Welcome to Edition 10 of Today's Mix, our website newsletter.

Subscribe and get a free copy every second month delivered to your inbox.

Click here to subscribe to Today's Mix

Edition 10 - December 2004

Christmas Spirit

You sure that was me?

‘Lofty’ Jones would rather forget last Christmas but Mrs Lofty wasn’t going to let him off so easily.

“If you’re going to be full of cheer again this year, it’ll probably put the grand kids off their Christmas pudding.”

“Yeah, very funny”, said Lofty, thinking… ”OK, I might take it a bit easy this time.”

When the YuleTide surges back

The problem with Christmas and New Year is that it’s so long since the last one that you usually forget those words… ”I’m never going to do that again”… and you get swept away in the tide of festivities, eating, drinking, eating, drinking and more eating.

Christmas is the time when we generally relax, unwind and make up for our restraint during the rest of the year.

But that means we sometimes get taken by surprise, especially after a few too many.

Lofty’s Lessons

Here’s a few ideas Lofty might use to make it more memorable this year:

How many?

• Most of the time our best intentions simply dissolve in the amount of grog we drink, so keeping track of how much you drink is a good start.
• Count your standard drinks and maybe set yourself a limit.
• Avoid the Christmas top ups and losing track of how many you’ve had.
• Remember that some drinks are way more than one standard drink and the ones you pour yourself usually have a lot of Christmas spirit.

Pace yourself

• “Don’t drink on an empty stomach”, is like saying “Always look both ways before crossing the road”; we know it makes sense but we don’t always do it.
• If you start early on Christmas Day, you may be ‘well and truly’ before lunch.
• Food slows down the absorption rate of alcohol. The slower the absorption rate then the less the impact of alcohol and the better it is for your body.
• Drink water, soft drink or juice between alcoholic drinks, or even every few drinks, to slow yourself down.
• Light beer or other low alcohol drinks are a good alternative.

Who needs dog hair?

• There is no cure for a hangover and how bad you feel will depend on your age and fitness, how often you usually drink and, most of all simply on the quantity you drank this time.
• To lessen the symptoms: drink plenty of water; take two paracetamol tablets; take some B vitamins or have a Berocca; and eat a substantial non-fatty meal.
• It pays to drink plenty of water before you go to bed to avoid the dehydration effect that contributes to a hangover.

Any Resolutions?

By the time New Year comes round we usually start to think about how to lessen the impact of the festive season.

Alcohol is not an energy useful food and increases fat deposition, so the YuleTide always leaves something behind.

“It isn’t just the Christmas food that adds those kilos,” Lofty says. “I’m getting back into walking everyday, less booze and a more balanced diet.”

Happy New Year
from Lofty and The Right Mix Team

Tell a Mate

Would someone you know like to get Today's Mix?

Email them this link so they can subscribe:
http://www.therightmix.gov.au/subscribe.asp

Next Edition

In the next edition we’ll give you a wake up call on sleep and alcohol.

Contact Us

alcoholproject@dva.gov.au

Call DVA: 133 254

Write to:
The Alcohol Management Project
PO Box 21
Department of Veterans' Affairs
WODEN ACT 2606

The Right Mix team

Legals & Privacy | Contact Us

© Copyright 2004 Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs