Healthy Lifestyle: Watch your alcohol intake this year
Published:Saturday | January 1, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Heather Little-White, Contributor
It's New Year's Day, and you may still be having a rollicking time imbibing alcoholic beverages in celebrations. If you are a heavy-drinking party animal, you may want to take look at your levels of alcohol consumption this year and the effects it could have on your health.
So while you enjoy the pleasure of alcoholic beverages, it's best to start the year by resolving to reduce your alcohol intake given its deleterious effects on the body.
Apart from partying, you may look at the times you consume alcoholic beverages such as your weekly 'happy hour' or just taking a couple drinks at home to reduce stress.
It's said that moderate drinking may be healthy, but that doesn't apply for everyone. For women, it is up to one drink per day; for men, up to two drinks per day. However, each person must weigh the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol.
Celebratory events often have alcoholic beverages. Choices may include:
Seasonal beverages like rum-based sorrel and alcohol-spiked eggnog and fruit punch.
White and red wines.
Mixed drinks.
White liquor, which includes white rum and vodka.
Non-alcoholic beverages like Afterglow.
Afterglow
1 part grenadine syrup
4 parts orange juice
4 parts pineapple juice
Ice
Mix well and serve over ice.
Source: www.drinksmixer.com
So even if you go to an event, with beverages that are on the house or part of what you pay for at an all-inclusive party, you must make a decision to arrive home alive by drinking responsibly, especially if you are driving. Alcohol creates health problems for irresponsible drinkers. This is why it is important to drink responsibly to prevent the problem of alcoholic addiction, which can harm relationships.
Long-term effects of alcohol consumption
The effects range from possible health benefits for low levels of alcohol consumption to severe effects in cases of chronic alcohol abuse (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Alcohol_abuse).
Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to health problems such as:
Coronary heart disease.
Cancers, especially of the oesophagus and pharynx.
Damage to the central nervous system.
Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a chronic mood disorder that falls within the depression spectrum, the opposite of hyperthymia. It is considered a chronic depression, but with less severity than major depressive disorder. This disorder tends to be a chronic, long-lasting illness.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterised by a disintegration of the process of thinking, of contact with reality, and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoia or bizarre delusions, or disorganised speech and thinking.
Foetal damage: most countries recommend total abstinence during breastfeeding.
Teen drinking: Adolescents who tend to drink excessively at parties and nightclubs may place themselves at risk for slower brain development and increased risk of alcohol abuse. Some experts argue that the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption may be outweighed by other increased risks, including injuries and acts of violence.
Alcohol-related deaths
Excessive consumption of alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of death. According to the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, one in 25 deaths around the world is caused by alcohol consumption. Alcohol is now as damaging to global health as tobacco was a decade ago (www.time.com/time/health/article).
Time magazine stated that alcohol-related causes of death include accidents, violence, poisoning, mouth and throat cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, suicide, stroke and many others.
GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE DRINKING
Vary activities: Do not make drinking the primary focus of any activity.
Respect: Do not attempt to get people to drink who do not wish to. They may abstain for religious or medical reasons, because they are recovering alcoholics, or they just may not like the taste and effect alcohol has on them.
Skip: If you cannot handle alcoholic beverages well, skip them and stick to non-alcoholic beverages. You can still have a glass of 'whites', like tonic water on the rocks. Have non-alcoholic drinks in-between alcoholic beverages to keep your blood-alcohol concentration down. Space out your alcoholic drinks to keep the desired blood-alcohol concentration.
Limit: Set a limit on how many drinks you are going to have when you drink, and stick to it. The basic rule is no more than two glasses of wine or beer. Some persons use the rule of no more than one drink per hour, but this can cause some people to lose control.
Medication interaction: Use alcohol cautiously in connection with any medication or other drugs you may be taking. This includes over-the-counter drugs such as cold or cough medicines. Alcohol should be avoided while taking certain antibiotics, antidepressants, and many other prescription medications. Your physician or pharmacist should advise you about drinking while on any prescription drug. An example: Antihistamines and alcohol can induce excessive sedation, so it would be best to avoid this combination.
Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Such drinks as zombies and other fruit and rum drinks can be deceiving, as the alcohol is not always detectable, and it is difficult to space them out.
Sip it: Drink slowly and do not gulp it down. If you sip a drink and do not have more than one drink per hour, the alcohol will not have a chance to build up in your bloodstream. This is because of the natural metabolic functioning of the liver. When sipping and savouring, you enjoy the pleasure of drinking, which includes tasting and smelling the flavours of the various alcoholic beverages.
High-protein foods: Eat before and while you drink. Eating high-protein foods like cheeses and meats will slow down the absorption of alcohol in the circulatory system. Avoid drinking mixed drinks on an empty stomach on a hot day. This could produce hypoglycaemia, which can cause dizziness, weakness and mood change.
Chase with water: Drinking carbonated beverages with alcohol or carbonated alcohol preparations increases the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, while diluting alcohol with water slows absorption.
Designated driver: When you go with friends to a party, you might want to have a designated driver - someone who will stay sober and drive the rest home. Have someone available who will not be drinking and who will drive all drinkers home.
Multivitamin: To stay healthy with alcohol, it is advised to take extra folate, as alcohol depletes the stores in the body. The amount in a multivitamin (400 micrograms) is adequate with a healthy diet.
Assist: If anyone has had too much to drink, see that he/she gets a ride home with someone sober, or find them a place to sleep.
ALCOHOL FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Remember that alcohol is still the No. 1 date-rape substance. When you drink that, you are out of control, putting yourself at risk of sexual assault by persons.
Do not leave your drink unattended at any time. This provides the perfect opportunity for someone to add hard drugs that could knock you out and place you at risk of sexual abuse. If you feel extremely drunk after only a few drinks, get help because you may have been drugged.
Two other predator drugs being used are 'roofies' and GHB. These make you feel drunk after 20-30 minutes of consumption. They can also cause amnesia and unconsciousness for three to eight hours.
If you go into a room and the person locks the door, try to leave immediately.
Try to attend a party with friends and leave together. Do not be tempted to take up the offer of someone you just met who wants to take you home. For your safety, leave with the friends you came with and the next day you will be better able to assess the person you just met (safeparty.ucdavis.edu)
First Aid
Because of the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol consumption, it is important to know how to administer first aid to an intoxicated person. The following are some guidelines if a problem develops.
There is no way to sober up quickly: a cold shower, black coffee, oxygen or exercise only result in a wet, wide awake or tired but intoxicated person. The amount of alcohol in the blood is controlled by the metabolic rate of the liver.
A general rule of thumb: It will take as many hours to sober up as the number of drinks ingested.
If a person has had one too many and passes out, monitor his/her breathing to make sure it is normal. Roll him/her on his/her side so he/she will not choke in case he/she vomits. If his/her breathing is irregular, and he/she does not respond, call immediately for medical help.
If the person is not breathing, proceed with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and call 119.
Alcohol poisoning: If you are part of a drinking group, you should familiarise yourself with the signs of alcohol poisoning (http://safeparty.ucdavis.edu/reference/alcohol-poisoning.html).
Symptoms include confusion, stupor, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute), irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths), blue-tinged skin or pale skin, low body temperature (hypothermia) and unconsciousness ('passing out') and cannot be roused. He or she is at risk of dying but any of these symptoms require immediate medical attention (www.mayoclinic.com/health/).
Alcohol has been used for lifestyle and other activities, so if you do choose to drink, you should do so in a responsible, safe, sensible and healthy way.
Heather Little-White, PhD, is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant in Kingston. Send comments to saturdaylife@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.