April is Alcohol Awareness Month; a time to shed light on the impact alcohol can have on individuals, families, and communities. Whether it’s social drinking, binge drinking, or alcohol dependency, understanding the risks and recognizing the signs of problematic alcohol use is the first step toward prevention and finding support.
Most people who are prescribed pain medication by a doctor take it initially for reasons such as easing post-surgery discomfort or dealing with pain related to diseases such as cancer or Crohn’s disease. The fact that prescription painkillers work well to relieve pain with little effort makes them the first pain management choice for many people. Rather than exploring alternate ways of managing pain, which can take work and may not immediately eliminate pain to the same extent as painkillers, many people tend to reach for the prescription pill bottle each time pain relief is required. The ease of use and effectiveness that painkillers bring may lead some to reach for these drugs more often than is safe or necessary, which is often how prescription pill addictions are born.
Similar to how we are able to control our thoughts we are also able to control the amount of food we eat. Two factors may be impacting your ideal weight (or weigh loss/gain), genetics and the environment which you live in. Weight struggle can affect anyone at any age. Parents may pre-dispose their children to bad eating habits which can trigger a life time of weight issues. Often we assume that someone who is very skinny works out all the time and diets constantly, but this is not necessarily the case. These people may suffer from the inability to gain weight which effects people around the world. Other people may consider themselves ’emotional eaters’ gravitating to chips and ice cream when they have a bad day. Another common cause of weight gain is a favourite past time of many people, drinking. One bottle of wine can help you consume an added 600-700 calories, depending on the brand. Ideally while dieting, you stay away from nights of drinking or alcoholic consumption in general. It is also normal to crave carbs at the end of a night of drinking so that our stomach has something to digest other than acidic alcohol. Binge eating while drinking can add another 300-700 calories and if you stop for fast food, that number may be closer to 1000. Although many people keep track of their calories Monday to Friday and exercise regularly, one night of drinking a bottle of wine with a Big Mac meal from McDonalds doubles your caloric intake for one day. Another common issue people face while dieting is they do not drink enough water and consume coffee or energy drinks through out the day which causes dehydration. Try incorporating a few extra glasses of water into your routine before noon each day, with an added slice of lemon. In general most people would agree that a diet needs to be more of a lifestyle change if the results are meant to last. It is important to speak to a nutritionist or health professional to determine which regiment would be best suited for your weight loss or weigh gain.