Month: August 2014

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The honest truth: How alcohol affects your skin

Hell-o spring! Taking off to the tropics any time soon? This summer, while you’re sitting on the beach, sipping on a cocktail, take heed of what you may be doing to your skin. You know that you need to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh rays, but what about that fruity daiquiri in your hand?

Alcohol’s effect on your skin is similar to its effect on the rest of your body: it steals the good (hydration) and leaves the bad (dryness, bloating, redness). When you drink alcohol, it hinders the production of vasopressin — an anti-diuretic hormone. This causes your kidneys to work extra hard to remove excess water from your system, sending water to your bladder (and you to the restroom!) instead of your organs. Don’t forget that your skin is the largest organ in the body — and drinking a lot of alcohol leaves it dehydrated.

When skin is dry, it is much more likely to wrinkle and make you look older than you are. Alcohol also robs your body of Vitamin A which is essential for cell renewal and turnover, so your skin could take on a dull gray appearance. Staying hydrated will obviously have opposing effects: smoothing out wrinkles, leaving your skin looking bright, young and fresh. Drinking water is the only way to combat the drying effects of alcohol, hydrating from within.

Being so depleted of vital nutrients, electrolytes and fluids, your skin often shows signs of bloating and swelling. When you’re lacking what you need, your body will store whatever it can get — wherever it can, and any water you take in will cause your tissues to swell.

Alcohol can also affect preexisting conditions like rosacea, causing it to worsen or flare up more often. Alcohol increases your blood flow, often causing blood vessels in your face to dilate (sometimes permanently) and often burst, leaving behind broken capillaries and red spots that are difficult to get rid of.

What’s worse, drinking too much doesn’t only affect the appearance of your skin, it will dehydrate your hair, making it more prone to breaking and split ends. Weak, brittle hair is just about as ideal as premature wrinkling, don’t you think?

http://www.stylelist.com

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10 sneaky ways to lose weight

 
  1. ​ When Out With Friends, Order First. If you do you’re more likely to order something you want. When people are together they tend to eat the same things
  2. Set the mood. If you’re eating out,  soft and quiet is better than loud and glary. You eat less if you’re relaxed – spend more time talking
  3. Use chop sticks. Chopsticks slow you down and make you eat less food with every bite
  4. Remember veggies first. Research says the first food we pick we’ll eat the most, so start with salads
  5. Never leave food where you can see it. Regardless of whether you are eating out or at home. Seeing it fills your thoughts with food
  6. Follow the rule of two.When dining out, select whatever reasonable main entrée you want (plus included sides) and pair it with only two other things to eat and drink.
  7. Place a Napkin on Your Lap
    People who do this before eating tend to have a healthier body mass index, according to Cornell University researchers. That’s because using a napkin reflects good table manners, says Wansink, and careful eaters often pay more attention to what they’re eating—and, as a result, how many calories they’re consuming.
  8. Ignore Healthy Buzzwords.
    Organic,” “all natural,” “low fat,” “a full serving of vegetables”—research shows that food descriptions that include veggies or other seemingly healthy attributes often make us believe that we’re consuming fewer calories than we actually are
  9. Ditch Cold Cereals
    Louisiana State University researchers found that women who eat a warm bowl of oatmeal served with fat-free milk feel 28 percent less hungry for up to four hours later compared with when they pour their breakfast from a box. Oatmeal’s fiber which takes longer to digest) is the secret
  10. Fill Your Instagram With Healthy Pics
    And follow friends who do the same. Researchers from England’s University of Leeds found that people eat fewer calories—and make better choices—after seeing shots of nutritious foods. “Visual cues prime you to eat right,” says Durvasula. The idea works at home or the office too—swap the candy bowl for fresh fruit. And just like that you’re eating healthier.

http://www.styleist.com/category/health-and-wellness

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Something unique about this ad for Guinness

Guinness Unique

There is a standout feature for this advert for Guinness;

  • There is no mention of the key ingredient in Guinness, alcohol/ethanol
  • Alcohol/ethanol is a clear, widely accepted threat to a person’s health
  • The consumer has a right to be informed about the dangers of alcohol/ethanol
  • To get information on alcohol/ethanol the consumer is diverted to a web site, Drinkaware.ie
  • Drinkaware.ie is funded and controlled by the drinks companies
  • This allows drinks companies to advertise their products without mentioning the key ingredient, alcohol/ethanol
  • The onus is on the consumer to be informed about the dangers of this toxic drug
  • A bizarre situation favouring drinks companies at the expense of the consumer

 

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Losing weight? Here’s how to put it back

Drinking deadens your appetite. Heavy drinking can cause malnutrition

How to increase calories

  • Add butter or margarine to soups, mashed and baked potatoes, sauces, cooked vegetables, rice
  • Add whipped cream to desserts, puddings and fruit. Add it unsweetened to mashed potatoes and pureed vegetables
  • Add milk or cream to soups, sauces, puddings, custard,cereals. Use cream instead of milk in recipes
  • Add cheese to casseroles, potatoes,vegetables, omelettes, sandwiches. Melt where possible
  • Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to salads,vegetables, casseroles
  • Saute or fry foods if you can tolerate them
  • Add sauces or gravies to your food

How to increase protein

  • Eat more hard and soft cheeses. Add them to food where possible
  • Use milk instead of water as a drink and in cooking whenever possible. Use full-fat milk
  • Take build – up drinks
  • Add ice cream or yoghurt to drinks, fruit and cereals
  • Add eggs to your food whenever possible. Avoid raw eggs
  • Add nuts, seeds and wheat germ to your food. Add to casseroles, salads, breads, biscuits
  • Add chopped meat or fish to vegetables,salads, casseroles,soups, baked potatoes
  • Eat more beans and peas. Add to soups and casseroles

http://www.cancer.ie

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Alcohol is a known cause of seven types of cancer

Most people know that heavy alcohol use can cause health problems. But you may not be aware that alcohol is a known cause of seven types of cancer. You can reduce your chance of getting cancer if you avoid alcohol or only drink a little.

Even a small amount of alcohol can increase your risk of cancer. It’s not just people who have a ‘drinking problem’ who are affected. The more you drink, the higher your risk.

We now know that drinking alcohol increases your risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx (voicebox), throat, oesophagus (foodpipe), breast, liver and bowel. Alcohol may also increase your risk of pancreatic cancer.

– See more at: http://www.cancer.ie/reduce-your-risk/healthy-lifestyle/alcohol-and-cancer#alcohol-causes-cancer

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The Effects of alcohol on the Body

Even a small amount of alcohol has an effect on your body. When you drink, alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream and distributed throughout your body. A tiny amount of alcohol exits your body in your urine and your breath.

You absorb alcohol more slowly if you eat, especially if the food is high in fat. However, if you drink more than your body can process, you’ll get drunk. How quickly alcohol is metabolized depends on your size and gender, among other things.

Alcohol consumption causes physical and emotional changes that can do great harm to your body. The long-term effects of alcohol abuse are many, putting your health in serious jeopardy and endangering your life.

The liver takes the brunt
Alcohol must pass through the liver. Chronic alcohol abuse overwhelms the liver so it can’t break down harmful substances
Slurred speech
Slurred speech is one of the first signs you’ve had too much
Shrinking frontal lobe
Impaired judgement may be the result of a shrinking brain
Strange sensations
Numbness  and pain in your hands and feet may be the result of damage to your nervous system
Hallucinations
When chronic drinkers suddenly stop drinking, severe withdrawal symptoms, including hallucinations may occur
Major mouth problems
 A loose tooth, together with other signs of alcohol addiction, could be a sign your drinking is out of control
Malnutrition
Alcohol interferes with your body’s ability to use the nutrients and vitamins in the food you eat
Hard on the heart
Heavy drinking can mess with your heart rhythm or even damage your heart muscle
Sexual dysfunction
Drinking is no aphrodisiac, in fact it can make you sexually dysfunctional
Birth defects 
Drinking during pregnancy can cause a lifetime of problems for your newborn
Muscle cramps
A muscle cramp can be a signal you’re drinking too much
Check out that cough
People who drink a lot are more susceptible to lung infections like tuberculosis
Pain in the pancreas
Pancreatitis is a life threatening condition. One of the causes of chronic pancreatitis is alcoholism
Diabetic danger zone
If you have diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to many complications
Coordination
That uncoordinated attempt to walk a straight line might mean you’ve had more to drink than your body can process
Blackouts
Can’t remember what you did last night? Or are parts of the night missing from your memory. It may be a sign you drank too much
Shifty eyes
Long-term alcohol abuse can cause involuntary eye movements
Dependence
If you become physically dependent, a doctor’s care may make withdrawal safer
Stomach distress
Bloating, gas or painful stomach ulcers could be the result of too much alcohol
Gotta go
 A damaged digestive tract may not work efficiently, leading to bouts of diarrhoea
Fighting fatigue
Fatigue could be a sign of anemia, a possible sign of alcoholism
Infertility
in the long-term, excessive alcohol can make it difficult to conceive
Skinny skeleton
Thinning bones may lead to easy fractures
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Non, ce n’est pas parfait, son alcool

Kronenbourg

This advertisement for Kronenbourg beer makes no mention of the core ingredient, alcohol

In France, its home country, it would have the tag line;

L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la sante-a consommer avec moderation

The abuse of alcohol is dangerous for your health!

This information is of prime concern to the consumer

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The Food Pyramid

okinawa_diet_food_pyramid

 

Breads Cereals Potatoes Pasta and Rice

Choose any 6 or more servings each day for all ages and up to 12 servings if you are active. Most women need about 6 portions and men about 8. Body size matters so small children may need less.

Fruit and Vegetables

We like this one – choose any 5 or more servings each day – more is better!

Milk, yoghurt and cheese

Choose 3 servings a day, low fat where possible. Children and teenagers (aged 9-18)  need more.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts

Choose two servings a day to meet your protein needs.

Reduced fat spreads and oils

This is a new group, with fats and oils now on its own shelf. This is to acknowledge that these are needed in small amounts for good health. Choose two servings of low fat and reduced fat spreads and oils per day instead of hard margarine, lard or butter.

Foods and drinks high in fat salt and sugar

No recommended servings because they are not essential, with a big emphasis on keeping portions small (around 100 calories, for example four squares of chocolate).
If you wanted a challenge for the week ahead, try eating as recommended by the food pyramid for seven days. Will you have to make many changes?
For more information on the new dietary guidelines for the Republic of Ireland and the dietary guidelines for Northern Ireland check out the links below.

 

 

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The King of Alcohol Beers

Budweiser, with a brand value of $21 billion, is one of the most valuable businesses in the world

Budweiser is the King of Beers, (it says so on the can)

Brewed by our original all natural process using the choicest Hops, Rice and Best Barley Malt. This is the famous Budweiser beer. We know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age. Our exclusive Beechwood Aging produces a taste, a smoothness and a drinkability you will find in no other beer at any price

This is a sham. There’s no mention of alcohol. Instead we are told its Natural, Smooth, Drinkable. Made out of Hops, Rice and Barley Malt. They stop short of saying its good for you. Instead they create an aura of fresh, golden, thirst quenching.

Budweiser is a beer, the key constituent of which is 4.3% alcohol. That is why people buy it. And alcohol is a toxic, addictive, destructive drug with intoxicating effects.

Like all big alcohol producers Budweiser know this so well. They know how damaging it is to health. By keeping that information to themselves, Budweiser are protecting their wealth at the expense of the consumer

 

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Flash dressers in the Congo drink Guinness. So?

sapeurs

This so-called TV commercial for Guinness is back on air.

The Sapeurs, a group of men who like to dress up and strut their stuff

In The Congo, the heart of war-torn Africa, so dangerous the commercial had to be shot in South Africa

They are masters of their fate, captains of their souls and drink Guinness. So what?

Guinness is “Made of More” it says. More what?

Diageo won’t tell us there’s alcohol in Guinness, a toxic, destructive, psychoactive drug.

So what else is in there?

Come off it Diageo