistant to social pressure and arm-twisting. Practice saying: “No, I’ve reached my limit” or “I’m not drinking tonight.”

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Wine Confusion: Healthy Or Not?

    MEDICAL NEWS

    Image of a wine bottle with 2 glasses of wine and grapes.

    Wine has been making the headlines in recent months as a “healthy” choice. Some studies suggest the compounds and antioxidants in wine can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and more.

    This can be confusing if you’ve been told that alcohol isn’t good for you. Should you drink wine to get healthier, or skip it?

    There is no perfect answer for everyone. It’s important to note that these studies are promising, but they’re not enough to say that wine is a healthy choice. Many of these studies were done in labs, on mice, or were done with supplements instead of real wine. And for some, the possible benefits of wine wouldn’t be worth the risk. Wine is also high in calories and sugar. This can add to obesity and affect blood sugar, especially in diabetics. In addition, wine and alcohol can interact with certain medicines.

    Many people can enjoy alcohol in  small amounts without problems. But if you have a history of alcoholism or your doctor has told you not to drink, you should not drink wine or any alcoholic beverage.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that drinking too much alcohol, even wine, can harm your health. So if you decide to drink, be sure you do it in moderation.

    So what is “moderation”? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderation is up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men-and only by adults of legal drinking age.

    The bottom line:

    If you already have a drink once in a while, switching to red wine may be healthier than other choices such as beer or spirits. But the health benefits of red wine are not fully understood. So, experts do not recommend it as a daily drink for everyone.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine