How to Drink Safely: A Guide for a Healthy St. Patty’s Day

“Irish cream … Yum! But it’s high in calories.”

St. Patrick’s Day or St. Patty’s Day is a Irish Holiday honoring St. Patrick, the main patron saint of Ireland.  It is thought he was born in the late 5th century, taken as a slave at the age of 16 and escaped six years later to return as a monk to convert the Irish.  St. Patrick’s day is March 17th which is thought to be the date of his death.

It’s a day generally observed by dancing, drinking and merry-making at pubs and bars and the wearing of the green which represents the green of Ireland.  

Here are some tips for drinking conservatively on St. Patty’s Day.   

• Wine is always a healthy choice.  As research is conducted there appears to be more and more health benefits including protecting against heart attacks, lowering cholesterol and slowing brain degeneration.  Phenols are the substances that appear to be responsible.  Red wine is supposed to be better than white.
• Lite beers have lower alcohol content and calories. They vary significantly by brand, so you may want to check the content of your favorite brew.
• There are a few mixed drinks that are not too bad.  A Bloody Mary, which is tomato juice and vodka is one. Go heavy on the tomato juice and light on the vodka.  Screwdrivers are made with orange juice and vodka, but they are higher in calories and sugar.  Again, heavy on orange juice, light on vodka.  Irish cream is another choice which is made with cream, chocolate, coffee and Irish whiskey. Yum! But it’s high in calories.
• Be sure you’re eating while drinking as it slows down the absorption of alcohol.  Try and stick to healthy choices nuts, celery with cheese, or even buffalo wings are good choices. Popcorn is also okay if you leave off the butter.
• It varies by person and health, but it takes about an hour for one unit (one unit is 10 ml) of alcohol to clear your system.  So make sure you limit your drinks to one an hour and make sure they’re not too strong.
• And whatever you do, don’t drink and drive.  An alcohol level of .02 percent is considered drunk driving.  Your best bet is a designated driver which solves the whole issue.  Drinking “virgin” is good too.  You can always ask to have your Bloody Mary or Screwdriver sans alcohol. There is drinking on St. Patty’s Day but it’s mostly a celebration of Ireland and it’s history.

Hopefully these tips will help you celebrate St. Patty’s Day in a relatively healthy way.

Happy St. Patty’s Day to you!