Image: Neil Fowler. NC, ND 2.0. Accessed Dec 8, 2014.
We’ve received some feedback about an eye-opening article we recently shared on our Facebook page. The article, ‘Women are catching up to men in their drinking, and that’s bad’ shed light on some alarming findings. What’s good for the gander is not good for the goose: drinking a mere 2 1/2 glasses of wine a day, an amount at which most men may laugh at, will have serious health implications for a small-medium build woman in her 30s. These ‘hidden’ risks of drinking, which no longer only affect the middle-aged, are starting to plague women in their 20s and 30s, ranging from embarrassing and inconvenient to downright deadly:
- liver cirrhosis (failure) resulting in death;
- heart disease;
- increased rates of breast cancer;
- gastritis (stomach irritation: think chronic bloating, nausea, gas, burning and indigestion);
- pancreatitus (gastritis in the pancreas, except the pain and the runs are “not fixable” according to this doctor;
- depression;
- sleeping problems, and so on.
It’s not fair but it is what it is. The author of the article, Canadian newspaper columnist Leah McLaren, explains that the seemingly “sexist double standard” is just cruel reality. On average, women are generally smaller than men, yet carry more body fat and less fluid (cruel, cruel reality). As a result, alcohol travels through womens’ bodies in a more concentrated form, owing to the reduced amount of fluid. Muscle also has a higher fluid content than fat, so naturally fat absorbs more alcohol than muscle.
The end result? The same amount of alcohol will result in a higher blood alcohol concentration in a woman than a man. This last sobering fact is one to keep in mind, especially for designated drivers this holiday season.
Drinks are usually flowing around this time of year during the Christmas party season. Keeping track of the number of drinks consumed can be difficult between mingling and having your glass refilled by attentive hosts. Additionally, sometimes the non-alcoholic options, a bowl of mystery non-aocholic Christmas punch or a stack of soda cans at the kids’ table, are frankly not as appealing as a glass of wine or a mixed drink to hold and to sip.
‘Ingredients for mulled wine’, rpavich. CC 2.0. Accessed Dec 8, 2014.
So, I’ve put together a list of DIY nonalcoholic Christmas drinks that can be made in batches or in single servings. Sip on some of these in-between cocktails or wine to give your liver a breather. These fun recipes will have people asking you what you are drinking, as opposed to why you aren’t drinking!
1) Lemonade With Honey and Cinnamon. Bring 2 cups of water to boil; add 1/4 cup of coconut sugar and 4 cloves; let cool and add 1/4 cup of raw honey and 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and stir. Serve with cinnamon stick. Original recipe from Country Living.
2) Winter Grapefruitade With Clemintine Cubes, by Micheline from the Miniature Moose. A really tasty way to get a dose of vitamin C.
3) Mulled Juices, by the Gourmet Mom. A nonalcoholic alternative to mulled wine.
4) Ginger Eggnog Fizz. Simply combine ginger ale or ginger beer with nonalcoholic eggnog. An indulgent interpretation of Christmas drinks with ginger ale.
5) Iced Chai Tea Latte, this recipe from Gimme Some Oven for chai tea concentrate keeps up to one week and can be diluted with water or milk.
-H.
