Alcohol & Parties
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Alcohol & Parties Since New Year's Eve is in three days, I'm thinking about alcohol. Alcohol is fairly caloric - it contains 7 calories per gram compared to 9 calories for fat, and 4 calories for carbohydrate or protein. Other components of alcoholic drinks also contribute to calories, for instance,...
Safety
Of course, your decision to drink shouldn't be based solely on calories. Safety needs to be the priority in determining if and how much alcohol you drink at a party. According to the Mayo Clinic in "Alcohol Use: If you drink, keep it moderate," avoid alcohol if you: are planning to drive a vehicle or operate machinery, are pregnant, have had a bleeding stroke, are alcoholic, have liver or pancreatic disease, have heart failure, and those who take certain medications (over-the-counter and prescription).
Most people will metabolize one standard drink per hour. However, this may or may not be the case for you, especially if you are an older and/or a smaller person. Here are some tips from NIAA if you plan to drive home after a party:
The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies has some tips for hosts in "Healthy Choices for Partying." Recommendations include offering plenty of non-alcoholic drinks, using juice instead of carbonated mixers (carbonation speeds alcohol absorption), serve food, serve alcohol in measured amounts instead of from open containers (e.g. keg), serve alcohol in intervals, stop serving alcohol well before the party ends and don't let a guest drive home impaired or drunk.
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that your celebration is joyful and safe.