the season to be jolly

’Tis the season to be jolly

Your Health DR GITA MATHAI

Tipsy tips  Eating fried and greasy food coats the lining of the stomach and delays alcohol absorption. Drinking water and fruit juice will help “wash” the alcohol and chemicals out of the system, relieving the headache. Black coffee initially stimulates the nervous system, and may help with drowsiness, but the headache rapidly returns. The holidays have started, and even though each state rings in its new year on a different date, India will join the rest of the world in celebrating the arrival of 2014 on January 1. The New Year is ushered in with parties at clubs, hotels and resorts or in friend’s houses. Alcohol flows freely and there are several dangerous pitfalls for the unwary. The safe limits for drinking are four units of alcohol for men and three units for women. Women have less muscle reserve than men; so that makes them more susceptible to the side effects. The recommended safe limits are based on alcohol units, so it makes little difference whether you drink beer, wine or whisky! One unit is equal to 10ml of pure alcohol. While calculating intake, one unit of alcohol is about equal to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or cider, a small pub measure (25ml) of spirits and a standard pub measure (50ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port. The alcohol content of spirits vary depending on the type (whisky, brandy, rum). An accurate calculation can be done by using the formula percentage of alcohol by volume of a drink equals the number of units. Pregnant women, those planning to become pregnant and teenagers (under 21 years) should not drink at all. No one can really “hold their liquor”. Binge drinking (as can occur during parties) is particularly dangerous. Even in the most seasoned drinkers, it reduces reaction time and clouds judgement. This can result in road accidents. Self-control is rapidly lost and may result in fights. Balance is affected and injuries can occur from tripping and falling. Blood pressure can shoot up, resulting in a stroke. The increased calorific intake from alcohol and accompanying snacks can push diabetes out of control. Actions and decisions taken under its influence can appear ludicrous in the hard light of a sober morning. Certain chemicals such as benzodiazepines or gam- mahydroxybutyrate (GHB, the date rape drug) can be slipped surreptitiously into alcohol or even soft drinks. They are tasteless, so the unsuspecting victim may pass out, or be assaulted, with no memory of the occurrence. January 2 is a working day for many, so recovery from a hard night of partying is a priority. The best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink at all. While partying, eating fried and greasy food coats the lining of the stomach and delays alcohol absorption. The headache that follows heavy drinking is due to dehydration and the additives (flavouring and colouring agents) in the alcohol. Drinking water and fruit juice will help “wash” the alcohol and chemicals out of the system, relieving the headache. Black coffee initially stimulates the nervous system, and may help with drowsiness, but it aggravates the dehydration and the headache rapidly returns. If attending a party with a group of friends outside the house, one person should not drink at all and be the designated driver who will take everyone home safely. Also, the sober person can make sure no one drinks too much, passes out, behaves inappropriately or is in any danger. All those cakes, sweets and pastries served at this time will throw diets and diabetes out of control. A piece of cake about one and a half square inches packs in a whopping 340 calories, a ladoo 240 calories and 20 nuts 100 calories. Just an extra sweet a day can push up your weight by a kilo in 10 days! An hour of exercise uses up between 250 and 300 calories, depending on the intensity, type of exercise and your body weight. One or two “extra” sweets a day cannot really be worked off with exercise alone. Also, this is the holiday season so regular exercise schedules tend to fly out of the window. The start of the New Year should be a time for introspection and resolutions to make the year ahead a healthier one. Don’t postpone your annual health evaluation, blood tests or cancer screening. Try to attain your ideal body weight. This means a BMI (weight in kg divided by height in metre squared) of 23. Exercise regularly (an hour a day is ideal) with 40-45 minutes of walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming, followed by 15 minutes of stretching or yoga. Try to get a 365/365 score. Don’t miss a single day. Try to cross train – that is, try walking one day, swimming another and cycling on the third day. Not only does exercise then lose its monotony, but also becomes more effective and efficient. Beginning the New Year exhausted and in an alcoholic haze is probably not the ideal start for the next 364 days of your life. Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore. Questions on health issues may be emailed to her at yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in