Weird But True: Happy Hour Is Good For Your Health

You know the phrase, “eat, drink, and be merry”? I’d revise that to be, “eat healthy, drink a moderate amount, and be crazy-merry.” And that’s kind of the idea behind a new study out this week.

Japanese researchers believe that light to moderate drinking paired with socialization (enter happy hour) can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease. While the researchers mostly looked at men, it’s easy to see why the findings could be true for women too. Most health experts are fine with light drinking–one glass per day (but not every day) for women. And aren’t we all happier when we’re spending time with friends? I’m a big believer in laughter and friendship contributing to longevity. (Laughter is actually good for your immune system! Here’s why.)

And, if you’ve ever wondered if your drinking pattern (lots of wine on Friday nights, for instance) is unhealthy, or if you might be on the road to alcoholism, a fascinating newish Web site from the National Institutes of Health is chock full of useful info. Take their quiz to see how your drinking habits stack up with others–and weather you’re on the road to being unhealthy with your alcohol intake.

Some of the happiest moments of my life have been shared over wine with loved ones (though I’ve had plenty of happy times without wine, too!). How about you?

Tips on Healthy Living

Bad habits are like burning a candle from the bottom. To put short, bad habits erode and deny us a fair share of healthy living. To live a healthy life, you have to throwaway those bad habits that could jeopardise your health. With a healthy lifestyle, you can live a longer, prosperous, and problem-free lifestyle. It does not matter how old you are; it is never too late to cultivate a good habit and make it a second nature. So what are the tips on healthy living that promotes longevity?

Water

Water is extremely important to life. More than 80% of the human body is water. Daily intake of the right quantity of water is one sure way of promoting a healthy lifestyle. For a clearer, healthier and brighter skin, the body needs a daily consumption of four litres of water daily. Water helps eliminate toxic waste. Also, avoid taking water in-between meal. You can take water before or after meal: consuming water during meal slows down digestion.

Always start your day on a brighter side by consuming two glasses of water immediately you get up from bed. This does not only help in eliminating waste but it also assist in fighting disease and dehydration.

Exercise

Exercise your body daily. Daily exercise whether mild or intense is important to the mind, body and soul. During exercise, the heart pumps blood faster to various parts of the body. The circulating blood repairs and carries oxygen to various parts of the body. Daily exercise help reduce the human body blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Regular exercise flushes the skin pores leaving your skin healthy and beautiful.

Pharmacists: Your Meds Expert

Most of us assume the doctor who prescribes our medication is the go-to-person to get the whole scoop on the pills we’re taking. But a well-trained, conscientious pharmacist usually knows more about drugs than some physicians do, which is why choosing a good pharmacist is so important to your health.

The most common form of medical treatment today is drugs. We benefit from an enormous number of medicines that save us from life-threatening ailments. But many of these drugs are potentially dangerous. Adverse drug reactions, which cost lives and millions of dollars a year, are almost always foreseeable and preventable.

Doctors sometimes forget to ask patients about allergies or other conditions that might affect reactions to a drug, or may not know about these reactions; a conscientious pharmacist will ask for a medical history and inform you if you are in danger of a reaction.

Some people take different drugs at the same time, prescribed by different doctors for different conditions, without realizing each doctor should be told so. A good pharmacist keeps a record of your prescriptions on the computer and informs you and your doctors if you in danger of harmful drug interaction.

Then too, it’s common for us when nervous in our doctor’s office, to forget what we’ve been told about the dosage and timing of medication. A good pharmacist will go over these instructions, point out where they are clearly written, discuss the side effects and remind you if there are substances – alcohol, for example – that you should avoid while under medication. Of course, a sheet will be enclosed describing the drug in even greater detail, but many of us don’t bother to read it. And the printing is usually ridiculously small! Human interaction goes a lot further when it comes to explanations.

Enjoy Your Parties and Lead a Healthy Lifestyle at The Same Time

A life without parties and without a gathering of friends to drink, eat and be merry?

How can anyone live like that?

Let us enjoy ourselves, but let us all remember some golden rules while doing so.

Drink in moderation:

An age-old moral code, but we tend to forget this when we are out with friends. Excess alcohol can harm you in many ways, and leads to more accidents than anything else.

Watch out – here comes temptation in the form of desserts:

Desserts add more to your girth than any other food. They also raise your sugar levels, cause indigestion and can lead to the all familiar heavy feeling. Eat very small quantities of the desserts, if you must. Cut down on something else if you are planning to eat the dessert.

Keep a watch on the quantity of food you consume:

If you follow one golden rule, you will be much better off. Do not take a second helping! How much can you fill in one plate? Just eat that much and learn not to take a second helping. There are few better ways to control the quantity of food eaten.

Avoid fried foods:

They are the killers, they look good, they taste good and we never know when to stop. So just avoid them, you will do yourself a favour.

Enjoy yourself when you go to a party, but take a little bit of care,  and you will remain healthy and happy.