I thought of posting this under Sexy and Fit,
But I believe the article is very enlightning and informative.

Under the influence
What you need to know before you raise your glass again.
By Chris Cander of MAXFITMAG.COM

Having a small glass of red wine each day may be considered by some to be heart healthy, but what happens when one glass turns into two or three? We’re not talking about over-the-legal-limit sloshed here. With just an extra drink or two a day, those minor benefits are overshadowed by a host of adverse effects on your weight, sex life, sleep and health.
For example, alcohol reduces the number of fat calories you burn (even when you exercise regularly), increases your appetite, raises levels--of the muscle-wasting hormone cortisol and lowers testosterone levels for up to 24 hours after your last sip. It can ruin your sleep, which is when your body recovers and repairs itself. And that three-martini lunch can lead to high blood pressure, which calls the cops on the party in your pants. So, before you stumble down to the pub for another round, consider all the things your buzz may kill.

SAFE SIPPING
Guidelines put forth jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines moderate drinking as "up to one drink a day for most women and up to two drinks a day for most men."

A standard drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 11/2 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each of these drinks contains roughly the same amount of absolute alcohol (EtOH): approximately 0.5 ounces, or 12 grams.

Anything above that is considered heavy drinking. Binge drinking is a pattern of heavy drinking that happens over a predetermined time set aside for drinking or when a person who usually doesn't drink consumes five or more drinks in one sitting. Having five drinks within two hours is all it takes to go from being the life of the party to road kill. "We can't emphatically state that a little is good for you, but we can emphatically
state, that a lot is bad," says Sam Zakhari, director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

DELICIOUS BUT NOT NUTRITIOUS
`Alcohol is almost twice as calorically dense as regular carbohydrates," says Keith Klein, founder of the Institute of Eating Management. "Each gram has seven calories, which is almost as high as the number of calories per gram of fat, but alcohol provides virtually no nutrition. Instead, it compromises the body's ability to burn calories and promotes excess fat storage." Here's how it works.

1. Alcohol passes through the stomach lining directly into your bloodstream. Not only does this surge of alcohol pass through the blood-brain barrier and start to impact your judgment right away but also the pancreas detects the presence of glucose in the blood and releases a spike of insulin to metabolize it.


2. Insulin takes excess glucose out of the bloodstream by converting it into a starch called glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles. Once the liver is saturated, it synthesizes the excess glyco¬gen into triglycerides, a form of body fat.

3. Drink and repeat. The increasing blood glucose stimulates more insulin, which also inhibits the production of fat-burning enzymes. With so much glycogen available as fuel, there's no need to dip into our fat reserves. So, you're not only pack¬ing it on; you're also saving it up.

4. Drink and repeat. The increasing blood glucose stimulates more insulin, which also inhibits the production of fat-burning enzymes. With so much glycogen available as fuel, there’s no need to dip into your fat reserves. So, you’re not only packing it on, you’re also saving it up.

PROMOTES SHRINKAGE

If you drink too much, you probably won't have as much motivation to get to the gym. And even if you do make it, you probably won't see the same gains as your EtOH-free workout partner. "Alcohol is directly toxic to the testes and can suppress serum testosterone levels for up to—and even beyond-48 hours after your last drink," says Zakhari. The anabolic effect of the hor¬mone testosterone is to promote muscle growth and strength. Too little for too long can lead to the erosion of lean body mass.

Got your beer goggles on? Reproductively speaking, chronic drinking can turn your Michael Phelps swimmers into bathing-capped water aerobicizers ¬assuming, that is, your alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction and crushed libido haven't ruined the prospects for you already. "Alcohol increases desire but decreases performance," says Zakhari. "That's all you need to know."

According to the Research Society on Alcoholism, during heavy drinking:
• 59% of patients experienced erectile dysfunction.
• 48% reported ejaculation incompetence.
• 84% experienced at least one kind of sexual dysfunction.

SLEEP
Have you ever fallen into a peaceful, sedated sleep after a few drinks, only to wake up four hours later with what feels like socks on your teeth? "That's the rebound effect of alcohol," says Dr. Michael Roizen, cofounder of RealAge.com and author of several books, including YOU: The Owner's Manual. "Early on, it stimulates glutamate receptors in the brain, which cause drowsiness. Three or four hours later, those receptors rebound and wake you up." Alcohol robs you of deep and REM sleep and keeps you in the lighter stages, which can contribute to increased appetite, weight gain and cognitive impairment. Too bad you can't get your shut-eye because you're also missing out on a healthy dose of growth hormone, which is released during slow-wave sleep. If you're not getting enough, your body's ability to build muscle and burn the extra fat you're packing on is further compromised.

HEALTH
`Alcohol is absolutely toxic to the entire body," says Dr. Elson Haas, founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin and author of several books, including The New Detox Diet. "But the two organs most affected are the brain and liver." According to Roizen, other potential health consequences of chronic, moderate to heavy drinking include:

• Decreased immune function, which leads to a higher risk of infections and cancer
• Stomach problems, such as reflux, inflammation and ulcers
• Liver damage, starting with fatty liver and progressing to alcoholic hepatitis, then cirrhosis and finally cancer
• Heart-related issues, including irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure and elevated serum triglycerides
• Errors in judgment, social problems and addiction

Although some studies have suggested that one or two drinks a day can have cardio protective benefits by decreas¬ing the aging of arteries, "If you drink more than that, the toxicity greatly outweighs any positive benefits," says Roizen. According to Zakhari, "Remember the four Ds: A modest amount can be delightful; more and you become devilish, then delirious and finally dead. Try to stop at the first D."

PLEASURE OR PROBLEM?
Social drinking is a highly acceptable but potentially dangerous past time. If drinking causes trouble in your relationships, at school or work or with your behavior, it's a problem. The following four questions are from the diagnostic CAGE Questionnaire. One "yes" suggests a possible problem and two or more indicates a likely problem, in which case you should consult your personal health care provider.

YES / NO Have you ever felt that you should Cut down your drinking?
YES / NO Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
YES / NO Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?
YES / NO Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?


The social drinking can be more harmful you think:

Consult your personal health care provider if you feel that you or someone you know has a drinking problem. Other resources include the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service, available at 1-800¬662-HELP
WWW.MAXFITMAG.COM

Sorry T R this is the correct place for this thread GG

Oh and be aware that in Europe there is a very different view on alcohol consumption
GG

Good thing I hate the way alcohol feels going down. I'll stick to my OJ.

That sounds delish, I would do it with sparkling cider or something though.

quote:

Oh and be aware that in Europe there is a very different view on alcohol consumption
GG

im beginning to think GG, that europe holds different views on almost everything. and its an never ending curiosity why. especially considering how many europeans helped build this country.

oceans i damn thee!

personally i drink very little. just never had the thirst for it i guess.
cheers
N.

quote:

im beginning to think GG, that europe holds different views on almost everything. and its an never ending curiosity why

It is a mystery eh?

I have no idea why the US came out so funny (ducks and runs).

quote:

im beginning to think GG, that europe holds different views on almost everything. and its an never ending curiosity why

may it that WE may be a bit different?

LOL!!!

quote:

Originally posted by ajay:

quote:

im beginning to think GG, that europe holds different views on almost everything. and its an never ending curiosity why

may it that WE may be a bit different?

LOL!!!

All things are possible

quote:

may it that WE may be a bit different?

LOL!!!

im beginning to find truth in the following..

europeans are from europe...

americans are from mars.