Vinegar Seen as a Tangy Fat Fighter

Are you fighting to keep unhealthful, unsightly fat off your belly? Join the crowd!

Vinegar enjoys an ancient reputation as a healthful food, and new research suggests that pickled foods and vinegary dressings may help fight abdominal bulge.

The secret to the fat-fighting potential of vinegar lies in its defining natural constituent ... a tart, tangy chemical called acetic acid.

(For some suggested ways to get vinegar into your diet, see “What can you do with this information?” below.)

The body stores excess dietary calories as body fat, and most of that fat ends up one of two places.

Fat can be stored either as subcutaneous fat, located just under the skin. Or it can be deposited as unhealthier, harder-to-lose abdominal (visceral) fat which, by definition, is fat found around the body’s central organs.

An excess of abdominal fat is known medically as central obesity, and is commonly called belly fat.

Aside from being socially and romantically undesirable ─ fairly or not ─ there’s a strong correlation between central obesity and an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

In fact, central obesity is one of the physiological factors that constitute metabolic syndrome, which often leads to diabetes.

The genetic connection between vinegar and body fat

It’s been known for some time that activation of genetic switches called PPARs induces the body to store excess calories as subcutaneous fat instead of depositing them as unhealthier abdominal fat.

The acronym PPARs stands for “peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors”, and these switches help regulate the expression of genes associated with metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Long-time readers of Vital Choices may recall past articles about the beneficial effects of omega-3s on PPARs with regard to development and progression of diabetes. (See “Fish Oil Trims Diabetics’ Belly and Blood Fat”.)

Three years ago, researchers at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, published a study in which they fed rodents carboxylic acid (COOH), which is the chemical “parent” of acetic acid (CH3-COOH).

As they reported, “In rats treated with the full PPAR-gamma agonist [activator] COOH for 3 weeks, subcutaneous fat mass was doubled and that of visceral fat was reduced by 30% relative to untreated rats.”

And the Laval team found that feeding rodents this close chemical cousin to acetic acid also stimulated fat burning (thermogenesis) in abdominal (visceral) fat:

“The agonist [acetic acid] increased … fatty acid oxidation and thermogenesis much more strongly in visceral fat than in subcutaneous fat ... These findings demonstrate that PPAR-gamma agonism [activation] redistributes fat … and energy expenditure is greatly increased in visceral fat, with consequent reduction in fat accumulation.” (Laplante M et al. 2006)

Their findings indicated that carboxylic acid ─ and perhaps related compounds like vinegar’s acetic acid ─ is an ally in the fight to shift body fat to a healthier location, and preferentially burn body fat sited in its least healthful location.

New findings support the fat-fighting value of vinegar

Last month, researchers at Japan’s Mizkan Group published findings that more directly support the promise of vinegar’s acetic acid as a potent ally in the fight to prevent central obesity (Kondo T et al 2009).

In short, they found that dietary acetic acid helps prevent obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet, both by the PPAR mechanism reported from Quebec in 2006, and via other means as well.

The Japanese team reports that acetic acid “up-regulates” the expression of genes that induce oxidation (burning) of fatty acid in the liver … an effect called thermogenesis that suppresses the accumulation of body fat.

As they said, “Significant increases were observed in the expressions of genes for PPAR-alpha and for fatty-acid-oxidation- and thermogenesis-related proteins … in the liver … In conclusion, AcOH [acetic acid] suppresses accumulation of body fat and liver lipids …” (Kondo T et al 2009)

Specifically, the new study showed that mice fed a high-fat diet with added acetic acid developed about 10 percent less body fat than mice fed a high-fat diet absent the characteristic vinegar compound.

Importantly, the new research provides the first hard evidence that, like carboxylic acid, acetic acid fights body fat build up by switching on genes that in turn activate fat-burning enzymes.

What can you do with this information?

For starters, you can munch on pickles (cucumbers marinated in vinegar) and add vinegar-pickled veggies like beets and cauliflower to salads and sandwiches.

Salad dressings made with vinegar are another avenue, although the amount of oil in most vinaigrettes would overcome any fat-fighting benefit.

Balsamic vinegar is a particularly healthful, delicious way to get more acetic acid into your diet, without added fat.

Use balsamic vinegar as a sauce ingredient when cooking, as in today's recipe for Grilled Halibut with Fresh Tomato-Basil Relish and our recipe for Balsamic-Blackberry Sauce Over Halibut or Salmon.

Or drizzle it sparingly over breads, salads, and cheeses … even sorbet! Our deep, dark, 100% organic balsamic vinegar is made in Spain from concentrated organic grapes and organic red wine.

Here are a few other suggestions:

• Use cider vinegar as a substitute for fresh lemon juice in recipes.
• Pour cider vinegar over roasting lamb. Adding honey and sliced onions to the roasting pan will produce a sweet, tangy sauce when the vinegar mixes with them.
• Sushi rice: Japanese use rice vinegar as an essential ingredient for sushi rice.
• Use cider or white wine vinegar to flavor collard greens, green beans, or cabbage.

Perhaps the healthiest, zestiest of all pickled foods is the addictively delicious Korean side dish called kimchi or kimchee.

Kimchi usually features crisp green vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, onions, chili peppers, radishes, and the like.

These foods have few calories but lots of fiber, vitamins (especially A and C), beneficial polyphenol antioxidants, and minerals such as calcium and iron.

The distinctive flavor of kimchi depends on the level of acetic acid (more is better), which will vary according to the ingredients used, the fermentation temperature (cooler is better) and period, and the level of salt (less is better).

Kimchi fermented with less salt at a low temperature has more acetic acid and a better flavor, according to connoisseurs. And, like yogurt, kimchi contains lactic acid generated by beneficial probiotic bacteria.

Sources

• Kondo T, Kishi M, Fushimi T, Kaga T. Acetic Acid Upregulates the Expression of Genes for Fatty Acid Oxidation Enzymes in Liver To Suppress Body Fat Accumulation. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 May 26. [Epub ahead of print] DOI: 10.1021/jf900470c
• Laplante M, Festuccia WT, Soucy G, Gélinas Y, Lalonde J, Berger JP, Deshaies Y. Mechanisms of the depot specificity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma action on adipose tissue metabolism. Diabetes. 2006 Oct;55(10):2771-8.

Energy from pig slurry helps fight climate change

I have been touting this for years, India has had large scale Biogassers for over 30 years

STERKSEL, Netherlands – The 2,700 pigs on the farm that John Horrevorts manages yield more than ham and bacon. A biogas plant makes enough electricity from their waste to run the farm and feeds extra wattage into the Dutch national grid.

He even gets bonus payments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As the world struggles to reduce pollution causing climate change, attention has focused on the burning of fossil fuels in factories, power stations, and vehicles. But U.N. scientists says farming and forestry account for more than 30 percent of the greenhouse gases that are gradually heating the earth. Much of that pollution comes from cattle, sheep and pigs that belch or excrete methane, a heat-trapping gas more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide, the most common global warming gas.

Negotiators from 190 countries have been working to reach a new climate change agreement in December on ways to reduce emissions and help countries adapt to changes in climate. They will reconvene June 1 in Bonn, Germany, for another two-week session.

Yet it is uncertain whether cutting agricultural emissions will be part of the agreement expected to emerge at the final meetings in Copenhagen, Denmark. The subject is complex, emissions are difficult to measure, and the whole question is politically sensitive, touching on the distrust between the world's rich and poor countries.

Scientists say it is too important to be left out.

"It would be absolutely nuts to ignore agriculture and forestry in any future climate deal," said Pete Smith, professor of soils and global change at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

U.N. studies say agriculture is the main source of income for one of every three working people. It also is a growing source of pollution, as the global population increases and living standards rise in developing countries where more people are eating meat.

The latest research by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization says animal husbandry accounts for 18 percent of all greenhouse gases, when taking into account the grassland and forests that are cleared for raising livestock.

When the FAO report came out in 2006, "people in the livestock sector were shocked because they thought they did a good job," says Akke van der Zijpp, a professor of animal husbandry at Wageningen University, a premier Dutch technical facility. Now they "are becoming slowly aware that this problem has to be solved."

One way to deal with it is to reduce the methane animals produce by changing their diet or through breeding.

Another is to make use of it and burn it.

Horrevorts says Wageningen University's Praktijkcentrum, or Sterksel Research Center, creates 5,000 megawatts a year, enough to power 1,500 homes. The farm uses the electricity it needs and feeds the rest into the national grid, for which the government pays up to euro177 ($238) per megawatt as a green energy subsidy.

Pigs can be remarkably house-broken animals. Here, they drop their waste through slats on the floor in the middle of the barn while spending most of their time in open stalls to the side. The slurry is channeled into three 4,000 cubic meter (141,250 cubic feet) tanks, then mixed into a thick goo with other organic waste like low-quality grain and carrot juice to increase the methane potential. Bacteria break down the material in a digester tank and the gas is siphoned off into a generator to produce electricity.

Horrevorts says a group including his operation and four other commercial farms avoids methane emissions equivalent to 40,000 tons of carbon a year. Dozens of private or nonprofit companies known as offset providers will "buy" those tons as a way of supporting renewable energy or other projects that reduce carbon emissions, then resell the credits to individuals or companies who want to shrink their carbon footprint.

Last year, Horrevorts said, a British offset provider paid euro5 ($6.70) per ton for people wanting to neutralize plane travel or rock concert tickets. This year, the farm was negotiating with a Dutch company seeking to become carbon neutral to promote a green image.

Though operating expenses for the biogas plant are considerable, the combination of electricity savings, power production and carbon credits makes it profitable, Horrevorts says.

Horrevorts, who is a biological researcher rather than a professional farmer, says that with financial incentives through electricity subsidies, it could become standard practice for ordinary farmers. About 50 commercial biogas plants operate on farms in the Netherlands, and the practice is spreading across industrial livestock farms around the world.

"I think in the future every pig farm will have a biogas plant," he says.

But at euro1 million ($1.3 million) for a big plant like Sterksel's, it's a rich man's answer to climate change.

About 70 percent of the world's agriculture is on small land holdings in the developing world, which complicates climate politics, says Antonio Hill of the nonprofit group Oxfam International.

"It sounds like a big pot," Hill said, but dealing with farming is tougher than with industries. "You're talking about tens of thousands of sources of industrial emissions in rich countries. That's a lot more manageable than hundreds of millions of agricultural operations."

Measuring and verifying carbon reductions from soil conservation, grassland management and livestock is complicated, and those reductions may not be permanent. Trees planted to soak up carbon from the air, for example, can always be cut down and burned.

In the past year, much effort has gone into quantifying emissions from deforestation in the tropics and ways to compensate countries like Brazil or Indonesia for protecting their rainforests. But no comparable effort has gone into accounting for the vast farming sector.

Another obstacle to an agreement in the U.N. talks is the suspicion that rich countries will meet a large part of their emissions reductions by buying credits on the international carbon market rather than constraining their own industries. In other words, they would buy credits from farmers to reduce their carbon footprint, in the same way the offset company bought credits from the Sterksel pig farm.

"If the idea is that rich countries will do most of their reductions through offsets, a lot of developing countries have a big problem with that," says Hill, speaking from his home base in Bolivia.

Hill says he expected nothing more in the Copenhagen agreement than "place holders," or general statements that can be filled in later with details. But Smith, the scientist from Aberdeen who co-wrote the agriculture section in the 2007 report by the U.N's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says including agriculture in the Copenhagen agreement would provide a source of capital from rich countries to poor ones.

"It would be a desperate shame if it were blocked for political reasons," he says.

Navajos largely unscathed by recession

By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press Writer Felicia Fonseca, Associated Press Writer – Sun May 17, 5:36 am ET

TONALEA, Ariz. – Talk at the community center in this small Navajo town isn't as focused on the economy as it is in many places off the reservation.

That's because the people living on the largest American Indian reservation have been largely unscathed by the recession.

Most Navajos own their own homes, tend not to invest in the stock market and have long had difficulties borrowing money, distinguishing them from millions of other Americans who've suffered from rising mortgage payments, sinking 401(k) retirement accounts and stricter terms from lenders.

And with half of the Navajo Nation's work force unemployed long before this latest recession hit, there's not much fear the job situation could get much worse on the reservation.

"They're freaking out out there, but to us, we've always had 50 percent unemployment," said John C. Whiterock, a Navajo youth pastor. "To us, that's just part of life."

That's not to say the 200,000 people who live on the largest American Indian reservation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, have escaped untouched. Tribal officials are wrangling over how to address a $25 million budget shortfall and requests for social services have prompted newspaper ads for more employees to handle them.

The key has been the ability of Navajos who maintain traditional beliefs to cope, and the attitude that allows them to persevere. The culture teaches that wealth isn't measured by dollars and that the language, the land and kinship are the greatest survival tools.

For reservation resident Delores Claw, that means leaning on traditional practices such as keeping livestock and growing corn to offset the rising cost of food. Claw lost her job at a day school after enrollment dropped, and the construction work for her husband has slowed. As money got tight, Claw's family butchered 10 of their lambs.

"They always say if you have livestock, you're rich," she said.

Other Navajos still sell hand-woven rugs at trading posts or jewelry and food at roadside stands and at flea markets usually bustling with buyers. It's an industry that contributes about $6 million a year to a $1.3 billion economy, though the jobs aren't counted in the tribe's employment statistics.

"In many ways, we have the means to sustain ourselves," said Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.

Among traditional Navajos, those who most closely cling to the beliefs and practices handed down through generations, there's a strong emphasis on self-sufficiency, and balance and harmony. The tradition is deep-rooted among elderly Navajos, though some argue it has tapered off with the younger generation.

Wilson Aronlith Jr., a 76-year-old instructor of Navajo culture, philosophy and history at Dine College, said his health, following his ancestors' teachings and passing along the language and stories of the Navajo people mean more to him than money ever could.

"If you have all the good capabilities, that's wealth," he said. "What else would you ask for?"

Ivan Gamble, a Navajo man from the community of LeChee, said tradition is not so much sticking strictly to the ways of his ancestors but blending the best of Navajo culture and Western society.

The 31-year-old Gamble lives in a home without water and electricity, and grows crops and raises animals by choice, but he still has a cell phone and Internet access and numerous jobs to earn money.

"That's what our ancestors taught us, to adapt, to survive," he said.

By most measurements, the Navajo Nation fits the definition of poor. But despite the 38.5 percent poverty rate among families, an unemployment rate that consistently hovers around 50 percent, a per capita income of about $7,500 and the lack of unemployment benefits, there's a sense of contentment with the simple life on the reservation characterized by its rugged landscape and remoteness.

Many Navajos still haul water from long distances to cook and for their livestock. Navajo children in the more remote areas must do their homework by the light of a kerosene lamp and daily chores include chopping wood or gathering coal to heat the home.

The cost of living on the reservation is low, and the income derived from arts and crafts along with public assistance is enough to sustain some people, said Trib Choudhary, an economic development specialist for the tribe. Aside from basic needs, he said, there's not much more that is desired.

"I usually say that you cannot dye a black rug into any other color. That's what the Navajo Nation is," he said. "If there is a downturn, it doesn't matter. If there is an upswing, it doesn't matter. We are happy."

What Navajos hope for, along with better roads, running water and electricity, is an improved economy, one that will allow their children to return to the reservation, help their people and maintain the language and culture.

The tribe has made small strides toward improving the economy, opening up the first of six planned casinos on the reservation last year. There's a push for green jobs that would reflect the traditional life, and a coal-fired power plant is in the works.

Still, many tribal members are forced off the reservation to look for jobs.

Economic development has long failed to keep up with population growth. To keep the unemployment rate stable, some 3,500 jobs must be created each year, but Choudhary said only about 200 are.

The situation on the Navajo Nation tends to reflect what is occurring on other American Indian reservations, where unemployment rates are twice that of the rest of the country and real per-capital income is less than half the national average, said Dante Desiderio, an economic development policy specialist for the National Congress of American Indians.

The group has called on the federal government to respond to what it says has essentially been a decades-old depression on tribal lands.

Desiderio notes that many tribes don't have the tax base that cities or states do and are looking to federal stimulus money to help build infrastructure and spur economic development. Of the $787 billion economic stimulus package, $2.5 million was set aside for tribal programs.

"If you read the papers and you see what the rest of America is struggling with, it matches what tribes have been struggling with," Desiderio said. "If we're going to fix it, this is the chance."

Rejuvenate Naturally: No Drugs, Hormones, or Surgery

Your body was designed to heal itself, and it can rejuvenate naturally—without drugs, hormone replacement, or invasive surgery. You can live a long, healthy life by using the natural secrets of the Chinese medical tradition, which can revitalize your body, slow the aging process, and activate your body's built-in regenerative powers. I have collected the very best of these secrets in my new book Second Spring. Here are 4 secrets that will start you on your Second Spring!
1. Green tea combats Alzheimer's
If you replace your morning cup of coffee with green tea, you'll get more than a fleeting pick-me-up. Studies suggest that green tea may actually protect against Alzheimer's disease and other forms of mental degeneration. Green tea is packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that have been found to increase cognitive acuity and learning ability.

One particular polyphenol is responsible for these beneficial brain effects: catechin. The concentration of catechins in green tea is four times that of black tea. Researchers aren't exactly sure why, but the minimal processing used for green tea may help to preserve a higher concentration of the antioxidants. Another bonus to green tea? Studies suggest that you can lose more belly fat when you add green tea on top of your weight-loss exercise regime. So drink up to reap long-term benefits for your brain.

2. Magnesium for more energy
Magnesium is an essential mineral that mitochrondria—the tiny power generators in your cells— require to help your body produce energy. Most of us don't get enough magnesium because two common dietary habits leach magnesium from our bodies: too much dairy and too much salt. And most of us just don't get enough magnesium to begin with due to the popularity of overprocessed foods. For example, rice bran contains an ample supply of the mineral, but bran is only found in brown rice. White rice has none. In the same way, wheat germ has plenty of magnesium, yet there's none in white bread and white pasta.

So keep eating whole grains for maximum magnesium intake. You can also get plenty of magnesium from nuts and seeds. Have a daily handful of pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, Brazil nuts, and cashews. Magnesium also helps your heart health, relieves muscle cramps, and protects your skin from UV damage. If you prefer capsule form, try taking 500 mg magnesium daily.

3. Try chai for revitalization
The herb that gives chai tea its main flavor is cardamom, a spice that has long been valued in Asia for its ability to increase circulation and improve energy. Cardamom is a stimulant that positively affects your overall well-being, as both a revitalizing tonic for the body and as an antidepressant for emotional disorders. Orchid bees are drawn to cardamom, and use it to synthesize pheromones.

Because of this combination of properties, cardamom is routinely prescribed by Chinese doctors—generally in doses up to 5 grams per day—to rekindle sexual desire. But that's not all! Cardamom also reduces fever, eases indigestion, and combats intolerance to grains. So add some to your cereal or bake it into breads and cakes for a tasty treat free from digestive issues. And of course you can always drink the tea for this myriad of benefits.

4. Ease nervous eating with magnolia
Millions of Americans experience the symptoms of chronic stress: nervous tension, restless sleep, irritability, difficulty focusing—and eating disorders in paricular. Who hasn't responded to stress by reaching for convenient comfort foods? Many people respond to situational stress by eating ice cream, cookies, and chocolates. When the stress becomes chronic, overeating becomes a habit—with predictable results.

To break the pattern, natural Chinese medicine uses magnolia, boasting a bounty of versatile benefits. Magnolia bark regulates appetite, improves digestion, and reduces swelling and bloating. The flower is a powerful remedy for allergies and sinus conditions. Studies have found that magnolia contains a phytochemical, honokiol, which is equipped with anti-stress properties that are helpful with appetite control and weight management. You can take a magnolia supplement by itself or in formulations with other herbs, in capsule form or as a tea, available in health food stores, online, and from acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists.

Bring these new rejuvenating secrets into your life on a regular basis, and you'll have amazing results. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

The top seven detox agents

1) Fish oil: No surprise here! Fatty acids naturally get oxidized or chewed up in the normal living process so replacing them with fresh building blocks is essential.

The components of fish oil are part of every single cell membrane and protect your genetic material as well as acting like hormones in your body.

2) Green Tea: The catechins in green tea have shown over and over again to be beneficial for cholesterol and cancer and the extract itself has been used to cause weight loss effectively.

3) Resveratrol This red wind grape extract is one of the most promising antioxidants ever found. In addition to lengthening life, researchers recently used it to improve outcomes in pancreatic cancer.

4) Co Q10 Co Q10 has been used medicinally for heart failure and extensively in athletics for its antioxidant capacity. .

5) N Acetyl Cysteine: This is one of the few true liver detox agents It was first discovered in Tylenol overdoses and later in hangover cures! If you want your liver to work at its peak, this is the one!

6) Curcumin (turmeric) inhibits cancer-causing petroleum based chemicals (found in charcoal-broiled meat) and can neutralize toxic compounds from cigarette smoke. It makes carcinogens less active and speeds up their detoxification.

7) Selenium counteracts heavy metals and environmental pollutants like lead, mercury, aluminum and cadmium. Selenium is used by active sites of the liver enzyme glutathione peroxidase. This enzyme plays a critical role in protecting against free radical and oxidative damage.

How to Date an Entrepreneur

If you’ve ever dated, married or been interested in an entrepreneur, you know that they think, act and relate differently than the average person.^[1]Sometimes that can be a challenge for the non-entrepreneur — especially one who doesn’t realize that they aren’t crazy, they just need to think...sideways...to get through to their sweetie.

Given that, it might be useful to know how to spot the TRULY self-employed (not the one who just says they do xyz but have no numbers to back it up), how to figure out if you are suited to date one, how to communicate with one and how to survive the ups and downs that happen in EVERY entrepreneur’s life.

CONTINUE.........

Get fab abs (without crunches)

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid8803981001/bctid1845376307

How to Limit Your Alcohol Intake to the Recommended Two or Less Servings Per Day

It is recommended that healthy adults who drink alcohol should limit their daily alcohol consumption to two or fewer servings per day. It is often recommended that women should drink no more than one drink per day, and men should have no more than two drinks per day^[1]. For healthy adults who do drink regularly, one drink may be better than two, and more than two or three drinks can drastically increase mortality as well as the incidence of certain debilitating and lethal diseases. If you are a healthy adult who already drinks alcoholic beverages, follow these steps to make sure that you don’t drink more than two servings of alcoholic beverages per day.

1. Don't drink any alcoholic beverages. It may be easiest to simply abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages, especially if it is difficult to stop drinking after one or two drinks. It is not recommended that people who do not drink begin drinking. If you do drink alcoholic beverages, follow the steps below.
   
   
   • If you frequently find yourself in social situations where you feel obliged to consume alcohol, see How to Turn Down a Drink.
2. Establish the amount of alcohol that is provided by one serving of any drink. It is accepted that one serving of alcohol is an approximation, and may vary slightly. However, there is general agreement that one serving of alcohol contains about 0.5 fluid ounces (or 14.8ml) of pure alcohol (ethanol).
3. Determine the alcohol content of the beverage that you will drink. This is usually expressed as the percentage of alcohol by volume. The alcohol content of alcoholic beverages can vary greatly. Certain types of commonly available alcoholic drinks contain relatively similar amounts of alcohol, and for each type of drink there will be some variation. Unfortunately, the alcohol content may not be listed on the labels of alcoholic beverages.
   
   
   • 

     

     12oz bottles and a 12oz can of beer
     Regular bottled beer generally has an alcohol content of about 5 percent by volume, while light beer is approximately 4 percent alcohol. Strong specialty beers and malt liquors may have an alcohol content of up to about 8 or even 10 percent, while “session” beers and draught-style stouts may have an alcohol content that ranges from about 3 to 4.5 percent. It is a misconception that all dark beers such as stouts are high in alcohol, although certain dark beers such as imperial stouts can have high alcohol contents.
   • Wine generally has an alcohol content that ranges from 8 to 14 percent. Table wine has a range of about 8 to 14 percent, and the alcohol content of sparkling wine ranges from about 8 to 12 percent. Even if one of these types of wine is labeled as containing a specific percentage of alcohol, it may actually contain somewhat more or less alcohol. The allowed variance differs for specific countries, but in the US the listed percentage may be about 1.5 percent different than the actual alcohol content.
   • Fortified wines (such as dessert wines, Sherry, and Port) tend to contain between 17 and 22 percent alcohol.
   • Hard liquors such as vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum usually have an alcohol content of about 40 percent (80 proof). Some versions of hard liquors have a higher or lower alcohol content, so check the alcohol percentage or proof that will be listed on the label. The alcohol percentage is half of the proof.
   • Liqueurs usually have an alcohol content that ranges from 15 to 30 percent. The alcohol content may be much higher, however, and labels must be checked to determine the alcohol content. Liqueurs may also contain high levels of ingredients such as sugar and even cream that may cause health problems regardless of the alcohol content.
4. Determine the volume (fluid ounces or milliliters) that make up one serving for the beverage that you will drink. The volume of the drink that makes up one serving is based on the alcohol content of the beverage. To calculate the fluid ounces of pure alcohol in a drink, multiply the total fluid ounces of the drink by the alcohol percentage (percent alcohol by volume) of the drink. To get milliliters of alcohol, multiply the total milliliters of the drink by the alcohol percentage (percent alcohol by volume). Because alcohol contents for specific types of drinks are slightly variable and servings need not be completely exact, the volume that makes up one serving for specific beverages can be roughly estimated.
   
   
   • For regular commercial beer (about 5% alcohol) and light beer (about 4% alcohol), one serving is equivalent to 12 fluid ounces (355ml).
     • Strong specialty beer and malt liquor may have up to about twice as much alcohol as regular and light beer. If this type of beer is 8 to 10 percent alcohol, then one serving will be about 6 fluid ounces (180ml). These types of beer are commonly sold in large bottles and cans, and each container may greatly exceed the equivalent of two servings. One 24oz (700ml) can of 8-percent alcohol malt liquor will be equivalent to about four servings. Microbrewed beer that is commonly available in 22oz (650ml) bottles commonly has an alcohol content of about 7 percent. One 22oz (650ml) bottle of 7 percent alcohol beer will be almost exactly equivalent to three servings. Try sharing strong beer that is packaged in large containers with one or more friends.
   • For table wine (red and white) and sparkling wine, one serving is equivalent to 4 or 5 fluid ounces (use a smaller serving for strong wine). Five fluid ounces is about 150 milliliters or two-thirds of a cup.
   • The serving size for dessert wines is about 3 fluid ounces (about 90ml).
   • For 80-proof liquor (40% alcohol), it is generally accepted that one serving is equivalent to 1.5 fluid ounces (45ml). This is the same as one standard shot. However, 1.5oz should actually provide 0.6oz of pure alcohol, provided that every drop of the liquor is consumed. In reality, some of the liquor may not make it into the body. However, since hard liquor is a very concentrated source of alcohol, it may be beneficial to be conservative and consider that slightly less than 1.5oz of 80 proof liquor (between 1.2 and 1.3oz) actually provides 0.5oz of pure alcohol.
   • The volume that makes up one serving for liqueurs can be highly variable due to variable alcohol contents. Kahlua may contain anywhere from 20 percent to 35 percent alcohol, depending on the region. It is typically 26 percent alcohol. For this alcohol percentage, two ounces are equivalent to one serving. Another common liqueur, Baileys Irish Cream, contains 17 percent alcohol. This means that 3oz of Baileys is equivalent to one serving.
   • Mixed drinks can contain liquors as well as liqueurs with variable alcohol contents. Any mixed drink that is equivalent to one serving contains the equivalent of 1.5oz (45ml) of 80 proof (40 percent) alcohol. It can be difficult to determine exactly how much alcohol a mixed drink contains, as the drink may be made with various different alcoholic ingredients that each have different alcohol contents. It is easiest to choose mixed drinks that are made with only one type of alcoholic ingredient, or are made with multiple different alcoholic ingredients that contain the same amount of alcohol. Luckily, the specific serving equivalents for some common drinks have already been determined (see the sections below), but keep in mind that the servings can vary greatly if the recipes are slightly adjusted because hard liquor is such a concentrated source of alcohol.
5. 

   

   Five fluid ounces (150ml) in measuring cup that holds 2 cups
   Measure out or select the desired volume. This can be done by you or by an experienced bartender or sommelier. However, be sure to tell your server exactly how much of each type of beverage you want to drink. Beverages such as bottled beers that are already available in the quantity that is equivalent to one serving may be most convenient. It can be very difficult to tell what the capacity of a glass is just by looking at it, and with concentrated sources of alcohol a small variation can mean a huge difference in the actual number of servings.
   
   
   • 

     

     Each glass holds 12oz (355ml) of beer
      Beer is typically available in 12oz (355ml) cans and bottles. However, US pint glasses hold 16oz (about 475ml), and British (Imperial) pint glasses hold 20oz (almost 600ml).
   • 

     

     Two different wine glasses, each holding 5oz (150ml) of liquid
      Wine glasses have a capacity that is larger than five ounces (150ml), but are actually meant to hold only 5oz of wine. Wine glasses are also available in many different shapes and actual sizes. It is not desirable to first pour wine into a measuring vessel before pouring it into a glass, so it can be useful to determine what five ounces of liquid looks like in particular wine glasses using measured volumes of water or juice. Small 187ml bottles of wine can also be purchased instead of standard 750ml bottles of wine. While 187ml bottles provide somewhat more than one serving, they are well under two servings and offer an easy alternative to measuring or estimating the amount of wine that is poured from a large bottle.
   • 

     

     The martini glass on the left holds 1.5oz (45ml), while the one on the right holds 3oz (almost 90ml). The capacity of each glass is actually 12oz (355ml)! The top of the metal jigger cup in the middle holds 1.5oz (45ml)
      For hard liquor and liqueurs, shot glasses of a specific capacity can be used. Jiggers can also be used to measure out the desired volume. Bartenders may free pour certain quantities. If so, ask them what volume they are pouring to make sure that they are not giving you too much alcohol. It may be best to use miniature 50ml bottles of hard liquor. A mini bottle of 80 proof (40%) liquor is just 5ml more than the recommended 45ml serving. 50ml is equivalent to 1.69oz. 1.69oz of liquor that is 40% alcohol contains 0.68oz of pure alcohol, which is about 1.5 servings of alcohol. A mini bottle that contains liquor or liqueur that is 30% alcohol provides 15ml of pure alcohol, or just about one exact serving of alcohol.
6. Only drink two or less servings for the alcoholic beverages that you have established serving sizes for. If you are unsure of the alcohol content of a beverage or the volume of the glass that it is served in, avoid it until you know enough to establish correct serving sizes.
7. Don't drink alcoholic beverages every day. For many people, especially women, it may be healthier to drink one or two drinks only a few times per week instead of every day.
8. Drink nonalcoholic beer or nonalcoholic virgin cocktails. Nonalcoholic beverages can be great substitutes for alcoholic beverages. They look and taste similar to alcoholic beverages, and enable one to drink with others who are drinking similar alcoholic beverages. One can also drink nonalcoholic beverages after one has consumed the daily limit of two or less servings of actual alcoholic beverages. Keep in mind that nonalcoholic beer does contain a very small amount of alcohol, while virgin cocktailsshould not contain any alcohol.

Established serving sizes for mixed drinks

• • Amaretto sour: 1 serving
  • B-52: 1 serving
  • Bloody Mary: 1 serving
  • Chocolate martini: 1.67 servings
  • Cosmopolitan: 1.67 servings
  • Daiquiri: 1 serving
  • Gin and tonic: 1.33 servings
  • Hurricane: 3 servings
  • Irish coffee: 1 serving
  • Mai Tai: 1.82 servings
  • Kamikaze: 1 serving
  • Manhattan: 1.33 servings
  • Margarita: 1.33 servings
  • Martini: 1.33 servings
  • Mudslide: 1 to 4 servings
  • Pina colada: 2.13 servings
  • Rum and coke: 2.67 servings
  • Screwdriver: 1.33 servings
  • Whiskey sour: 1.33 servings

Alcohol contents (percentage by volume) for commercial beers

• • Guinness Draught: 4.0% (4.2% for bottled draught)
  • Beamish Stout: 3.8%
  • Dragon Stout: 6.8%
  • Amstel Light: 3.5%
  • Anchor Steam 4.9%
  • Blue Moon: 5.4%
  • Budweiser: 5.0%
  • Bud Light: 4.2%
  • Bud Light Lime: 4.2%
  • Busch: 4.6%
  • Coors: 5.0%
  • Coors Light: 4.2%
  • Coors Extra Gold: 5.0%
  • Corona Extra: 4.6%
  • Heineken: 5.4%
  • Heineken Light: 3.5%
  • Stone IPA: 6.9%
  • Stone Double Bastard: 10%
  • Icehouse: 5.0% and 5.5%
  • Labatt Blue: 5.0%
  • Michelob: 5.0%
  • Michelob Light: 4.3%
  • Michelob Ultra: 4.2%
  • MGD: 5.0%
  • Miller High Life: 5.5%
  • Miller Lite: 4.2%
  • Olde English 800: 5.9%
  • Olde English 800 Ice: 7.9%
  • Pyramid Pale Ale: 5.1%
  • Pyramid India Pale Ale: 6.7%
  • Pyramid Snow Cap: 7.0%
  • Red Dog: 5.0%
  • Redhook ESB: 5.8%
  • Sam Adams Boston Lager: 4.8%
  • Sam Adams Light: 4.0%
  • Sam Adams Double Bock: 8.5%
  • Shiner Bock: 4.4%
  • Shiner Light: 3.9%
  • Sapporo Reserve: 5.2%
  • Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: 5.7%
  • Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: 10%
  • Widmer Hefeweizen: 4.7%
  • Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale: 4.9%

[edit]Tips

• Use the same glasses for specific alcoholic beverages so that you can accurately gauge correct serving quantities.
• While it is not recommended that abstainers begin drinking alcohol, scientific studies have shown that the consumption of one or two drinks per day by healthy adults may be associated with a reduction in total mortality as well as a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular and related diseases ^[2][3]. Wine and beer have shown more benefits than other forms of alcohol. The health benefit is derived from the reduction of stress.^[4]
• To reap the fabulous health benefits without over imbibing is to alternate an alcoholic drink with one or more glasses of water, fruit juice, tomato or clamato juice, pop, soda, club soda and lime. Not only does it ensure a clear head the following morning but you remain hydrated.

[edit]Warnings

• Pregnant and nursing women must never drink alcohol as even tiny amounts are very harmful to the fetus and nursing infants. According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects.
• The consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.
• Any amount of alcohol may be harmful for adults people who have pre-existing medical conditions.
• Alcohol is also especially harmful to children and those too young to drink.
• If you are on an anti-depressant or diabetic, discuss with your health care provider prior to drinking any alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and may affect how well you are feeling.

[edit]Related wikiHows

• How to Drink Responsibly
• How to Stop Binge Drinking
• How to Calculate Blood Alcohol Level
• How to Lower Your Chances of Getting Cancer
• How to Prevent Heart Disease