Alcohol Recall

'Tis the season to be jolly, to be sure. But too much holiday cheer can leave you feeling less than festive for a number of reasons. This holiday season, be wise if consuming alcohol and remember the following:

1. Alcohol is high in calories and can weaken your resolve to eat in moderation. Therefore, when you first arrive at a party, drink one or two nonalcoholic beverages to quench your thirst and begin to fill your stomach.
2. Alcohol can also significantly impair your judgment. Even if you haven't had enough to make you legally intoxicated, just a few drinks can make you say and do things you might later regret. Try to eat something before, during and/or after drinking alcohol to slow its absorption into your bloodstream.
3. Alcohol, although it can make you feel sleepy, can actually prevent you from getting a good night's sleep because of alcohol withdrawal symptoms which include dehydration. After each alcoholic beverage, aim to drink one or more noncaffeinated, nonalcoholic beverages to prevent dehydration, one of the causes of morning hangovers.

Finally, remember that it can take the body about one hour to "burn up" the alcohol in one drink. Never drive after drinking.