Challenge #12: Do you prevent hangovers?

Don’t drink alcohol for two weeks in a row.

“One reason I don’t drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time.”

-Nancy Astor

Hey, folks!

Do you prevent hangovers? Well, the best way to prevent a hangover is to say no to alcohol. 😉

We don’t know about you guys, but in our country, drinking is quite a problem. Many people get drunk on a daily basis. We usually don’t drink a lot, but it happens from time to time, that we forget to consider our limits.

No matter if you are a casual drinker or if you drink on weekends or even every day, you should take this challenge as a test to see how hard it is for you not to drink for two weeks. It will tell you a lot about your drinking habits.

So, do your best not to drink a single drop of alcohol for two weeks in a row. You can only benefit from it!

If you don’t drink alcohol at all then you’re off the hook for this week. Still, we invite you to read through the article, we’re sure you’ll learn some new information on this topic.

“I’m very serious about no alcohol, no drugs. Life is too beautiful.”

-Jim Carrey

Herein we’ll take a look at the facts about alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse, we’ll tell you how is alcohol bad for you, we’ll also discuss how does alcohol affect body system, and finally we’ll give you some suggestions on how to cure a hangover fast in case you do get drunk.

What is the blood alcohol content?

The blood alcohol content (BAC) is the percentage concentration of alcohol in our blood. Here are some ranges of the BAC with typical corresponding effects:

• 0.03% – 0.10%: mild euphoria, mood enhancement, lowered anxiety;
• 0.10% – 0.20%: marked sedation, delayed reaction time, balance/vision disturbances;
• 0.20% – 0.30%: marked confusion, ataxia, nausea, vomiting;
• 0.25% – 0.40%: severe loss of muscle coordination, intermittent unconsciousness, bradycardia, loss of bladder control;
• 0.35% – 0.80%: profound respiratory depression, coma, death possible.

The level permitted for driving differs from country to country, for the US the current BAC limit is 0,08%. Click here to check the limits for other countries.

In case you had a drink or two and you’re thinking about driving, you can estimate your blood alcohol content here. But we urge you not to drink and drive.

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Facts about alcohol addiction and abuse

Let’s take a look at some disturbing facts about alcohol abuse:

• There are over 85,000 deaths due to excessive alcohol use per year in the US alone.
• Alcoholism is the 3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the US.
• Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 2.5 million years of potential life lost annually.
• Up to 40% of all hospital beds in the US (except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients) are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption.
• 2/3 of the high school-age students who drink do so to the point of intoxication.
• Around 8% of women and 17% of men are dependent on alcohol at some point in their lifetime.
• According to one study, of the 490 million people in the European Union, more than 23 million are dependent on alcohol.
• In Europe, alcohol contributes to nearly every ten illness and premature death each year.
• 40% of violent crimes occur under the influence of alcohol.

Well, you get the picture, right? Generally, alcohol is not all bad, if consumed in a right way, but the problem is we tend to cross that line way too often.

“It has long been recognized that the problems with alcohol relate not to the use of a bad thing, but to the abuse of a good thing.”

-Abraham Lincoln

How is alcohol bad for you?

We have decided to write down how does alcohol affect body system when we consume it excessively. Below you can find a list of short-term and long-term effects.

Short-term effects

• Slurred speech
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Headaches
• Breathing difficulties
• Distorted vision and hearing
• Impaired judgment
• Decreased perception and coordination
• Unconsciousness
• Anemia (loss of red blood cells)
• Coma
• Blackouts (memory lapses, where the drinker cannot remember events that occurred while under the influence)

Long-term effects

• Unintentional injuries such as car crashes, falls, burns, drowning
• Intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence
• Increased on-the-job injuries and loss of productivity
• Increased family problems, broken relationships
• Unplanned pregnancy
• Alcohol poisoning
• High blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related diseases
• Liver disease
• Nerve damage
• Sexual problems
• Permanent damage to the brain
• Vitamin B1 deficiency, which can lead to a disorder characterized by amnesia, apathy, and disorientation
• Ulcers
• Gastritis (inflammation of stomach walls)
• Malnutrition
• Cancer of the mouth and throat

Alcohol is basically a poison, and as such, it should be consumed with high caution and in reasonable quantities – no more than one standard drink per day.

What is a “standard” drink?

Usually, a standard drink refers to any kind of drink that contains about 14 grams (0.6 fl oz) of “pure” alcohol:

12 oz of typical beer (5% alc.) = 5 oz of table wine (12% alc.) = 3.5 oz of fortified wine (17% alc.)  = 2.5 oz of aperitif (24% alc.) = 1.5 oz shot (40% alc.)

But the national culture, family traditions, society stereotypes, people we hang out with, our nature, or any other factors tend to cause us to often exceed the amount of a standard drink.

Why do you drink alcohol?

Take a few moments of your time to think about it and if you’re willing to share, please write the answer via comment form at the end of the post.

There are many different reasons behind the motivation that makes us drink alcoholic beverages. Usually, we all get a taste of alcohol at a very young age – in Europe, typically when we’re between 12 and 14 years old. We both got drunk for the first time when we were 13.

When we first try alcohol the reason behind it is normally quite silly – we do it to be cool, to fit in, to try something new and forbidden, to impress a girl …

But in most cases, we are trying to mimic grown-ups. When an average teenager takes a taste of alcohol, he/she suddenly feels 5 or even 10 years older. And let’s be honest, basically, nobody likes the taste of it at first. But then we somehow get used to the taste and after a couple of years, some even get to like it.

Now you see, that the grown-ups carry a huge responsibility. If none of the adults would drink alcohol then none of the kids would even think about trying it.

Moreover, it’s not like we – the adults – have some great reasons behind it. OK, if we really like the taste of our poison, sure we can have one standard drink, but we should stop there. But the taste is usually not the case. Based on public surveys, even an average adult typically doesn’t like the taste of alcoholic drinks.

Typical reasons why people drink alcohol:

• Dealing with stress and other problems – it can actually help with that, but it’s a short-term solution that will only postpone your worries.
• To be cool – this is the most common case with teenagers. Take a look at the short-term effects again and you’ll see that it’s way more likely that you’ll do some embarrassing stuff than cool when being drunk. We urge you to do your best to change that – let’s make drinking uncool in the future.

“Alcohol doesn’t permit one to do things better, but instead causes us to be lees ashamed of doing poorly.”

-W. Osler

• To have a good time – some people are simply too shy, too nervous, or they feel awkward when they’re sober. If you’re one of those – if one or maybe two standard drinks will do the job then go for it, but if you need more than that to get there, you better find some other ways to relax.
• To get high and happy – this is completely false since alcohol is a depressant or a so-called “downer”.
• To warm ourselves – this is another myth. It actually makes your body colder – alcohol sends blood to our skin, making it easier to transfer heat from our body to the cold air.
• Because people we’re with drink – this one is quite stupid, but also a very common reason. We should never do anything that we don’t like or want, especially if that is something that is bad for you in many different ways. If your friends or maybe even family can’t respect that, then maybe you should hang out with someone who will.

“I feel I’ve made some bad decisions with alcohol being involved. I don’t really get into terminology.”

-Koren Robinson

Most of us have at least one story about how we got seriously drunk and couldn’t remember much of that night and most of us look at that kind of stories in a positive way. Well, we really need to work on our perspective, don’t we? 🙂

Cure hangover fast

Since life is as it is, many of us won’t be able to say no to alcohol every time. And when you don’t say no to alcohol you’re on a good way to get drunk – meaning you’ll have to deal with a hangover the next day. And, since those can be really nasty sometimes, we’ve gathered some information on how to prevent it or get rid of it as fast as possible.

Before and while fixes:

• The best cure for hangover will always be not to drink too much. 🙂
• While consuming alcohol drink a glass of water for every glass of beverage.
• A supplement called prickly pear extract – with this one you have to plan ahead since you have to take it several hours before drinking.
• Don’t smoke while drinking – mixing those two can make your hangover much worse.
• Choose a clear booze – there are chemical congeners (=anything that’s not water or alcohol) in unclear ones, that can make your hangover worse.

A day after fixes:

1. Drink a lot of water.
2. Eat a banana (if you can).
3. Consume vitamin C – oranges or freshly squeezed orange, lemon or lime juice.
4. Baking soda – dissolve two teaspoons in water and drink it.
5. Tomato juice – it has a lot of fructose that helps metabolize alcohol.
6. Isotonic drinks – they help you rehydrate your body.
7. Peppermint or green tea – it calms your stomach and reduces a headache.
8. Ginger tea – it will help you get rid of the sickness.
9. Hot water, lemon juice, and honey cocktail – they say it’s a lifesaver.
10. Eat something – your body needs the energy to fight a hangover. If you’re very sick go with some kind of soup or something light.
11. Sleep as much as possible.

It’s hard to say which works the best – you have to find the one that works for you. Please, don’t try them all! But we sure hope you won’t be using any of those too often.

Take-home points:

• Drink less alcohol – one standard drink per day should be enough.

• Alcohol is bad for your body and health.

• Drinking alcohol doesn’t make you cool.

• Most of the people don’t even like the taste of alcoholic beverages.

• Learn how to have fun being sober.

• The best way to prevent a hangover is not to drink in the first place.

• In case you do get drunk, try to get rid of your hangover by drinking a hot water, lemon juice, and honey mix.

If you have any questions or comments you’re more than welcome to leave them via the comment form below.

Have a great alcohol-free week and weekend. 😉

Love,

Good Earthlings