“Drink, sir, is a great provoker….Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. “ – MacBeth, Act II, Scene III, William Shakespeare
Is it possible to be mindful during the holiday season? Especially with food and alcohol? Yes, it is with a little dose of moderation and helpful tips!!
Tis the season to be jolly and imbibe responsibly in holiday spirits. As women, this is especially critical because we metabolize alcohol much more slowly than our male counterparts. There are various reasons for this: their smaller body size, different % of body fat and slower enzymatic metabolism of alcohol. All of these create a higher blood alcohol level in women compared to men.
A “standard” drink means any alcoholic drink that contains approximately 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of “pure” alcohol. This equates to:
- 12 fluid ounces ( fl.oz) of regular beer
- 8 fl.oz. of malt liquor
- 4-5 ounces of table wine
- 3 ounces of fortified wine ( sherry or port)
- 2 ounces of cordial, aperitif
- 1.5 fl.oz of “hard” liquor – 80-proof (40% alcohol content).
5 Holiday tips to stay mindful (and not hung-over the next day!)
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Drink lots of water: Before ordering that glass of cabernet or margarita on the rocks, remember to drink a glass of water. Have one glass of water per each alcoholic beverage. Hydration (and moderation) is key!
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Eat food: Choose healthy options, if possible. Skip the salted chips with onion dip and go for the veggies with hummus dip. By eating food, you will slow the rate of alcohol absorption into your body.
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Alternate with water or non-alcoholic drinks. This will keep your hands busy as well as keeping you hydrated.
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Don’t cave into peer pressure. If you don’t want to have that extra drink, politely say “No”. You’ll be happy for it in the morning.
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Have a plan to get home safely. Designate a driver for the evening who agrees not to drink during the evening’s festivities and is responsible for getting everyone home safely. Or, call UBER. The cost of fare is well worth it!
Here’s one of my favorite recipes for a refreshing non-alcoholic alternative.
Festive Holiday Punch (Non-alcoholic)
Best to prepare the day before to allow the flavors to blend together. To decrease calories, substitute diet ginger ale and/or diet cranberry juice for regular ginger ale and cranberry juice.
Ingredients:
1/3 white sugar
1 quart cranberry juice
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2- 3 tbsp. almond extract
1 bottle (2 liter) of ginger ale
Directions:
1) In a large container, combine sugar, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and almond extract. Refrigerate for 1 day.
2) To serve, pour juice into large punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale.
3) Garnish glasses with sprigs of fresh mint.
4) Enjoy!
Here’s to a safe (and mindful!) holiday season!
In Health and Happiness,
Dr. Diana Hoppe