's motd Friday June 29, 2012

[Guest guest]

HAPPY(?) HOUR

Friday, 29 June 2012

When I was growing up in New Orleans' French

Quarter, it seemed every

hour was Happy

Hour. I

lived just a few short blocks from Bourbon Street and,

I'm telling you, so many of the people walking up and

down Bourbon sure looked pretty happy to me.

(I guess Bourbon Street got it's name...very

literally! LOL.)

A cocktail may

make you feel "happy" but there's nothing happy about what

drinking too much alcohol does to your body.

But may I tell you something? Even though a cocktail

may make you feel a little giddy and, well, "happy,"

there's nothing happy about what

consuming too much alcohol does to your body and even

to your relationships. Do you have any idea how many

marriages, families and friendships have broken up

because someone drank too much?

Look, having a cocktail every now and then, if that's

what you choose to do, is not going to hurt you. But

it's just like with everything in life that you OVER DO, that's where

you get into trouble. With my FoodMover, there's a

section where you can count the starches and fats a

cocktail will cost you. Just remember, they do

cost you and the calories in alcohol can really

add up. The added danger is that you usually become

less inhibited when you drink, making it more likely

for you to overeat or drink even more. So be

careful!

If you've never been a drinker, (like me), then I say

you probably shouldn't start. But if you do like to

have a cocktail on occasion, there are some things I

want you to remember.

You should

never drink if you've ever had problems with alcohol.

If you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you

should never

drink. (Alcohol can hurt your new baby while

he or she is still inside you.) Are you on any daily

medications? Read the information that comes with

your prescription and talk to your doctor about any

interactions alcohol may have with your medicine.

(Sometimes alcohol actually negates the effects of

the meds you're taking.) You should never drink if

you've had problems with alcohol in the past. (If you

have a family history of alcoholism, it becomes doubly

important for you to steer clear of drinking.) If

you've ever had heart failure or been diagnosed with a

weak heart, you should also avoid alcohol. And last,

but certainly not least, if you're out for Happy Hour

or an evening drinking with friends, be sure your

group has a designated driver. You should never mix

drinking and driving and you know

that!

When it comes

to having cocktails, it's all about Moderation.

Look, just like with eating, when it comes to having

cocktails, it's all about MODERATION. Lots of bars

have those Happy Hour two-for-one drink specials

during the early evening. They figure, after a busy

day at work, you're ready to relax. But try to limit

those cocktails. Two-for-one? How's about one

drink for you and one for your friend? And after

that...no more! Because I'm

telling you, your hours will be a lot

happier if

you don't mix them with drinking too

much!

Love,