Party-Time Secrets to HAPPY & HEALTHY

These simple strategies will help you enjoy the health benefits of your favorite adult beverage — without side effects

Just in time to ring in the New Year comes research we can toast to: Light to moderate drinking reduces women’s risk of death from heart disease, cancer and stroke by up to 34 percent — and the benefits are greatest for women over 50. Add this to findings that moderate consumption can cut the risk of weight gain by 70 percent, ease chronic aches by 30 percent and boost memory by 27 percent and there’s even more reason to toss back a tipple. “Still, it’s important to keep intake to a moderate level since drinking to excess negates alcohol’s health benefits,” says Cindy Geyer, M.D., medical director of the Canyon Ranch health resort in Lenox, Mass. The good news: Scientists have identified ways to help maximize the long-term health benefits of alcohol while minimizing the chance of next-day misery (bloat, headaches, fatigue)— even when the drinks are flowing at parties.

POUR WINE THIS WAY

A serving of wine is 5 ounces, Dr. Geyer notes. “But unwary wine drinkers can easily pour more, and depending on the size of the glass, you could end up with a double serving.” Her advice: Fill wineglasses halfway to cut down on overpouring (and over-imbibing). A recent study found that wine drinkers who use the half-glass rule automatically serve themselves 18 percent less than those who don’t.

BE WARY OF LIGHT BREWS

You’d think a paler beer would be weaker than a dark one, but that’s not always the case: While a bottle of Guinness Draught contains 4.2 percent alcohol, a Bud Light Platinum contains 6 percent. “That might not sound like a big difference, but the 6 percent beer delivers 44 percent more alcohol,” says Mark Leavey, M.D., a primary care doctor at Mercy Personal Physicians in Lutherville, Md. That makes it easier to cross the line into intoxication faster. Your best bet? Sip a beer with 5 percent or less alcohol per 12 oz. serving — the amount the body can metabolize in an hour. Hint: The free Beer Buddy app provides alcohol percentages for thousands of beers.

SWAP YOUR MIXER

Consider mixing alcohol with juice instead of soda or other caffeinated drinks. “Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can lessen alcohol’s sedating effects — but that sedate feeling can be a valuable cue to how alcohol is affecting you,” notes Dr. Leavey. “Plus, caffeine is dehydrating, so mixers that have it may increase your risk of a hangover.” What’s more, carbonation can accelerate the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream by nearly 300 percent — an effect that can make you tipsy much faster.