Many people enjoy having alcoholic beverages to celebrate or relax. It is important to drink in moderation to ensure good health. This blog will provide you with some fun facts about alcohol, and tips for enjoying your alcohol safely.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health guideline recommends spacing drinks an hour apart and drinking no more than two standard drinks per drinking occasion. Men are recommended to have no more than 15 drinks a week and women should have no more than 10 drinks a week. These guidelines do not apply to those who should avoid alcohol, including women who are pregnant and people who live with a medical condition such as liver disease.
So, what is considered one drink of alcohol? 12 oz regular beer (5% alcohol), 5 oz wine (12% alcohol), 3 oz fortified wine such as port sherry or vermouth (16-18% alcohol), and 1.5 oz spirits or liquor such as vodka or rum (40% alcohol) all contains the same amount of alcohol.
The calories in a drink of alcohol are easily overlooked, which may lead to unexpected weight gain. 12 oz of regular beer (5% alcohol) contains approximately 140 calories. 4.5 oz of Pina Colada contains approximately 245 calories. 1.5 oz vodka contains approximately 100 calories. 5 oz wine contains approximately 100 calories.
Are there any health benefits of alcohol?
Some research has shown that for people over 45 years of age, one drink every other day may be good for your heart. However, if you don’t drink, it may not be a good idea to drink for health reasons. Too much alcohol can result in vitamin deficiencies, heart diseases, liver diseases, cancer, sexual impotence, and so on.
There are many strategies that you could use to help you enjoy alcohol safely. Drinking water before and between having alcoholic beverages can help you stay hydrated and slow down your drinking. It might also be a good idea to mix your drinks with flavored carbonated water, which not only dilute your alcohol, but may also surprise you with some tasty flavors. It is important to eat before you drink as it is easy to get tipsy quicker when you drink on an empty stomach. Having a small protein and fiber-rich snack before drinking could also be a good choice. Last but not least, make sure you are paying attention to the alcohol content on the drink’s label to adjust your amount and speed of drinking based on your alcohol tolerance.
