Hallmark Christmas movies are full of sentimentality that appeals to some family members, but not everyone. So how do you persuade your spouse to sit through the made-for-TV film "A Royal Christmas"? The solution posed by one Texas woman: The Hallmark Christmas Movie Drinking Game. The rules are simple. You take a drink when you hear a reference to a dead relative, if a main character's name is related to Christmas (Nick, Holly, etc.), or mistletoe appears on the screen, etc. You get the drift.
Clearly, 'tis the season for excessive drinking. Americans double their intake from Thanksgiving to New Year's, and that's a major health hazard, upping the risk for breast and other cancers and liver damage.
The facts: Evidence that moderate alcohol consumption is heart-healthy isn't rock solid, and hardly anyone knows what "moderate" means. Think your 6-ounce glass of whisky is one drink? Think again; it counts as four!
Plus, what may be harmless for you can change as your health changes and you age. Taking a beta blocker or nitrates for high blood pressure or an alpha blocker for enlarged prostate? Mixing it with alcohol can cause perilously low blood pressure. If you're over 65, you don't metabolize alcohol as efficiently as before. Your blood alcohol level increases more dramatically, making you vulnerable to falls.
The smart moves: If you don't give up alcohol, make wine spritzers; drink a glass of water between servings of alcohol; only drink with food; set a limit of two drinks on any day; and establish alcohol-free days.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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