1.SKYY Vodka – USA No carbohydrates, said to contain the fewest impurities of the leading brands, distilled from American Midwest grain with cocoa. Considered a light vodka.
2.Smirnoff – Russia, now USA Distilled from grain with hint of mint, wet stone and charcoal
3.Blavod Black Vodka – London Distilled from grain – color and smoothness attributed to the Black Catechu, a tannin resin of the Acacia catechu heartwood, a tree indigenous to India and Burma
4.Gilbeys Vodka – USA Distilled from grain
5.Gordons Vodka – USA Distilled from grain
6.Mor Vodka – Poland Distilled from potatoes
7.Wodka Wyborowa – Poland Distilled from rye
8.Three Olives Vodka – England Distilled from English wheat
9.Oliphant Vodka – Holland Distilled from
10.3 Vodka – USA 1st and only vodka distilled from soy and contains no carbohydrates

Source: www.martinimuse.com

The best known of hundreds of Gin-based mixed drinks is the Gin and white vermouth combination called the Martini. As is usually the case with most popular mixed drinks, the origins of the martini are disputed. One school of thought holds that it evolved from the late-19th-century Martinez cocktail, a rather cloying mixture of Old Tom-style Gin and sweet vermouth.

A dissenting sect holds that it was created in the bar of the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in the early 20th century. The ratio of Gin to vermouth started out at about 2 to 1, and it has been getting drier ever since. The great British statesman Winston Churchill, who devoted a great deal of thought and time to drinking, was of the opinion that passing the cork from the vermouth bottle over the glass of Gin was sufficient.

The martini has frequently served as a metaphor for some of the great social and political issues of our times. President Jimmy Carter denounced the “three martini lunch” in a thinly-veiled attempt at class warfare during his election campaign. He was not reelected.

Source: Tastings.com

“Alcohol is the anaesthetic by which we endure the operation of life.”

- George Bernard Shaw

I couldn’t agree more with good ol’ George Bernard. And good ol’ alcohol has provided the perfect setting for lots of fun times too. As you might have gathered by now, I do enjoy a good tipple now and then. But alcohol, as most of us have realised sooner or later, has its downsides too. Apart from everything else, it can become the enemy of weight loss, with all the disappearing kilos suddenly doing an about turn and returning right back to where they were. But there’s no need to despair and morph into a miserable teetotaller. One just needs to understand what alcohol metabolism entails; what the ill effects of alcohol can be; and, how to minimise weight gain caused by drinking sessions.

First it should be stated that, from a nutrition point of view, alcoholic drinks are considered to largely consist of “empty calories” (alcohol is NOT carbohydrate). Empty calorie foods lack micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc) and fibre, but they still have a high calorific value and are easily converted into fat by the body. It’s also interesting to note that there are enough studies to show that alcohol consumption per se does not contribute much to net weight gain, as it actually increases the metabolic rate. It’s really the myriad additives and accompaniments to an average booze session that are the main culprits. Of course, if you look hard enough you can always find some “study” to support your argument, no matter which side of the fence you’re on – but don’t forget to make sure the study is credible, and has been done scientifically, with vetted reliability and validity.

You would recollect that alcohol contains 7 calories per gram (100 percent pure alcohol). Since the specific gravity of alcohol is about 0.8, this means that 100 ml of pure alcohol weighs 80 grams and contains 560 calories, not counting additives in spirits like beers, wines and whiskies. Scary!

Alcohol calories

But hold on. If everybody drank pure alcohol they would have long since departed for that great big bar in the sky, and the world would be left with only dreary teetotallers. In fact, all spirits contain way less than 100 percent pure alcohol (ethanol). There are different measures used to express this: In Europe, it is percentage ethanol by volume (% v/v) and in the US the measure is percentage proof, with 100 % proof being equal to 50% v/v (57% v/v in India and UK). Indian regulations require that both proof and v/v be printed on the bottle label.

This 57% v/v alcohol is sometimes known as ‘London Spirit’ in the trade, which is equivalent to 100% Proof (also written as 100° Proof). Anything weaker than this (most commercially available booze) would be ‘Under Proof’. So 80° Proof could also be called 20° Under Proof. Most Indian whiskies, rums, vodkas, etc, are 75° Proof, or, 42.8% v/v. Wines and beers are obviously of much lower proof (but volume consumed is much higher).

With all the above facts, it’s pretty easy to calculate the calories in a large/double peg (60 ml or 2 ounces, the usual measure in India) of your favourite intoxicant. The actual alcohol content in it would be about 26 ml, equivalent to 21 grams. Multiply that by 7 calories and you land up with 147 calories for a large peg of whisky/rum/vodka/gin. Now that’s not too bad at all, is it?

Tasty junk!

If only! But what happens in reality is quite different. That large peg is usually doused with colas, juices or other sweetened drinks, and accompanied with varying amounts of deep fried snacks and all possible forms of junk. So it seems that poor, innocent alcohol has had to take the unfair rap for weight gain, when all along it actually has been everything else that goes into an average boozing session that’s the real culprit.

You can keep on enjoying a drink or few now and then, and still lose weight if you’re sane with everything else. Replace most of the cola with water and ice, perhaps with a dash of squeezed lime. And replace fried snacks with roasted ones, along with an undressed salad of crunchy sliced cucumbers and carrots.

Fat-sparing and acetate

Nothwithstanding all the above, moderation with alcohol is key to any weight loss programme. For it is not just a matter of calories. Alcohol has other effects on metabolism that could interfere with fat storage. During and after a drinking session, as the liver metabolises alcohol prior to fats, there is a build up of fatty acids, which ultimately get stored as fat. This phenomenon is known as “fat sparing”. Alcohol also tends to slow down fat metabolism (use of stored fats as an energy source) because a significant proportion of the consumed alcohol is quickly metabolised into acetaldehyde and then acetate, which serves as a preferred energy source to fat. I’m no expert, and have found no credible sources to substantiate the “acetate for enegy” claim, but I would think that if this is the case, it would be a good idea to burn that acetate right away with some (legal) physical activity — such as walking or dancing your high away! The worst you could do is make a fool of yourself, unless of course you’re dancing on the ceiling.

Excessive consumption and binge drinking also have many other ill effects that are well known and documented, and I have no intention of repeating them here.

Bottom line: Be moderate, be reasonable, be sensible. And continue to enjoy those drinks as much as I do too!

- Val Souza

[This article was first published in Val Souza's 100 for 100 blog (www.hundredforhundred.com), which deals with inexpensive weight reduction without suffering or grief.]

There are a few misconceptions about alcoholism fact. Many people have been suffering from years of alcoholism because they do not know the statistics. A look at alcoholism fact is good for anyone who wishes to know more about the disease.

People have widely varying ideas of how prevalent alcoholism is. Some think “everyone is an alcoholic; why should I be any different?” Others think the problem is rare and that the people who fall victim are just the bottom of the barrel. They do not know the alcoholism fact about this.

Actually, the percentage of people 12 and over who were alcohol-dependent in 2004 was 7.6%. That is around 18.2 million people. This is neither rare nor extremely common. The true alcoholism fact is that these people are a minority, but they are not simply the dregs of society.

There is often the image of the homeless old alcoholic man curled up with his bottle in the gutter. Or, people think of an alcohol-dependent executive drinking copiously in an office. People think this is an alcoholism fact. Actually, after the age of 25 years old, the incidence of alcoholism goes down.

For people ages 12-17, the percentage was 5.9%. The harsh alcoholism fact is that the rate of alcoholics between 18 and 25 years of age was 17.4%. From there, the percentages went down, with 11.1% at 26-34 years old, 7.5% at 35-49 years old, and only 3% over 50.

The marital status of alcoholics is not surprising, though. Alcoholism statistics were studied for alcoholics aged 18 and older. The alcoholism fact is that those who were single and never married had the highest rate, with 16%.

People who were divorced or separated were usually under stress. They were also often trying to look for mates in social settings that involved alcohol. The rate for them was 10%. Married people had a lower rate, with only 4.6% being alcoholics. The good alcoholism fact was that only 1.3% of widowed people were alcoholics.

Another alcoholism fact is that there seems to be a relationship between emergency room visits and alcoholism. For people 12 and older, 34.2% were seen in emergency rooms, while for those who were not alcohol-dependent, the rate was only 27.9%. This would indicate that those who suffer from alcoholism do have serious physical problems.

In the year of 2004, 61% of adults drank alcohol. In that same year, there were 32% of the drinkers who had at least 5 drinks on one day during the year. An alcoholism fact is that there were 20,687 alcohol-induced deaths in 2003. Besides those, there were 12,360 alcohol liver disease deaths the same year.

The incidence of other diseases and conditions that have become associated with alcoholism is staggering. Conditions like high blood pressure, pancreatitis, insomnia, and even osteoporosis have been linked to alcohol dependence. This is an alcoholism fact that cannot be ignored.

Alcoholism fact has been established by study of statistics and by research. There is little one can do about it except to seek treatment and encourage other alcoholics to do the same. Alcoholism fact supports the notion that this is a large problem. Research suggests that it is not insurmountable.

Ever wonder what the term ‘honeymoon’ meant? All over the world, there is much evidence that history of alcohol goes as far back as over 10,000 years ago! In fact, in some ancient cultures, the communities figured out how to make beer before even learning how to make bread! From worshipping wine to settling feudal arguments, alcohol has come to the rescue for many civilizations, as well as many more to come.

Cultures such as the Romans, Greek and Egyptians all had based many rituals and gatherings around the consumption of alcohol. The ancient Egyptians even buried people with a little alcohol to take with them in the afterlife. In ancient Babylonian times, there are over 20 different styles of beer before 800 B.C., when China and India began producing their own forms of alcohol such as the world famously beloved sake, cognac and brandy through the distillation of barley and rice.

As time moved forward during the Roman civil war, Caesar and his troops introduced beer to Northern Europe creating a whole influx of brewing activity. Many of the monasteries in Europe began producing beer as it was a nourishing beverage that they could consume in the monastery while also selling some on the side, which would help benefit their monastery. Now Don’t we all appreciate the efforts that went into such wonder beers such as Chimay which is still produced by monks?

Many years later came the Renaissance which meant more beer? Indeed this did have an impact on alcohol and brewing as it was known, but this time they put science into the equation when concocting different forms of alcoholic beverages. It was around this time when the big boom in all the different forms of alcohol came about in many countries throughout the world. With these big booms came all sorts of new types of alcohol such as Russian Vodka, Mexican Tequila, German, Belgian, English and other types of drinks for all the world to enjoy!

Soon thereafter, came the boom in the newfound colonies in America which made a trade out of alcohol in the now United States. In later years, the alcohol sold and distributed throughout the U.S. were served in establishments such as local saloons with also supplemented their incomes with a little gambling and prostitution on the side for their patrons. However, many groups of people were disgusted with this sort of lifestyle and began to fight the consumption of alcohol altogether. These abstinence fighters worked and worked tooth and nail to get laws passed in order to place a ban on alcohol throughout the United States in order to create an ideal ‘sober’ nation and to rid the nation of the ‘evils’ of alcohol. Well, in 1920 they finally succeeded and alcohol was banned. This was better know as prohibition. It was during these times, many powerful gangs, bootleggers, racketeers, and smugglers got their start and caused quite an increase in criminal activity and the famous ‘black market’ of booze, which had made many people sick through poorly-made and contaminated beverages.

Around 1932, the government realized that something went terribly wrong as John D. Rockefeller, a well-known industrialist stated: “When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.”

The ban on alcohol and Prohibition in general was lifted in 1933. Many of the world’s largest breweries in existence today such as Budweiser reopened for business and not only lifted many spirits, but also began brewing the world famous style also known as the American lager.

So what do you think? Was prohibition the answer to the problems of the time or did it cause more problems than it was worth? Of course we don’t have too much evidence stating in detail as to what problems had arisen in ancient times due to the alcohol trade, but it does seem in the evidence we do have that people have always been much more content with the freedom of being able to consume alcohol versus that of prohibition. When consuming alcohol, however, remember that the health benefits of alcohol come when consumed in moderation as opposed to over doing it. Enjoy!

Genetic and Environmental Factors

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a person’s risk of developing alcoholism is 60% determined by his or her genetics and 40% caused by his or her environment. Assuming that these statistics are accurate, what can be done to reduce the chances of becoming addicted to alcohol?

Genetic Causes of Alcoholism

Regarding the genetic determinants of alcoholism, those who say, “nothing can be done” are not totally correct. True, a person cannot change his genetics. Knowing, however, that there is a history of alcoholism in a person’s family, for example, can help a person “prevent” this potential problem from ever starting if he practices total abstinence. This kind of preventative thinking is an example of a “proactive” approach to problem solving.

More Proactive Problem Solving

The following illustration, however, is an even more extreme example of “proactive” problem solving that can affect the genetic basis of alcoholism. Maria, a young lady who drinks very infrequently, starts to date a young man named Kirk. As their relationship develops, Maria starts to notice that Kirk gets drunk on a regular basis. In fact, Kirk gets intoxicated at least two or three nights every week. What is especially problematic about Kirk’s drinking is that he gets angry and combative when he drinks excessively. On numerous occasions, Maria has tried to encourage Kirk to seek professional help, but each time she starts to discuss his drinking, Kirk gets extremely defensive, starts yelling at her, and then goes to a bar to drink with his buddies. After a year of riding an emotional roller coaster, experiencing numerous hurtful arguments, and going through many difficult alcohol-related situations, Maria finally decides to break up with Kirk. What were the major factors for the breakup? Maria wants to have children and can’t see having them with a violent and angry man who is so dependent on drinking alcohol. Moreover, Maria figured that since Kirk is exhibiting such irresponsible behavior in a dating relationship, he could possibly get even worse if they were to get married.

In this illustration, by breaking up with Kirk, Maria has stopped a negative cycle from going any further. Stated differently, by deciding to end her relationship with Kirk, Maria “prevented” the genetics part of the equation from ever becoming an issue.

Concerning Alcoholism, Age Matters

Another important alcohol-related statistic articulated by the NIAAA is that the earlier a person starts drinking alcohol, the more likely she will continue to drink her entire life. This being the case, it therefore makes sense to look for ways that will significantly reduce alcohol abuse by teens, preteens, and by young adults.

An Environmental Framework

Employing an “environmental” approach (as opposed to a genetics-based methodology), higher education seems to be a logical starting point for ways to reduce alcohol problems manifested by our youth. Indeed, since many teenagers go to college and because teen alcohol abuse IS a serious health risk, it is relevant to ask what college administrators can do to significantly reduce student alcohol abuse, especially when teenagers are some of the main “offenders.” It is suggested that the following reactive and proactive measures help address this issue.

Reactive and Proactive Measures to Help Reduce Student Alcohol Abuse

· Establish immediate consequences for excessive drinking.

· Discipline repeat alcohol abuse offenders.

· Monitor the drinking activities in the sororities and fraternities.

· Notify parents about their children’s drinking activities.

· Talk to the owners of local drinking establishments so that minors and/or intoxicated students are not served alcohol.

· Eliminate mixed messages about alcohol (for instance, removing alcohol advertisements from stadiums and from sports brochures).

· Inform and educate students about the long-term negative consequences of alcohol abuse.

· Increase the number of alcohol-free social and recreational activities that are attractive to students.

Generalizing the Results

With additional effort and some more thought, it seems reasonable to think that alcoholism experts and college administrators will be able to generate even more ways to effectively reduce alcohol abuse at institutions of higher education. Once this is accomplished, moreover, perhaps their findings can be adapted so that they will “work” in other institutions such as junior and senior high schools, boy scouts, girl scouts, churches, camps, and so on.

Conclusion

If a person’s risk of developing alcoholism is 60% determined by his or her genetics and 40% caused by his or her environment, it is asserted that the problem of alcohol addiction can be addressed from both genetic and environmental frameworks. Indeed, by using a “proactive” problem solving approach, the genetics part of the problem frequently can be eliminated. Furthermore, by focusing on various situational and behavioral factors, the environmental dynamics that help establish and reinforce alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be significantly reduced.

Copyright 2007 – Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.

Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.

A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!

The truth about the beer belly phenomenon

This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.

They also said there was a very “robust” association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.

Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as “android” or “central” obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.

Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the “beer belly.”

Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer study).

Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.

Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?

Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:

A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.

With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.

When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.

Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.

Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it’s possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.

Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you’d think would be most likely to have a beer belly).

It’s the calories that count

The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.

If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you’re aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.

Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”

Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!

When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to “spend” 500 of those calories – one third of her intake – for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?

I realize some people may answer “yes” to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!

To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:

(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program. Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.

(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).

(3) Don’t drink daily. Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.

(4) Count the calories. If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.

(5) Watch your appetite. Don’t let the “munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).

(6) Watch the fatty foods. When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.

(7) Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!

To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated, visit:Learn here

If you personally make the choice that you are going to drink alcohol, whether on a regular basis or occasionally, you need to be sure that you always drink responsibly.

There are a variety of different habits that you need to get into if you are going to drink in a responsible manner. Remember that you will be held responsible for your actions, whether you were drinking or not, so it is important that you only drink in a responsible manner.

The following are a few tips that can help you with responsible drinking habits.

1. Only Drink When YOU Want To

It may be easy for you to be pressured into drinking alcohol by friends, but you should only drink whenever you feel like you want to. If you are not comfortable drinking in a certain environment, or you are just not in the mood to drink, stick to how you feel and do not let others dictate when and where you drink.

2.Know When To Stop

If you decide to drink alcohol, you need to be responsible enough to know when you need to stop drinking. If you want to test your limits, make sure you do it at home with someone you trust so you can get an idea of when you should stop before you become out of control and unaware. Many people find that drinking any more than one drink in an hour can cause problems.

3. Drink Slowly

If you are going to drink responsibly you need to be sure that you drink slowly. People get drunk quickly when they gulp down drinks and do not realize how much they are consuming. Take the time to enjoy what you are drinking and focus on the wonderful flavors instead of drinking a large quantity quickly.

4. Double Fist Your Drinks

If you are drinking an alcoholic beverage it is a great idea to have a glass of water there as well and drink the two together. Drinking the water in between sips of your alcohol can help to keep the concentration of the alcohol down in your blood stream. You are also less likely to have a hangover the next day if you keep hydrated as well.

5. Designate a Driver

If you are going out and plan on drinking, always make sure that someone is designated to drive and that they have no alcohol whatsoever. If there is no designated driver, you should be the responsible one and abstain from drinking. Remember that driving under the influence, no matter how little, can kill.

Having responsible drinking habits is very important if you are planning to consume alcohol. Being responsible while drinking can keep you healthy, keep you out of embarrassing situations, and most important of all – it can save your life.

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Sometimes falling asleep is no easy task, and for many it’s downright difficult to do under any circumstance. Due to its sedative effect, alcohol is a common choice for those who have a hard time finding a way to fall asleep. It’s important to consider the other effects, however, that alcohol will have—namely on the very sleep these people use it to achieve. Booze before bedtime may appear to ease the transition into dreamland, but what happens after that is well worth taking note of.

Adults function best with anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. The consumption of alcoholic beverages before bedtime, interestingly enough, will effectively serve to cut the number of hours actually acquired in half. In fact, drinking alcohol at any time three hours or less before bed can lead to both early waking and disruptions in the sleep cycle on the whole. The entire sleep process is advanced by alcohol intake: N-REM sleep [also know as "deep sleep"] increases, incrementally decreasing REM [or "Rapid Eye Movement" rest]. The problem is that you need both types, in very balanced doses. You may be surprised to learn that these facts don’t deter many: in recent studies, some 28% of insomniacs claimed to have depended on alcohol as a means for falling asleep, and fully 67% described the practice as helpful.

The difficulty with this nighttime “medication” approach is plain: alcohol can either make sleep disorders more frequent, or increase your susceptibility to acquire them. The most common sleep disorder that occurs as a result of the consumption of alcohol before bedtime is obstructive sleep apnea, and it’s one of the most destructive in regard to heart health. Drinking alcohol will narrow your air passages and thereby make it harder to breathe at night. As you gasp for the air that’s being blocked, your sleep cycle is deeply disturbed. When air is obstructed in the passages, your heart must work much harder to get the oxygen that it needs, which results in lasting health problems if it persists over a long period of time.

Studies have shown that the consumption of alcohol even just an hour before bedtime causes major disruptions in the second part of the sleep cycle, which will lead to early awakening. As mentioned earlier, drinking alcohol before bedtime will not only shorten REM sleep but increase deep sleep. The resultant physiological state is known as “REM rebound.” After consuming high doses of alcohol, the body becomes sedated, causing you to fall asleep quickly. After you begin to snooze, your body becomes adjusted to that alcohol running through your blood stream. By the time the second part of the sleep cycle is underway, however, your body has metabolized [re: eliminated] the alcohol from your system, and it will attempt to return your metabolism to normal levels. This is where that rebound begins to occur. Instead of successfully returning to physiologically-normal levels [gauged by certain sleep variables such as the amount of REM sleep acquired at night] your body will over-compensate and change its course in the opposite direction, which results in a sleep disturbance. Furthermore, this disturbance will disrupt the proportionality of the various sleep stages. When rebound and its associated disturbances occur, your body won’t feel fully rested the next day. We all know what that’s like: an unclear [or "foggy"] state of mind and a marked inability to perform simple tasks at an optimal and efficient performance level.

Several studies have evaluated next-day performance and alertness in healthy people who consumed alcohol before falling asleep. In one such study, young pilots drank alcohol between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. in quantities sufficient to result in BACs [blood-alcohol concentrations] of 0.10-0.12 percent right before bedtime. The following morning, over 14 hours after consuming alcohol and with BACs reset to 0, the performance of pilots in a flight simulator was significantly impaired when compared to their performance after imbibing a placebo. The lack of continuity and longevity of the sleep they experienced after heavy drinking is the same as what everyone will suffer when doing so: it simply makes people slower and less attentive the following day.

It’s clear by now that the effects of alcohol on sleep can be dire. Though you may believe it’s helping you sleep, the consumption of alcohol before bed will only result in next-day fatigue and an inability to remain alert… and can actually lead to a serious sleeping disorder. Aside from the havoc it wreaks on your system when frequently drunk at high levels, alcohol can also be dangerous to others around you. There’s no question that critical mistakes are made every day by folks in all walks of life due to the effects of alcohol consumption, whether in the intoxicated state or, like the pilots mentioned, well after you think you’ve “slept it off.” Remember that there are several alternatives to alcohol that are both healthier and more effective when it comes to getting the shut-eye you require on a nightly basis. For starters, you might try getting into a sleep routine, which is a tremendously effective way to train your body’s physiological nature into winding down at night. You’re probably already aware that you should avoid caffeine, dairy products, and smoking before bedtime. Finally, consider going to bed an hour or two later—it can help you go to sleep faster because you’ll be more fatigued. And bear in mind that your old mattress may be part of the problem… switching to memory foam will improve your body’s blood circulation and alleviate the pressure points associated with traditional innerspring mattresses so that you get more restful sleep each night. In sum, you can do better for your body than waking up with a hangover every day. It’s time to make strides toward getting some quality sleep without alcohol.

Even if you do own a fine memory foam mattress like ours at www.bedinabox.com, you must be sure to have good sleeping habits to help you fully enjoy it!

Alcohol Alert. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm. Retrieved on July 28th, 2009.
Alcohol and Sleep.Loyola Marymount Universtiy. http://www.lmu.edu/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=25070. Retrieved on July 28th, 2009.;

Do you need rehab? Are drugs and alcohol a problem for you? Life, especially everyday life, and overall fulfillment depends a great deal upon a healthy balance – with or without drugs and alcohol. Rehab is the rehabilitation from an addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Psychology tells us that we essentially need three things to survive: food (including water), sleep, and a sexual outlet of some sort…drugs and alcohol are not needs! Lack of any one of these things means, in some cases, either death, or a disturbance in life until the need is in some way met! Rehab is an approach to recovering balance in the case of the abuse of drugs and alcohol. You cannot do anything exclusively without tiring of it, including drugs and alcohol! Rehab is about change, and nature and change are very much synonymous. You need time to work, time to eat, time to sleep, time to relax, time to be alone, time to dream, and to fantasize…in essence, life cannot be about any one thing to the point of detriment to other important areas of your life – including the use or abuse of drugs and alcohol. No one thing can be done exclusively without causing you pain (like from being too full from eating.) Rehab is applicable to recovering balance from drugs, alcohol, or any other behavior done to the exclusion of nearly all else.

People who abuse drugs and alcohol, and are in rehab, often suffer from an addictive personality. An addictive personality, or a “proneness to addictive behavior”, such as addiction to drugs and alcohol (or even rehab) often forms from an “unmet need” in life. Sometimes this unmet need is not even perceptible to the mind of the drug and alcohol afflicted (being as it is subconscious, occurring in early childhood perhaps, and beyond the reach of cognitive abilities, memory, or even traditional rehab. Hypnosis, or psychotherapy, is sometimes prescribed in addition to rehab from drugs and alcohol.) This “unmet need” tries to “meet” itself by means of the self bonding with an activity, like using drugs or alcohol…i.e., a drug or alcohol “fix”! In that the “unmet need” is trying to meet itself, and satisfy itself by artificial means, one becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, or to a certain behavior or activity that brings physical gratification instead of emotional satisfaction; a sort of “pseudo replacement” for the real “unmet need”. Rehab from drug and alcohol abuse is both a spiritual and psychological process back to balance.

Drugs and alcohol’s relentless pursuit consumes the whole life, and never does truly fulfill (as rehab can.) It leads the addict along a trail of drug and alcohol ruins in terms of personal loss, psychological pain, incarceration, death, and hurt loved ones, who are all too often confused by the risky drug and alcohol behavior and madness! Only rehab can help to turn this around. It goes to show, like any good occult axiom, that “anything done to an extreme carries with it consequences to the other important areas of our life – parts of life that are important to us all, despite our view of their importance to us!” The damage caused by drugs and alcohol, and the damage in general caused by addiction, is tragic and sad, especially when it can be eradicated simply by means of abstinence, and rehab. Like the family would say, “If he has so many problems from using drugs and alcohol why does he continue to use drugs and alcohol?”

Also, with addiction, and even rehab from drugs and alcohol, the “self” is always essentially aware of its own predicament. The individual, unable to stay in rehab and truly save himself/herself from their own predicament with drugs and alcohol, the addict cannot stop using drugs and alcohol. Guilt, shameful feelings, and anger and irritation (even in rehab, where they must be dealt with), exist constantly! They are constantly in effect for the addict, even the addict in drug and alcohol rehab. The pain of drug and alcohol addiction spreads to those in close connection with the drug and alcohol addict, often affects physical health and dependability, and almost always runs a life into the ground in a myriad of ways! Until the addictive behavior is arrested by means of rehab, recovery from drugs and alcohol, or any form of addiction, cannot begin!

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Drugs and alcohol are widespread problems in the United States. In America, rehab and Twelve Step Programs are an integral part of treatment for drugs and alcohol. Often they go along with rehab for drugs and alcohol, which is in most cases short term. In rehab, you learn about the damage that drugs and alcohol WILL do to your life, and you are given an introduction to rehab and the Twelve Step Program. Unfortunately, rehab and the Twelve Step Programs are often described as having “revolving doors”. Drug and alcohol addicts attending rehab and Twelve Step Programs are often forced to attend, and though they may gain some insight into the nature of drugs and alcohol, rehab, and the Twelve Step Program’s method of recovery, pursuit of the program often proves FAR more difficult for those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The failure rate for rehab and drug and alcohol addicts involved in Twelve Step Programs has been as high as ninety-six percent! I do not know what the rehab failure rate is for drugs and alcohol today!

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, written by “Bill and Dr. Bob” in the earlier part of this century, has since been adopted to fit drug and alcohol rehab and people with addictions of other sorts In rehab from drugs and alcohol, the essence of the Twelve Step Recovery Programs are the Twelve Steps themselves. Having been to rehab for drugs and alcohol myself, I am very familiar with each of the “Twelve Steps”, and what they mean, and what it is you are trying to achieve as you work each step.

In rehab from drugs and alcohol, the practice of the Twelve Steps is very similar both in nature and in approach of other well known religious practices and philosophies; teachings that teach one the values of living an honest and spiritual life. These older studies and practices teach self-discipline, healing, and other so-called “secrets”, and require their aspirants to achieve and maintain a “pure” life, and promise peace, enlightenment, and even unity with God to their’ followers.

READ ON…long before Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, Healers, Mystics, Magicians, and Occultists also dared to tackle the problem of addiction to drugs and alcohol, or what they referred to as, “obsession”!

For more on this article plus other great “how to” articles, visit Rehab, drugs, and alcohol, or, Rehab, drugs, alcohol, and occult teachings.   Also download DVD Movies, Music Collections, Games, Books, Software, and Adult XXX Movies, Videos, and PC Games FREE.