Winter Cheers! Things to keep in mind.

Whooo hooo it’s that time of the year again! Yes, I mean winter and what does winter mean? Spot on brother – more alcohol! I love winter for obvious reasons, and also because it evokes a sense of romance. You feel like hugging more, embrace seems to have a whole new meaning, the sight of ‘warm regards’ in emails brings with it more love and affection… but enough of that crap, winter gives you reason to drink -  more parties = more drinks. It’s so cold…. = have a drink. I think I’m coming down with a fever = have a drink and sleep.

Anyway there are a few things to keep in mind with winter and alcohol to stay healthy. Remember the healthier you are the more you can drink.

1.      Many people believe Rum is the drink for winter as it keeps the body warmer. But there is no sufficient/ conclusive research on the validity of this – thus it can be termed a myth. But there’s no harm to it, drink away brothers. But what is true is that rum and coke does keep you more active and warm. If you are diabetic, I think you should stay away from Rum (in my opinion). Why? Well rum is made from sugar cane, and sugar turns into starch upon digestion and starch turns into sugar. But diabetics can drink any type of alcohol in moderation as it can decrease your blood sugar level. How you ask? Well it’s because your liver will be busy fighting off the toxins in alcohol and kinda forget to release glucose, but do not mix anything sweet with your drinks because the carbohydrates in them will spike up the sugar level. Cheers!

2.      The saying that ‘alcohol keeps my body warm’ is as true as it is false. Dafaq! Well what actually happens when you take alcohol in general is it dilates the peripheral blood vessels near your skin, increasing in more blood flow and thus the warm feeling. But the danger here is that the blood takes the warmth away from the core of your body, so even though you might feel warm because your skin is warm, you vital organs might not be as warm as you might think they are. So always remember to keep your body warm even when you feel warm. So no to streaking and alcohol in winter.

3.      Remember to keep your body hydrated at all times. It’s very easy to forget to drink water or not feel like drinking water during winter, especially if you have been drinking but always remember to drink water before and after you drink alcohol. A hangover is the body’s way of telling you it is really, really dehydrated so keep yourself hydrated. As I had mentioned before it takes about 4 hours for the liver to digest 1 peg of whiskey, so watch your drink. I’d suggest a glass of water between every drink.

So there it is folks a few things to remember as you enjoy your drinks this winter. Cheers!