POSTS WITH TAG: alcohol

Healthy Living

The States Where Binge Drinking Is Most Common Will Surprise You

Posted by Amy Reiter
on Jan 25, 2012 at 4:49 PM

cdcWho do you think binge drinks more: people who live in affluent states with higher levels of education or those who live in less affluent, less educated states? People who live in colder states or warmer climates? People in regions that lean Democratic or Republican? The answers to those questions may surprise you. They certainly surprised me.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a report on binge drinking, which it defined as drinking five or more alcoholic drinks (for men) or four or more drinks (for women) in a brief period of time. And if you think it's a habit indulged in only by people who frequent college frat parties or spend all day at your neighborhood dive bar, you're sadly mistaken.

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Healthy Living

Your Taste for Red or White Wine Could Affect Your Breast Cancer Risk

Posted by Maressa Brown
on Jan 20, 2012 at 11:40 AM

red wine vs. white wine for breast cancer riskIf you've ever had trouble deciding between a bottle of red and a bottle of white ("... whatever kind of mood you're in toooonight!"), have I got the tiebreaker for you! You know all the buzz about how wine (specifically red wine) is great for your health, because of the polyphenols that guard against free radicals, yadayada? Well, researchers thought it might be smart to check which type of wine, if either, could help us fight breast cancer.

Their study, published in the Journal of Women's Health, aimed to see if either wine could serve as an aromatase inhibitor, preventing the conversion of androgens (what we think of as "male" hormones) to estrogen, known to contribute to cancer cell growth. You might be surprised by the findings ...  

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Healthy Living

Heather Locklear Could Be Suffering From a Broken Heart

Posted by Maressa Brown
on Jan 13, 2012 at 10:33 AM

heather locklearIt seems like only yesterday, Heather Locklear was being called onto the set of the (now canceled) CW Melrose Place reboot to work the same magic she did when the original series' ratings weren't up to par. But today, the actress seems to have a lot more to worry about than being the Superwoman who can save a flailing prime time soap. Yesterday, she was rushed to a hospital in L.A. after her sister dialed 9-1-1.

Thankfully, Heather's whole family seems to be on the scene and her parents have reported that she's "fine," but early reports from TMZ note that the 50-year-old may have overdosed on a "dangerous mix" of prescription drugs (likely Xanax) and alcohol. However, even if that's true, there's more to the story.

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Healthy Living

Chelsea Handler's New Habit Is Nothing to Laugh At

Posted by Maressa Brown
on Jan 11, 2012 at 12:18 PM

are you there vodka, it's me chelsea book coverAnyone who considers themselves a fan of Chelsea Handler knows that the comedian, author, Chelsea Lately host and exec producer, as well as creator/star of the new show, Are You There, Chelsea? (based on one of her books, cover to the right) has a thing for vodka ... sometimes, tequila. And who could blame her? Pinnacle Cake Flavored Vodka shots and frozen margaritas are my among my faves, too, mmmm ... But while alcohol plays a pretty hefty role in her salty and dry brand of humor, she recently dished that she's not sloshing back the vodka martinis as frequently as you might think. 

It seems inspired in part by her awesome job and the people she works with. Chelsea told Us Weekly at NBC Universal TCA Tour, "To function as I do, I can't be a mess." So, that kinda begs the question, right ... How does she get her booze fix and stay straight at the same time?

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Healthy Living

Crazy New Guidelines Recommend Boozing 'Only' 5 Days a Week

Posted by Amy Reiter
on Jan 9, 2012 at 1:53 PM

martiniHow many nights a week do you drink alcohol? One? Two? Three or four? Could you drink five days a week and still feel fit and awake and accomplish everything on your to-do list? I couldn't. But some members of the British Parliament are calling for a review of government guidelines in the U.K. in hopes of recommending just that: that people in the U.K. take at least two days off from alcohol each week.

Even if five nights of drinking, and two nights off, on any given week, probably sounds like a lot to the rest of us, it's apparently the picture of prudence in the U.K.

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Healthy Living

Hangover? 5 Must-Read Remedies (If It Doesn't Hurt to Read)

Posted by Amy Reiter
on Jan 1, 2012 at 7:00 AM

champagneYou drank a bit too much champagne and danced long past the countdown and well after the sound of the party horns faded. Now you're feeling it: the New Year's Day hangover. Your head is pounding. You're exhausted. You ache all over. You're seriously thirsty and those hors d'oeuvres that tasted so delicious last night are not sitting too well in your stomach this morning. Also, will someone please dim the lights and stop the room from spinning?

Yes, yes, you're filled with regret. You'll never drink to excess again. (Or at least perhaps not until next New Year's Eve.) But in the meantime, what can you do to cure your hangover -- fast? Here are a few tips:

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Healthy Living

Drinking & Walking Is More Dangerous Than Drinking & Driving

Posted by Adriana Velez
on Dec 28, 2011 at 3:40 PM

We've all heard about how dangerous it is to drink and drive. But did you know it's also dangerous to drink and walk? Walking it off is the alternative for a lot of over-doers, especially on New Year's Eve -- and especially since it's nearly impossible to get a cab that night. But if you look at the numbers it's actually more dangerous to drunk walk than it is to drunk drive!

Scary but true -- you are 8 times likely to die if you walk a mile drunk than if you drive that mile drunk. This is according to economist Steve Levitt, who wants to be clear about something up front: he is NOT at all advocating for driving while drunk. Both are horribly dangerous. He's just pointing out that walking is not the safe alternative we think it is. 

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Healthy Living

Alcohol Hits Women Way Harder Than Men

Posted by Amy Reiter
on Dec 24, 2011 at 9:00 AM

glass of wine

You know how your husband can drink a few beers and not even blink, whereas you're wearing the proverbial lampshade after only a glass and a half of wine? A new study has underscored what we all know to be true: Alcohol affects women much more dramatically than it does men. According to researchers at University of Gothenburg in Sweden, long-term excessive drinking affects women neurologically more quickly in than it does men, influencing our judgment, self-control, and emotional regulation. Alcohol abuse may also lead to depression in women more quickly than in men, too.

Kind of makes you lose your thirst for cocktails tonight, doesn't it?

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Healthy Living

New Hangover Pill Is a Good Excuse to Get Drunk This Holiday Season

Posted by Lindsay Mannering
on Dec 5, 2011 at 12:55 PM

hangoverIt's December, and let's face it, this is one boozy month. From holiday parties to New Year's to drowning our sorrows alone on the couch watching Love Actually over and over, we're going to take down more alcohol this month than we might be willing to admit, which means we're going to be battling some major hangovers. But this may be the last holiday season we'll have to worry about the splitting headaches and nausea, because, hooray! There's a new, FDA-approved hangover pill that's about ready to hit the market and it could be the answer to all our problems. Or ... it could just be an expensive way to get some aspirin into our system. I'm on the fence.

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Healthy Living

The Champagne Diet Will Get You Skinny (and Drunk)

Posted by Maressa Brown
on Dec 1, 2011 at 5:22 PM

champagneOh no, it's officially December! That means if you haven't already slipped into party mode over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, you'll surely be tempted to over the next four or five weeks. There's no time like this time of year for eating, drinking, and being merry, but of course, those behaviors never seem to go hand-in-hand with a rigorous weight-loss program. Until now!

Cara Alwill Leyba, a writer who works for MTV, has come up with a plan that's perfect for the holiday season called The Champagne Diet. And for some time, she's been documenting her experience with it on a blog, soon to be a book, called The Champagne Diaries. The philosophy that helped her pare pounds: Eating nutrient-dense, tasty foods -- anything you want, as long as it's in the range of 1,200-1,400 calories a day. Oh yeah, and having a glass or two of champagne. That's all there is to it!

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