A recent reminder to take care of our health came as National Stroke Week was observed.
According to the Stroke Foundation, in Australia there will be 56,000 strokes this year alone. In other words that’s one stroke every 9 minutes.
More than 10,000 of these strokes will occur among Queensland residents.
Strokes affect the brain and it can change your life forever so the Stroke Foundation reminded people to take care of their health to minimise stroke risk.
One of the ways to minimise stroke risk is by drinking alcohol only in moderation.
Here are some of the ways to protect your health and minimise your risk,
Read more at: https://www.ipswichadvertiser.com.au/news/take-control-of-your-health-to-reduce-your-risk-of/3510946/
We’ve all heard of the risks of driving drunk and it’s something we would never think of doing because the risks are obvious but did you know walking while drunk can be just as bad.
According to data obtained by RACQ from the Queensland Police, 63 pedestrians who were alcohol impaired were killed in crashes between 2012 and 2017.
Steve Spalding, the RACQ’s Head of Technical and Safety Policy said walking home after drinking isn’t always the best idea.
He said in a 5 year period, 160 pedestrians were run over and killed by cars. One third of those pedestrians had alcohol in their systems.
Unfortunately many people think walking instead of driving after drinking is safer, but it is actually still dangerous.
Mr Spalding said alcohol can affect a person’s judgement, balance and coordination and these effects are worsened with a higher blood alcohol content.
In other words the more alcohol in the system, the higher a person’s risk of being involved in a crash even if they’re walking.
Always ensure you have a safe way of getting home at the end of the night or rather not go out at all.
Find out more https://live.racq.com.au/2018/08/drunk-walking-killing-pedestrians/
Type 2 diabetes is becoming more and more common and is extremely dangerous if not properly controlled. The condition causes the level of sugar in the blood to become too high and can lead to problems with the heart, eyes and nerves.
Controlling the condition means avoiding too much sugar and fat, so is it still safe to consume alcohol?
According to Diabetes UK, sufferers of type 2 diabetes can still drink alcohol but need to be aware of certain things.
The group also warns that alcoholic drinks can have a lot of calories which can lead to weight gain and this can increase your risk of diabetes.
They also warn that type 2 diabetes sufferers should avoid low-sugar beer and cider because they contain less sugar but more alcohol.
Low alcohol wine should also be avoided because it has more sugar than normal wine.
Also avoid high sugar drinks like sweet wine, liqueur and sherry.
Find out more https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1015332/type-2-diabetes-treat-control-is-alcohol-safe
It seems everywhere you turn there’s some type of kombucha on the shelf and the drink has proven a hit with designated drivers, teetotallers and detoxers country-wide.
Australians are jumping on the probiotic bandwagon and with more people trying to lead healthier lifestyles, people are favouring kombucha and matcha over other high calorie, low nutrition drinks.
Now even alcoholic kombucha has arrived, but does the alcohol content negate all the health benefits of traditional kombucha?
Kombucha is a tea and sugar drink with added “scoby” which is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. It’s a tart and fizzy combination that contains gut beneficial bacteria.
The original kombucha contains trace amounts of alcohol because of the fermentation process but higher alcohol versions are also on the cards.
Dieticians say these high alcohol versions will not hold the same health benefits as the original. Anna Debenham, dietitian from Mojo Kombucha explained,
“There’s been so much research to show that consuming too much alcohol can actually upset that balance of bacteria in the gut,”
“So by combining kombucha with high levels of alcohol … is that then counterintuitive?”
Source: https://coach.nine.com.au/2018/08/24/15/49/alcohol-kombucha?app=applenews
She also says the high alcohol kombucha would probably alter the taste because it would have to be fermented for a longer period of time.
“The other point to keep in mind that is to make alcoholic kombucha, you’d need to let that fermentation process go on for much longer and the taste is probably not going to be as good,” she points out.
So then there might be added sugar or sweeteners to make sure it tastes good. The bottom line is that kombucha is amazing as it is, and I think tampering with it to try and create healthier alcoholic beverages is maybe a little risky.”
Source: https://coach.nine.com.au/2018/08/24/15/49/alcohol-kombucha?app=applenews
She explains that kombucha the way it is, is a great alternative to alcoholic beverages or soft drinks because it’s healthier due to less alcohol and less sugar. It also contains good bacteria which helps prevent the growth of bad bacteria in the gut, which can contribute to poor immunity and ill health.
Experts say that with the new alcohol varieties we shouldn’t expect any good bacteria in the drink to counteract the bad effects of alcohol.
If you do opt for alcoholic kombucha, remember to stick to the recommended daily limit for alcohol consumption, no more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day for men and one for women.
Read more https://coach.nine.com.au/2018/08/24/15/49/alcohol-kombucha?app=applenews
Drinkers searching for a hangover cure may soon have a solution that actually works.
A scientist from Silicon Valley claims to have discovered a cure to the hangover, a genetically engineered probiotic drink.
The 35 year old from San Francisco spent a year in a lab developing a prototype of the hangover cure which he called ZBiotics.
He said drinking alcohol produces the toxin acetaldehyde which causes hangovers. He said modified bacteria found in the Japanese food natto could be used to engineer a new strain of probiotics which breaks down this hangover causing toxin in the gut.
Together with his business partner, the scientist said he had taken the hangover cure dozens of times and it worked in preventing a hangover. There were also more than 1000 drinkers in San Francisco who had taken the cure and given positive feedback.
Carlton & United Breweries have released their new alcohol-free beer ‘Carlton Zero’ beer, which the company says tastes, smells and sounds like full strength beer.
According to the company, consumers had been calling for a way to drink responsibly while still enjoying a great tasting beer.
The drink is a first for Carlton that will be using the same ingredients in the Carlton Draught to produce an alcohol-free beer.
While the non-alcoholic beer was welcomed by some who said a move to lower or no-alcohol alternatives to popular favourites would help reduce total consumption and alcohol related harm, there are also concerns, mainly from public health that these products will be used as a mechanism to recruit new beer drinkers.
The Australian charity R U OK? has launched an online course to help people in the hospitality industry that may be struggling mentally.
The course, funded with the aid of Comcater and Mal Meiers’ Food for Thought program, and created by R U OK? and hospitality training provider Allara Learning, is an interactive course to help people recognise the signs of someone struggling. It also helps them find the right space and time to ask them the question and what to say if they answer No, indicating that they’re aren’t okay.
R U Ok? has also released new data from a recent survey with hospitality professionals which revealed that most hospitality workers (80per cent) believed mental health issues were a major challenge facing the industry at the moment.
Find out more https://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/r-u-ok-launch-online-course-for-hospitality-industry/
According to British newspaper, Mirror.co.uk more than 50 people daily are treated in hospital for alcohol related liver disease in The UK due to drinking at home.
The alarming figures show that the number of patients in England has risen by 57 per cent over the past 12 years.
According to the figures 20,751 people suffered the potentially deadly condition in the year to March 31,2017, which is up from 13,201 in the 2004/5 period.
Data shows that one in three patients were women and more than 200 are under 30 years of age.
The British Liver Trust has described the problem facing the country as a “liver disease epidemic” as more people are drinking cheap alcohol alone at home.
See more at https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stay-home-drinking-crisis-sending-13099755
While a glass of rose a day may make you seem cool, you could actually be doing damage to your liver. If you want to keep your liver healthy while still enjoying a glass of wine now and then, follow these rules