How To Prevent a Hangover

Posted on May 1, 2013 by pgh

How to prevent a hangover: Planning

Almost anyone who drinks on a regular basis has experienced a wicked hangover at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, the only sure fire way to prevent a hangover is to abstain from alcohol. If you’re not ready to do that, there are some steps you can take that may stave off the worst of it the next morning:

How to prevent a hangover: Drink Limit

Obviously, the less you drink, the less likely you are to have a hangover the next morning. Everyone is different when it comes to alcohol-some people get a hangover after only one or two drinks and others can drink all night without any ill effects. However, a good rule of thumb to prevent a hangover is to limit yourself to one drink an hour. Most people’s body’s eliminate alcohol at this rate, so sticking to this schedule is a good way to prevent a hangover. Also, drink no more than five drinks in one evening.

How to prevent a hangover: Drink Water

One of the major causes of hangover symptoms is dehydration. Alcohol decreases a hormone called vasopressin. This is known as the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) because when it is released in the blood stream, it prevents your body from excreting water in your urine. When it is suppressed from drinking alcohol, your body loses more water in urine. The effect is so strong that for every pint of beer you drink, you can lose up to four pints of water. To prevent a hangover, drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you have.

How to prevent a hangover: Eat Something

The worst thing you can do is to drink on an empty stomach. Having a filling meal you start drinking is a great way to prevent a hangover. The food in your stomach will slow the absorption of alcohol in your blood stream. Even if you only have a snack before going out, some food is better than no food.

How to prevent a hangover: Order on the Rocks

Ordering a drink “on the rocks” not only fills your glass with ice so you are forced to drink more slowly, but it can also prevent a hangover if you take care to chew all the ice before you move on to the next drink. The ice also melts as long as you don’t drink too slowly, watering down the drink and thus the amount of alcohol you are ingesting with each sip.

How to prevent a hangover: Avoid Shots and Mixing

When you do shots, you have a whole drink’s worth of alcohol in the space of a few seconds. This means that your system could be overloaded and not be able to break the alcohol down as efficiently as it would if you had the same amount of alcohol over a longer period of time. You also may be tempted to drink more. To prevent a hangover, stick with drinks that you can sip on throughout the night.

Mixing drink types is also a big no-no if you want to prevent a hangover. Staying with one type of alcohol will ensure that you’re not mixing up various additives, flavorings, and other elements in different types of alcohol, which can all increase the chance that you’ll wake up with a hangover.

Alcohol and Diabetes

Posted on May 1, 2013 by pgh

Alcohol is processed in the body in a very similar way to fat. Alcohol can also provide the body with almost as many calories as fat too. This means that drinking alcohol in anyone with diabetes can cause the blood sugar to rise. If someone who has diabetes chooses to drink alcohol they should really do it occasionally and only when their diabetes and blood sugar levels are under control.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the person has high blood glucose or high blood sugar. The reason for this is because their body doesn’t produce enough insulin or because the body doesn’t respond correctly to insulin or a mixture of both. People with high blood sugar will usually experience frequent urination, become very thirsty and become very hungry.

What are the effects of alcohol on diabetes?

Normally, the liver releases glucose to maintain blood sugar levels. But when someone drinks alcohol, the liver is busy breaking the alcohol down, so it does a poor job of releasing glucose into the bloodstream. This can lead to a drop in blood sugar levels if someone is drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. Each alcoholic beverage takes about 1-1 ½ hours to finish processing in the liver. For that entire time, the risk of low blood sugar exists. So, if someone has 2 drinks, they double that time to 2 to 3 hours that they are at risk for low blood sugar. The more alcohol consumed, the bigger the risk for serious low blood sugar.

Alcohol affects diabetes in many ways; here are a few of them:

Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol can cause the blood sugar to rise and excess alcohol can actually decrease the blood sugar level causing it to drop into dangerous levels.
Beer and sweet wine contain carbohydrates that can raise blood sugar
Alcohol stimulates the appetite which can cause overeating and can affect blood sugar control
Alcohol interferes with the positive effects of oral diabetes medicines or insulin
Alcohol can increase triglyceride levels
Alcohol can increase blood pressure
Alcohol can cause flushing, increased heart rate and slurred speech

Alcohol can also affect other medical conditions someone with diabetes may have, like diabetic nerve damage, diabetic eye disease, and high blood triglycerides.

All of these effects don’t mean that someone with diabetes cannot drink alcohol. Diabetics who take medication to control their blood sugar levels can first ask their doctor about drinking alcohol. For those that do drink limiting the amount they drink is the key; one drink for women and two drinks for men. Even two ounces of alcohol can affect the liver’s ability to produce glucose.

Alcohol and diabetes really don’t go hand in hand. Diabetes is the inability to process a substance almost exactly like alcohol. Luckily drinking can be moderate and diabetes can be managed as long as the person who is diabetic is knowledgeable, careful and aware. The safest bet when it comes to alcohol and diabetes though is for a person not to drink.

Hangover Movie: Dude, Where’s My Car

Posted on April 30, 2013 by pgh

“The Hangover” movie series has reigned supreme the last couple years as the ultimate going out, getting wasted and can’t remember what happened movies. The story and plot lines in these movies are not unique in themeselves and have been rehashed over and over again.

A few years ago another hangover movie – Dude, Where’s My Car was another hangover cult classic.

‘Dude, Where’s My car’ premiered in 2000 and was an instant classic for teenagers everywhere who were into the party scene. Probably similar to the same older generation that now enjoys the Hangover movies. The entire plot of dude where’s my car is going to seem very familiar to the hangover movies too that are so popular today.

“Two potheads wake up from a night of partying and can’t remember where they parked their car.” Just like in The Hangover when a group of guys awaken from a hard night of partying and can’t remember what happened.

If you assumed that the rest of this movie plot includes antics and interesting characters on the journey to finding their car again – then you would be right! The main characters are two “potheads” (played by Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott) whom are trying to find their car. This hangover movie begins with a…wait for it… HANGOVER after having a wild party the night before. Ashton and Sean wake up to find the house trashed and people sleeping on the lawn. The unfortunate thing is that they are not in their house they are in their girlfriend’s house which if I may add happens to be hot twins.

Hard night of partying. Check.

Can’t remember what happened. Check.

Hot girls. Check.

Do you see the pattern here?

This movie includes dogs getting stoned, a sexy scene including Kristy Swanson who plays “Christie Boner” and even aliens.

Ashton who plays Jesse and Sean who plays Chester pretty much are idiots and all they know is Jesse’s car is gone and they encounter a transsexual stripper who wants his/her suitcase of stolen money, a group of alien-seeking nerds and an angry street gang. Their girlfriends Wilma and Wanda are upset (for lack of a curse word) that they trashed their house. Mind you the whole time they must find a “continuum transfuctioner” (a mystical device that could either save or destroy the world) while trying to not be duped by a group of jumpsuit-wearing, sexy-as-hell, aliens posing as humans want it.

Sound ridiculous enough? Well it gets more ridiculous.

This movie glorifies smoking pot and getting wasted. In fact I can remember watching this movie as teenager and thinking how badass it all was and how hot Ashton Kutcher was. Truth is eventually you grow up and you realize life is not in the slightest bit like the ridiculous comedic hangover movies they shove in our faces. While this movie is certainly hilarious it’s definitely not productive or filled with tons of brain enhancing or memory boosting scenes.

This hangover movies is slapstick stupid comedy at it its best.

Don’t drink and drive my friends!

The Ultimate Hangover Remedy: Yoga?

Posted on April 29, 2013 by pgh

After you have been out partying a bit too much and are paying the price the morning after you may not even feel like moving but there is a routine that could be the answer to your hangover blues. Enter: yoga. A light and simple yoga routine the day after you drink a little too much may be just as effective as jogging and possibly more effective than the normal, “lay in bed and rest” remedy.

Here is how to cure a hangover with yoga:

A yoga routine normally has a number of different asanas or yoga poses that are specifically designed to stimulate, energize and detox organs and other parts of your body. In order to counteract those unpleasant symptoms of hangover, you know, the headache, queasiness, and fatigue there are a few certain yoga poses that can help detoxify and recharge your body so you can quickly and easily get back to normal. This is awesome because hangovers can be rough.

The first step in the ultimate hangover remedy, yoga, is to drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of water should already be on the list of things to do because drinking water is a huge hangover remedy in fact it is THE remedy. Rehydrating is essential to getting rid of a hangover as well as having a good yoga session. The reason for this is because alcohol dehydrates the body of its essential nutrients and minerals. Drinking a few glasses of water before the yoga routing and drinking some more throughout the day should really help you to be on your way to feeling better. Avoiding carbonated drinks and caffeine are also a good idea because they will just make things worse and dehydrate you more. Here is a yoga sequence for hangovers.

Lie on you back and take a few deep and calming breaths.
Lift your feet in the air and hold it there for a minute. If you cannot manage this, use a wall as support.
Alternatively flex and point your feet to stretch those tired muscles.
Pull your knees down to your chest and wrap your arms around them and give yourself a big hug. This is known as the Wind Relieving Pose and helps detoxify the stomach and intestines and encourages cleansing.
Other yoga poses that can help reduce the effects of a hangover include Sun Salutations – to increase the heart rate and improve circulation, Twisting Poses – to rid the stomach of all toxins and cleanse the organs and end with a few relaxing or meditative poses to clear the mind and restore the body’s equilibrium.

There is still no scientific evidence that yoga works as a hangover remedy or that yoga will get rid of the effects of alcohol but it is a known fact that what yoga does do is reduce stress and make you feel better. If you have a hangover keep your movements slow and gentle and keep regular breath flowing during the poses. If anything it may not get rid of the hangover but it will help to make you feel maybe just a little bit more relaxed. And then you can go back to sleep.

The Anatomy Of A Hangover

Posted on April 26, 2013 by pgh

Most people who drink alcohol experience a hangover at least once during the course of their drinking. A hangover is a series of biological changes in the body. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, diarrhea, excessive fatigue and extreme thirst and dehydration.

The anatomy of a hangover: What causes a hangover?

Hangovers are not entirely understood. The symptoms are due to a combination of dehydration, electrolyte and hormonal imbalances, low blood sugar, and direct toxic effects.

The anatomy of a hangover: Dehydration and electrolyte/hormonal imbalance

Dehydration is caused by alcohol’s effect in the brain. It decreases a hormone called vasopressin. This is known as the anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) because when it is released in the blood stream, it prevents your body from excreting water in your urine. When it is suppressed from drinking alcohol, your body loses more water in urine. The effect is so strong that for every pint of beer you drink, you can lose up to four pints of water. This causes dry mouth and headache.

With all that water, you also lose electrolytes. When water is lost in the urine, sodium, potassium, and magnesium go with it. Loss of these vital electrolytes can cause feelings of nausea and fatigue.

The anatomy of a hangover: Toxins

The direct toxic effects have to do with the way alcohol is processed in the liver. Alcohol is broken down in the liver first to acetaldehyde, then to harmless acetic acid. Your body requires another chemical, glutathione, to break down acetaldehyde into acetic acid and clear it from your body. The problem is that when you drink a LOT of alcohol, you run out of glutathione and are stuck with the toxic acetaldehyde in your system while your liver makes more glutathione Acetaldehyde is the main chemical that is responsible for the symptoms of a hangover. It is more toxic to the body than the alcohol itself.

Toxins can also come from the alcohol itself. Congeners are alcohol derivatives that form as a byproduct of the fermentation process that is used to make alcohol. Congeners of alcohol are toxic to the body. They are found in higher concentrations in darker alcohols such as red wine, whiskey, bourbon and brandy.

The anatomy of a hangover: Who gets hangovers?

Every person reacts differently to alcohol. Some people can have one glass of wine and feel terrible in the morning. Other people can drink all night without feeling the effects. Age, genetics, medications, diet, immune systems, weight and gender all can come into play when it comes to a hangover.

The anatomy of a hangover: How to avoid it

The only foolproof way to avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol. However, if you’re going to drink, slow down the pace at which your drinking, so your body has time to process it. Also, drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage that you have. Drinking on a full stomach is another good way to stave off a hangover.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/anatomy-hangover/story?id=12509637&page=2

Why is alcoholism a chronic disease?

Posted on April 23, 2013 by pgh

Alcoholism is not only a chronic disease it is also progressive and in some instances fatal.

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is the physical dependence on any mind or mood altering substance and the continued use regardless of consequences. Alcoholism is not a moral deficiency but rather a disease of the mind, body and spirit. Most people who become alcoholic cannot stop using drugs or drinking simply because they want to or “will” themselves to. Most people who suffer from addiction or alcoholism must seek outside help or an outside solution to help them get sober and then remain sober as they journey into recovery.

Like diabetes and cancer, alcoholism is a primary disease. This means that it is not a symptom of another disease, nor is it a personality flaw, moral weakness, mental illness, or lack of willpower. Alcoholism is not the result of drinking too much. Rather, the body of an alcoholic responds quite differently to the ingestion of alcohol than does the body of a non-alcoholic.

How is alcoholism progressive?

There is no cure for alcoholism, but there is treatment. Since alcoholism is a progressive disease, it always gets worse without treatment – it never gets better. Alcoholism causes biological, psychological, social and spiritual problems, and as the disease progresses, the person’s ability to function declines. All of the body is affected. Personality changes are the result from brain impairments to the person’s thinking and functioning. They think, feel, and behave differently than before, yet regard the way they are acting as normal. Social or relationship problems begin to happen in the family, the community, and at work. The alcoholic may handle the loss of his or her spouse and family due to chemical dependency, and withdraw from social contacts which do not involve drinking.

Why is alcoholism a chronic disease?

A non-chronic disease has a relatively quick onset, and the affected person is very aware of its sudden presence. But alcoholism is a chronic disease, meaning that it develops gradually over a period of time – sometimes measured in years. This helps to understand why there may be a long period of time between being well and acknowledging the presence of the disease. Problems or symptoms are present, but they are typically attributed to some cause other than chemical dependence, for instance, a bad marriage, working too hard, “unfair” supervisors, etc. People with alcoholism and family members deny that they have this disease for a long time. It is important to realize that such denial is not the same as lying. Rather, it is a matter of being convinced that problems or symptoms are due to something (anything) other than alcoholism. Denial of the disease is part of the chronic disease process, and breaking through that wall of denial is an extremely difficult process.

So why is alcoholism a chronic disease?

Because it gradually persists without any acknowledgement from the alcoholic that they have it. Alcoholism is not a moral failing but a disease that is in the worst way possible very fatal as well as chronic and progressive.

How To Stop Drinking

Posted on April 22, 2013 by pgh

Ok, so if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, the good news is you can just stop drinking. Don’t drink anymore. Problem solved. However, you probably wouldn’t be looking at this article if it were that simple. Chances are, you’re probably already experiencing some negative consequences as a result of your drinking. You may have even tried to stop drinking before and it didn’t work. Or maybe you’ve just noticed that the number of drinks you have every week has slowly started to creep upward.

How to stop drinking: Assess the problem

Ok, so it’s time to get honest about the problem, even if it’s just to yourself. How much do you drink, and how often? How long has it been going on? If you’ve been a daily drinker for some time, odds are that you will experience some withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop drinking.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as two hours after taking your last drink. They can range from moderate (mild anxiety, shakiness) to severe (seizures, delirium tremens) depending on how long you have been drinking. The severe complications can lead to death in some cases, so if you have been drinking daily for a while, you shouldn’t try to get off alcohol on your own, which brings me to my next point….

How to stop drinking: Consult a doctor

Don’t feel like you need to quit alone. Even if you haven’t been drinking long enough to have withdrawal symptoms, it is much easier to quit with some help. A doctor can help you assess your drinking and give you counsel on resources that can help you to stop drinking. They may even be able to prescribe medication to help with withdrawal or point you towards a medical detox facility. Also, your doctor can give you information regarding mental health professionals, support groups and drug and alcohol treatment centers in your area.

How to stop drinking: Get rid of all your alcohol

In the beginning, it’s much easier to stop drinking if you first clear out all of the alcohol in your home. Ask family and friends if they can refrain from bringing alcohol to your house when they come over and try to avoid situations where there will be a lot of drinking. If you have been drinking for a long time, it may be difficult at first to find activities that do not involve alcohol. It is important to keep busy when you try to stop drinking and find some things you enjoy doing without having to be drunk.

How to stop drinking: Take care of yourself

It is much easier to stop drinking when your body is getting good food and enough rest. Exercise can also be a great way to release endorphins, manage stress, and cut cravings. Take extra good care of yourself when you try to stop drinking, especially in the beginning. Try to reduce outside stress as much as possible, and try new, healthy ways to deal with anxiety and stress.

Kratom and Alcohol

Posted on April 17, 2013 by pgh

Kratom and Alcohol

Kratom is fairly new to the drug scene. The latest in a line of “legal” drugs to hit US markets, Kratom is quickly becoming a problem in some parts of the country. Kratom is synthesized from an opiate-like leaf of a tree grown Southwest Asia, and its sale is legal in the United States. Its effects are similar to heroin and prescription painkillers like oxycodone and it can be more dangerous than illicit drugs. Naturally, combining Kratom and alcohol can be dangerous. When combined, this mixture has an effect that is greater than either drug on its own.

Kratom and Alcohol: CNS Depressants

Both Kratom and alcohol are classified as central nervous system depressants. Central nervous system depressants slow down the normal activity that goes on in the brain. Combining multiple depressants is dangerous because when they are combined, the depressive properties of Kratom and alcohol increase exponentially. This can easily lead to overdose and death.

Both alcohol and Kratom significantly slow the brain and motor functions of the body, which can also knock a person out. Alcohol increases the absorption of Kratom, making the high happen faster and longer, which is why they are often mixed. Users hope to experience a stronger high.

Drinking while on Kratom slows your heart rate and your breathing. Taking Kratom and alcohol together can slow the system to the point that your heart stops. In addition to alcohol increasing the depressant effects of Kratom in the body, the opposite is true also. Kratom makes alcohol stronger and more dangerous. Kratom increases the absorption rate of alcohol in the body and makes the sedative qualities of alcohol more potent.

Kratom and Alcohol: Effects

Mixing Kratom and alcohol can have a number of different effects. These include things like:

dizziness
drowsiness
slowed breathing
slowed heart rate
significantly impaired motor skills
tremors

Kratom and Alcohol: Overdose

Kratom is part of a class of drugs known as opiates. 98% of reported opiate overdoses have included the co-use of alcohol and/or other central nervous system depressants. Because of the volatility of the combination of Kratom and alcohol, can stop your breathing, your heart, or cause alcohol poisoning. Any one of these situations can kill you.

Kratom and Alcohol: Dependence

Both Kratom and alcohol are drugs of abuse. They produce euphoria by increasing the dopamine production in the brain. Because of the potent effect of combining Kratom and alcohol, the use of both together increases the rate of tolerance. Tolerance is when your body gets used to a drug and you need more and more to produce the same result. When the body becomes tolerant to Kratom and alcohol and then use is stopped, the body experiences symptoms of withdrawal. The symptoms of withdrawal of Kratom and alcohol together are more extreme than withdrawal from either substance alone. In some cases, it can even be life threatening. People have been known to have seizures and delirium tremens (DT’s) when withdrawing from Kratom and alcohol. DT’s are characterized by rapid heartbeat, fever, and confusion, and, in a certain number of cases, result in death.

Source:

http://alcohol.addictionblog.org/mixing-opiates-and-alcohol/

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Posted on April 16, 2013 by pgh

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Addiction is known as a “family disease”. This is because it doesn’t just affect the addict or alcoholic. Loved ones of the addict/alcoholic are often caught up in the destruction as well. Luckily there are groups that address the family members of an alcoholic or addict specifically. Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be very helpful to the families of recovering alcoholics.

The family group idea is nearly as old as Alcoholics Anonymous. Early AA members and their wives visited AA groups around the country. The visiting wives often told the mates of the newer members of Alcoholics Anonymous about how they benefited from trying to live by AA’s Twelve Steps, and how it had helped to improve family relationships that often remained difficult after the alcoholic had become sober. Al-anon was founded in 1951, and the Twelve Steps were adopted as guiding principles.

Teenage children in the families of alcoholics soon realized that their problems differed from those of adult members. In 1957, Alateen grew out of this need. There are now over 1,700 Alateen groups worldwide.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the Web

Local Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be found through the website at http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/. The website can tell you about group meetings, what you can expect, and where to find a meeting in your area. Group members share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. Anyone who has been affected by another person’s drinking or drug use is welcome to join. There are no dues or fees in Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

There are also a number of on-line meetings that can be used to supplement attendance at regular face-to-face meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the phone

Alateen and Al-Anon meetings can also be found by calling the hotline at 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666) from 8 am to 8pm ET, Monday through Friday. There are also phone meetings which, like the online meetings, can be used to supplement regular face-to-face Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: Starting your own group

If there is no Alateen or Al-Anon group in your community, you may want to start one, along with one or two other people who need and want help. Any two or more relatives or friends of alcoholics who meet to solve their common problems may call themselves and Al-Anon or Alateen group, provided they have no other affiliation is a group.

You must decide on a group meeting place, day, and time. Then contact the World Service Office at Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. announcing your decision to start a group. You will be given registration information and instructions on how to complete it. The form can be downloaded from the website. When your group is registered, a group number is assigned and a packet containing introductory materials will be sent to the group’s current mailing address. After the registration process is completed the group contacts the local district or Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) to be included in the local meeting directory and the area web site.

5 Signs Your “Party-Animal” Friend Might Be an Alcoholic

Posted on April 15, 2013 by pgh

5 Signs Your “Party-Animal” Friend Might Be an Alcoholic

There is a group of you. Maybe it is a group of three, possibly four. You all work different jobs, maybe two of you work the same job and you enjoy going out for drinks on the weekend. And you all love having a good time, I mean that is what life is about right? Fun with friends? But there is that one person, that one friend in your group on the weekends that you would consider the “party-animal” and their drinking is turning into a head tilting, embarrassing mess. You and your friends have begun having conversations with each other about the “party-animal” friend’s drinking and you begin to wondering if they might be an alcoholic. They quite possibly could be but you don’t know what an alcoholic is. You know the homeless drunk that you see when walking down the street but that isn’t your “party-animal” friend. Maybe your friend just needs to grow up? Or maybe it something more serious? Well, here are some signs that may help you to figure out what is really going on with your friend.

5 signs that your “party-animal” friend might be an alcoholic:

Pay attention to your friend’s tolerance for alcohol. An increased tolerance for alcohol is a big indicator that your party animal friend might be an alcoholic. Overtime their system doesn’t respond to the same amount you would probably drink while out. As a result of this they drink more and more frequently.
Look at how your friend considers drinking as a part of their daily routine. An alcoholic person often sets up a schedule for their alcohol. For instance if they visit a bar or liquor store daily after work your party animal friend may be an alcoholic. You will also notice that your friend makes excuses just to go get a drink.
Passing out or blackouts are severe indicators that your party animal friend might be an alcoholic. Passing or blacking out can happen to anyone and everyone but it is unlikely and is unusual if it happens more than once. Someone who blacks out or passes out from drinking too much could very well be an alcoholic or be on their way to being an alcoholic.
Bring up your party animal friend’s drinking to them and see what happens. Usually someone who might be an alcoholic responds very negatively and defensively. They will constantly deny or lie about the issue and never face the facts about their drinking.
Keep track of how often your party animal friend becomes drunk whenever alcohol is available. Ordering “doubles” of drinks, gulping, or becoming quickly intoxicated are all indications that your party animal friend might be an alcoholic.

Everyone has that one friend that likes to get a little bit out of control and they are fun to be around and they are our friends. But if you think your party animal friend might be an alcoholic it is best if you care about them and talk to them about cutting back or quitting all together.

Sources:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2046129_recognize-signs-alcoholism.html