Rethink The Drink

TO DRINK or NOT TO DRINK! For years I did what many people all over the world do to ring in the New Year: Drink.  As a child I grew up in a home with many adult parties in our own basement. I remember putting my ear to the floor in my bedroom to listen to the laughter, shouting and loud music as my parents and their friends rang in the new year! I also remember getting up in the morning, going down the stairs only to find tables full of empty and half filled drinking glasses of beer, wine and mixed drinks. Once, before my parents awoke I remember raising one of those glasses to my mouth only to find a horrible taste, a cigarette butt in the bottom of the glass! Talk about gross! I should have realized then to avoid the upcoming years of my own teenage and young adult alcohol abuse.

The following are many great reasons why not to drink this New Year. Crazy? Not really. If we educate ourselves about the dangers of alcohol, we may make one of the best decisions in our lives and that is to: Rethink The Drink.

HANGOVER MYTHS: Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD posted on WebMD

The Truth About Hangover Cures

Myths about hangovers are as varied and as fanciful as the cocktails that cause the dreaded syndrome. From eating pasta at bedtime to popping prickly pear pills, the list of supposed hangover cures warrants a closer look. Learn what works — and what hurts — as WebMD sorts through 12 common hangover myths.

MYTH: Hangovers Are No Big Deal

FACT: A hangover is the body’s reaction to being poisoned with too much alcohol. Heavy drinking rocks the central nervous system. It tinkers with brain chemicals — leading to headache, dizziness, and nausea — and sends you running to the bathroom so often you become dehydrated. The morning-after price of this imbalance can include a pounding headache, fatigue, cotton mouth, queasy stomach — and a weakened immune system.

MYTH: Hangovers Are Gender-Blind

FACT: Use caution when enjoying those free drinks on Ladies’ Night. Given the same drinks, women are more likely to be slammed with the effects of alcohol than men. Scientists say there’s good reason for this. Men have a higher percentage of water in their bodies, which helps dilute the alcohol they consume. When women drink the same amount, more alcohol builds up in the bloodstream.

MYTH: Only Bingers Get Hangovers

FACT: While it’s true that binge drinking could speed your way to a hangover, you don’t have to get wasted to pay a price the next morning. Depending on your body composition, just a couple of drinks can trigger a headache and other hangover symptoms. Having water or a nonalcoholic drink between each beer or hard drink can help keep you hydrated and reduce the overall amount of alcohol you consume.

MYTH: Diet Cocktails Are a Safe Bet

FACT: Diet drinks may help if you’re counting calories, but not if you’re trying to avoid a hangover. Research suggests that consumption of fruits, fruit juices, or other sugar-containing liquids can decrease hangover intensity.

MYTH: Alcohol Helps You Sleep Well

FACT: Alcohol disrupts sleep. While a nightcap may help you doze off more quickly, it undermines the quality of your sleep. You don’t spend as much time in all-important REM cycles and you tend to wake up too soon. If you’ve been drinking heavily, a hangover might strike in the last part of the night, leaving you too uncomfortable to get back to sleep.

MYTH: A Wake-Up Cocktail is the Cure

FACT: More alcohol in the morning does nothing but postpone a hangover. The worst symptoms hit when blood-alcohol levels drop to zero. If you have a screwdriver at breakfast, this moment will just come later in the day. And if you find you can’t function without a wake-up cocktail, you should discuss the possibility of addiction with your doctor.

MYTH: Coffee Is the Cure

FACT: Coffee leads to more dehydration and could make your hangover worse. After a night of drunkenness, it’s best to avoid anything with caffeine. Instead, sip water and sports drinks to counter dehydration and replace lost electrolytes. This is especially important if you experienced any vomiting.

MYTH: Herbal Remedies Can Help

FACT: British researchers reviewed the available studies on hangover pills, such as yeast and artichoke extract.They concluded that there is no compelling evidence of any effective treatment.  Another British team found a supplement made from prickly pear cactus may reduce the nausea and dry mouth associated with hangovers, but not the dreaded headache. The only proven cure is time.

NO MYTH: Alcohol Poisoning

FACT: Alcohol poisoning is a potentially deadly medical emergency. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

  • Confusion, stupor
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Slow, irregular breathing
  • Low body temperature, bluish skin

It’s easy to blow off these symptoms as the price of partying hard, but if you see someone vomit multiple times or pass out after drinking heavily, there’s a risk of severe dehydration or brain damage. A visit to the nearest emergency room is urgently needed.

Understanding Alcohol Abuse: WebMD

 

A SOBER & FUN NEW YEARS EVE:

Rethink the Drink: By Lori Enomoto~CRC Health Group
“If in the past you’ve had a problem with drinking at New Year’s Eve parties, make a resolution to do it differently this year. Go to a sober party. Yes, they exist, or you can even throw one yourself. Throw a theme party, so it takes the attention away from what guests are drinking and places the emphasis on the theme instead.

Make sure to state on the invitation that only non-alcoholic drinks will be served and are welcome. Or, you can put the focus on the drinks, but alcohol-free drinks; whip out your blender and some delicious alcohol-free recipes and make copies of the recipes for your guests.

More people than you might think would prefer to go to a sober party, as they struggle with the same issues related to alcohol. For those who don’t drink at all or those who don’t like to get drunk, it’s not much fun being around people who do, so an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration is a welcome change.”

It is my personal prayer that you will RETHINK THE DRINK this NEW YEARS.

Try the alternative, surround yourself with people in your life that choose to NOT drink as a way to celebrate. They are all around you. You can even create a facebook event on your page and title it with a something like: “Celebrate Sober this New Years” and invite your friends. You’ll be surprised, just as the author above says, of how many people prefer to celebrate without the use of alcohol consumption.
Kraft Recipes for alcohol-free drinks!

I’ve celebrated this way for many years. I love waking up NEW YEARS DAY without the grueling headache, dry mouth and nausea or the numerous visits to the porcelain thrown! So this year if you’re tired of the side-affects of  alcohol, I encourage you to RETHINK THE DRINK!

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing songs, and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:18,19 nlt