Now that brunch season is upon us, the last thing anyone wants to think about at their weekend gathering is how the fluffy French toast and fruity sangria they’re enjoying is affecting their health and how best to avoid hurting their liver. Lucky for them, that is where Dr. Tarek Hassanein of Southern California Liver Centers comes in.
Dr. Tarek Hassanein is a liver specialist who doesn’t believe in completely eliminating the fun from your life in the name of health. Instead, he has bcreated 10 tips to navigating your bottomless brunch. By offering your audience this advice, you are helping them navigate their upcoming boozy gathering with friends and family without negatively affecting your health…or your fun.
10 Tips for Navigating Your Next Boozy Brunch
1. Savor your meal before drinking. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
2. Enjoy your beverage. Do not overeat and Sip your drink.
3. Avoid binging. Binge drinking is 5 drinks or more in less than 4-5 hours.
4. Keep your number of drinks as low as possible. Don’t consume more than 3 drinks for a man and 2 for a woman.
5. Know your alcohol. One beer is equivalent to a glass of wine or a shot of liquor.
6. Find a driver. Don’t drive after drinking. It is hard to judge your blood alcohol level and its effects on your cognitive ability and reflexes.
7. Take your meds. If you are a diabetic or hypertensive, suffering from a heart or liver condition, take your daily medications, and check with your doctor to avoid alcohol interactions with your medications.
8. Avoid overdoing pain meds. If you are going to use Tylenol, don’t exceed more than 3 grams in one day. Be aware that a lot of headache medicines or pain killers contain acetaminophen (Tylenol), so avoid accidental overdosing.
9. Don’t mix. Avoid mixing alcohol with other recreational drugs.
10. Space your beverages out. Allow your body the ability to metabolize what you ingested and avoid intoxication.
