Drinking & Festive Times

With the Navratri fever catching up, Anju and her friends had some grand plans. The young millennials had decided on visiting the nearest Garba pandals and dancing the nights away.

Followed by the high-intensity dancing would be a visit to the pub, too, for what was life without some sins along the way, the young women opined. So, they had booked their favorite bar for a few drinks and then some food with the bill split equally among the five friends.

What they hadn’t taken into consideration, though, was the effects of alcohol on their system.

With the festive season on, people of every age look forward to the merry-making. Rarely do they consider the ill effects of this lifestyle on their health in the long run.

Occasional drinking, or social drinking, isn’t harmful if done within limits. But, once it becomes a habit, it can prove to be one’s downfall.

Let’s have a look at the harmful effects of drinking.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL:

Alcohol--be it beer, whiskey or wine--has both, short-term and long-term effects. Being aware of these and making the right choice is what will keep you safe.

 BEER:

Beer is alcohol, but with some benefits. Yes, you read that right! Beer is believed to be good for heart health as it increases the HDL levels in your blood stream, which in turn keep your heart healthy. However, it should be consumed in moderation and not on a daily basis.

SIDE EFFECTS OF BEER:

1.  The excess calories you consume through Beer give you a Beer Belly. So, if you are passionate about maintaining a flawless physique, it will help if you stay away from alcohol, altogether.
2. High dosage of beer results in vomiting, drowsiness, diarrhea, low blood sugar and irregular heartbeat.
3. You lose control over not just your emotions, but also coordination. It also affects your ability to think with clarity.
4. In the long term, it could result in cardiac issues, mental health issues, memory loss and liver and pancreatic failure.

WINE:

It’s said that wine is good for health. A glass of wine along with dinner helps keep you in good health. It has a good effect on your heart health, mental health and protects from certain cancers, too.

Made from grapes, the reservetrol in wine looks after your heart and vision. It is believed to relax you and calm your nerves. But, as with everything else, these benefits will be visible only if consumed in moderation.

A glass of wine a day is good but only if you are open to experimenting with it. Else, fruits that are rich in reservetrol, like grapes, are better!

SIDE EFFECTS OF WINE:

1.   When sipped slowly and had along with food, wine doesn’t affect the nerves as it would when had on an empty stomach.
2. Drinking more than a glass of wine results in slurred speech, blurred vision, difficulty in walking, loss of consciousness and vomiting.
3.  Staying away from wine will safeguard your heart, liver, pancreas and also your mental-health.
4. Wine affects your sleep, gives you stomach ulcers, affects your thinking skills and makes you dependent on it.

WHISKEY:

When moderately consumed, whiskey is said to be good for heart health thanks to the antioxidants present in it. Apparently, it is also helpful in weight-loss as well as controlling diabetes.

However, all of the above will be possible only when the drink is consumed in MODERATION. Even slight excess can prove to be your undoing.

SIDE EFFECTS OF WHISKEY:

1. Whiskey is an alcoholic drink and is capable of ruining your health.
2. It causes poisoning, nausea, vomiting.
3.  Excess amounts result in loss of balance, impaired judgement, slurred speech and Impaired vision.
4. It results in cirrhosis of the liver, destroys the body’s metabolism and badly affects the entire functioning of your body.
5.  Addiction to the drink throws life out of gear and it gets difficult getting rid of the habit.

HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS WOMEN’S HEALTH:

Women’s bodies react to alcohol way different from men’s. A glass of alcohol in a woman’s body will indicate higher Blood Alcohol Content in her blood stream than that in a man’s. So, it’s important for a woman to know how much to consume and when to stop.

 Alcohol affects a woman’s fertility as it disturbs the menstrual cycle.

Conception becomes difficult and can adversely affect a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.

1. Alcohol during pregnancy severely harms the baby.
2.  It puts women at a risk of several cancers.
3. It can increase menopausal symptoms like night sweats, weight gain, and affect sleep, too.
4. Alcohol also affects bone health making bones fragile with a susceptibility to fractures.

The secret to staying safe from the adverse effects of alcohol is MODERATION.

 Suggestions :

1.  Avoid alcohol to celebrate an occasion. There are several other ways to do so.
2.   Always eat before you begin drinking. Eat while drinking, too.
3.  Set a limit to your drinking and do not surpass that limit.
4.   Drink in sips and not in gulps.
5.  Avoid activities and places where you are expected to drink.
6. Stick to non-alcoholic beverages if you have no choice.
7.  Let a glassful of drink last you an hour.

t’s really easy staying away from things that are harmful to your health. All it needs is making your health a priority. Everything that comes in the way of your staying healthy can always be discarded.

Image courtesy: UNSPLASH