Watch Your Alcohol Intake This Holiday Season

The holidays are a time with many social engagements and parties and therefore more opportunities to overindulge in food and drink. It's important to remember to keep your alcohol intake moderate. What is moderate? For men, it's 2 drinks per day and for women, 1 drink per day. One drink is 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of liquor. Drinking too much can cause some unwanted effects like headaches, stomach upset, moodiness, and weight gain over the course of the holidays. Try these tips to minimize the chance that you will drink too much:

• Do not drink before you go out
• Do not drink on an empty stomach
• Avoid salty party snack foods that might encourage you to drink more
• Leave your glass down between sips
• Delay the time between drink orders
• Have water or other non-alcoholic beverage between or in place of alcoholic drinks
• Occupy yourself with some activity, like dancing
• Keep track of how much you drink and try not to drink more than 1 per hour
• Learn how to say no if you really don't want a drink
• Most of all-plan to have a designated driver regardless of how little you drink!

http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTopic.
http://www.lmu.edu/Page25068.aspx