After sex, there's nothing most guys think about more than-a tall, cool one. And for good reasons. That refreshing amber blend of hops and grain may be the most perfect liquid creation known to man. That s why, in celebration of lagers, ales, pilsners everywhere, here is 'The All-Inclusive Beer Almanac.'
It's a guide designed to enlighten you to all the ways your favorite-beverage can improve your life [beyond just helping you escape it for a few hours). Read, Retain & and relax. Your next round is covered.
SIX PACK ABS
BELLY UP TO THE BAR--WITHOUT THE DAMNED BEER BELLY
A love of beer and the ability to maintain washboard abs are not mutually exclusive. You can have both. And there's science to back it up. When researchers in the Czech Republic (a country known for having the greatest per capita beer consumption on the planet) studied the beer-guzzling habits of a group of men and women riving within the region, they found absolutely no evidence that drinking beer makes for flabbier abs. Within reason, of course.
The point of the study wasn't that you can drink as much beer as you want without getting fat-because you can't. Calories are calories, regardless of where they're coming from. Rather, the significance of the study is it shows that drinking beer is not a pre-requisit to accumulating fat around your abdomen. Keep your calories in check throughout the day by altering what you eat or by burning off a few hundred extra, and you should have no problem staying lean while also getting moderately smashed.
Here's how:
START THE NIGHT RIGHT
Planning on partying? A balanced meal before an evening at the bar will help fill you up-And, since food slows the absorption of alcohol, a well-timed meal can help minimize the severity of hangovers.) Aim for a good mix of protein and high-fiber carbs--a small whole-wheat sandwich plus a piece of fruit is ideal. Besides helping slightly slow down the rate at which you chug, a quick meal will also keep your hunger under control later in the evening--when your resolve is at its weakest - to avoid devouring fattening, stodgy mid-evening bar snacks or late night kebabs . Why does that matter? In a study from Denmark, researchers found that guys who sat down to all-you-can-eat meals ate significantly more when they drank beer or wine with their food than when they ate while sober.
BUDGET YOUR CALORIES
As drinkers go, beer fans have the upper hand on maintaining a lean bod. That's because, with beer, it's easy to keep tabs on the number of calories you're taking in: approximately 300 in a pint of regular beer. Sipping cocktails, on the other hand, is a much greater challenge. A booze-laden Long Island Iced Tea, for example, can set you back more than 500 calories--the equivalent of a Big Mac. And unless you make the drink yourself, it's almost impossible to know what you're getting, since the ratio of sugary mixers and alcohol can vary so much. Use that knowledge to your advantage when you hit the bar and calculate just how many calories you can afford to blow.
DRINK TWICE AS MUCH
Double-fisted drinking is never a bad thing--especially when your other drink is water or diet soda. Non-alcoholic drinks can help keep your partying in check by slowing down the speed at which you inhale your true beverage of choice. And nobody's even likely to notice what you're doing if you time your orders right. Start your evening with a bottle of water and a load of abuse from your pals with your first drink of the evening, and use it to quench your thirst. Then move on to your beer. Keep ordering both throughout the evening so you always have the ability to alternate between the two. The only rule: Don't place a new order until both your bottles are empty. That way, you can drink all night long--and end up taking in half as many calories as you normally would. Cut back just four pints of beer a week and you'll save yourself the caloric equivalent of nearly nine pounds of fat in a year.
ERASE THE EVIDENCE
Despite your best intentions, there are always going to be times when you slip up and do overindulge. But don't take the damage lying down. Fight back and hit the gym. Or head outside. We've rounded up 10 relatively quick and easy ways for an average 150-pound guy to burn away an extra 300 calories--the equivalent of two or three beers. (Heavier guys can do slightly less work and burn a bit more.)
ACTIVITY TIME
Cycling (10 mph) 50 minutes
Running/jogging (5 mph) 30 minutes
Soccer (competitive) 30 minutes
Swimming 43 minutes
(slow freestyle laps)
Walking (4.5 mph) 48 minutes
Gardening 50-55 minutes
(mowing the lawn)
Golfing (walking and 67 minutes
carrying clubs)
Boxing (punching bag) 50 minutes
21.5
Number of gallons of beer the average guy drinks each year, compared with just 2.3 gallons of wine and 1.4 gallons of alcohol spirits.
Good for What Ales You
Beer doesn't just taste good--it's also good for you. The key, however, is moderation. A few brews every night and you get the potent mix of alcohol and hops researchers have shown can help with everything from fighting disease to keeping your heart in peak condition. (Too much, of course, and you end up an alcoholic with a liver that's as hard as a pony keg.) For optimal benefits, aim for one to two pints a day--. (Although you shouldn't overdo it nightly, a few extra bevies on Fridays and Saturdays probably won't hurt.) Aside from giving you a well-deserved buzz, all that drinking should help you to...
REDUCE YOUR RISK FOR HEART ATTACK AND STROKE | Drinking beer has been shown to raise HDL cholesterol (the good kind), reduce the formation of artery-clogging blood clots, and quell the inflammation that can contribute to heart disease.
FIGHT TYPE-2 DIABETES | In a 12-year study of more than 46,000 men, researchers at Harvard found that guys who drank moderately had a 36% lower risk of diabetes than those who didn't drink at all.
DODGE ALZHEIMER'S | Drinking doesn't just ease your stress, it could help keep you sane. When researchers at Boston's Beth Israel Hospital University compared the mental health of people who drink with that of people who don't, they found that folks who imbibed one to six drinks a week were significantly more likely to keep their marbles later in life than those who didn't.
BUILD STRONGER BONES | The hops in beer supply the body with a hefty dose of silicon--a mineral that's crucial for maintaining both density and strength of bones.
CANCEL OUT CANCER | Beer is packed with polyphenols--potent plant compounds that have been shown to help slow the growth of cancer cells and boost the body's production of cancer-fighting enzymes. The darker the brew, the more polyphenols it packs.
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BAR BEER BEHAVIOR
FIVE TIPS TO MAXIMIZE BEER ENJOYMENT AT THE BAR
* Going to break the seal? Put your napkin or coaster on top of your glass--that way, the bartender will know you're coming back and won't clear your spot.
* Tired of the coaster or napkin slicking to the bottom of your beer and then falling into your lap every time you take a chug? Sprinkle some salt on the coaster and it'll stay put.
* Want the best service? Tip as you go--and don't just drop pocket change. As little as a buck a beer will ensure your beer mug is never empty. (If you think that's too steep, consider that the average tip is I5%, 20%, and most beers are in the $4-$5 range.)
* Beer too cold? "Most U.S. draft beer is about live degrees too cold, particularly if you want to enjoy a beer with a bigger flavor profile," says Sam Adams founder and brewer. Jim Koch. His solution: Simply wrap your hands around the glass or bottle for one to two minutes.
* Too much foam? Sprinkle some salt in your beer to reduce the carbonation.
* Wondering why you always get so much head? (On your beer, that is.) It's because you dump your beer bottle into the center of the mug, which causes the carbon dioxide to release too fast. Instead, tilt your mug and slowly pour the beer down the side of the glass. By the time you hit the top, you'll have a perfect half inch of foam. If you're pouring beer from a tap, use the same technique, but be sure to pull the tap handle all the way out. Ask any bartender: The No. 1 mistake amateurs make is to pull the tap handle out halfway, which results in all head--and in this case, that's a bad thing.
STRANGE
FIVE UNUSUAL BEERS YOU GOTTA TRY
1 THE MOST POTENT: Sam Adams Utopias | At 50 proof, this brew is ranked by Guinness World Records as the world's strongest beer. With no carbonation and a malty, maple-syrup flavor that's similar to that of port wine, it's more like a fine sipping liqueur than a chuggable beer. It's currently available in select liquor stores and on eBay, but you can expect to see another release of this aged batch in the near future.
2 THE SPICIEST: Cave Creek Chili Beer I With a real chili pepper in each bottle, this Arizona brew is hot. More of a novelty beer, it will burn a hole in your stomach if you drink more than one or two. Check your local liquor stores.
3 THE MOST UN-BEERLIKE: Lindermans Kriek Cherry Lambic | This dark red, Belgian beer is almost like a cherry soda: sweet, highly carbonated, and distinctly cherry-flavored. But it still has that dry under-taste that lets you know it's a beer. You can find Lindemans in most liquor stores.
4 BEER WITH A KICK: Dogfish Head Chicory Stout I Remember when Drew Carey created Buzz beer, a mix of coffee and beer? The brewing world took note and came out with this Delaware stout. Made with roasted chicory, organic Mexican coffee, and licorice root, this brew is rich and spiced, with a definite coffee aftertaste and even a hint of cloves. Visit dogfish.com to find distributors in your area.
5 JUST PLAIN UNQUE: Rogue Chipotle Ale I From the home of the brewpub, this Oregon ale is made with chipotle chilies for a smoky, slightly bitter flavor. You barely taste the chipotle ... at first. Just wait-you get a nice little kick about five seconds after you swallow. Look for the brew in most liquor stores.
WE ASKED YOU: WHAT'S THE BEST CURE
FOR A HANGOVER? YOUR RESPONSES:
Time 26%
Pedialyte or Gatorade 18%
Hair of the dog (more beer) 16%
Plenty of water 14%
Diner food (cheeseburger and shake) 8%
Vitamin 5%
Tomato juice 3%
Steam room/hot shower 2%
Soup 2%
Pizza 2%
other 4%
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NEW ARTICLE Below to incorporate
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Take heed all you beer lovers. It is now a proven fact that beer -- yes, BEER -- can provide the same health benefits as wine. No matter what type of ale you prefer, studies show that drinking beer in moderation (up to 2 drinks a day for us guys) can and will reduce your chances of strokes, as well as heart and vascular disease.
It's called the French Paradox -- the link between the low rate of heart disease among the French and their fat-laden diet was a daily dosage of red wine. Well, there's no denying the results of that study. But what the public doesn't know is that the health value of beer has been known, documented and applied for centuries. But there are folks out there who don't want you to know about it (I wonder why).
wine vs. beer
According to Mr. Jim Anderson, wine connoisseur, "When you compare the raw ingredients that go into wine and beer, you'll find that wine, on one hand, is made purely from grapes, water and yeast. Grapes are a fine source of sugars, fiber and chromium, but few of those things survive the fermentation and filtering process. Yeast has loads of complex B vitamins, but again, they do not appear in the final product due to filtering."
Beer, on the other hand, is made from grains, water and yeast. Grains commonly used are barley and wheat (with cheaper, mass-produced beers relying on corn and rice), both of which are loaded with a variety of vitamins that survive the fermentation and filtering process. And the vitamin value of the yeast is conserved in the hundreds of unfiltered beers that are on the market -- both on tap and in bottles.
interesting tidbits about beer
Tidbit #1
In November of 1999, The New England Journal of Medicine stated that light to moderate beer drinkers would decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20%. They also stated that those who drink one beer a day compared to those who drink one beer a week experience no difference in reducing stroke risks.
Tidbit #2
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (May 1999) reported that consuming moderate amounts of beer would lower one's chances of coronary heart disease by 30-40%, compared to those who don't drink at all. (Beer contains a similar amount of 'polyphenols' -- antioxidants -- as red wine and 4-5 times as many polyphenols as white wine).
Tidbit #3
Alcohol has also been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping to decrease blood clots.
Tidbit #4
Beer contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of the amino acid homocysteine, that has been linked to heart disease. Those of us who have high levels of homocysteine are usually more prone to an early onset of heart and vascular disease.
Tidbit #5
A new study performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Utrecht indicates that those who drink beer had no increase in their homocysteine level, but those who drank wine or liquor had an increase of up to 10%.
Tidbit #6
Beer provides a 30% increase in vitamin B6 into the blood plasma -- something that neither wine nor any other liquor can do.
Tidbit #7
Beer is both fat-free and cholesterol-free.
Tidbit #8
Beer has a relaxing effect on the body thereby reducing stress and helping you sleep better.
Tidbit #9
Beer has proven to have positive effects on elderly people. It helps promote blood vessel dilation, sleep and urination.
what exactly is beer?
An average beer contains the following:
0 mg cholesterol
0 g fat
13 g carbohydrate
25 mg sodium
protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamins B, B2, and B6
alcohol
Sounds too good to be true? Not really. Considering beer was first used as a homeopathic remedy back in the good old days of the Egyptian Pharaohs thousands of years ago, things haven't changed much.
The only problem nowadays is the sad fact that several irresponsible people drink more than they should, and sobriety becomes a discarded word. Although I have listed the many good things about beer, there are also several negative aspects that I am obliged to caution you about: liver disease, obesity and alcoholism.
Of course, these adverse reactions would not occur if beer were drunk in moderation. Being responsible is always the key to having fun with friends and enjoying a nice cold glass of beer. I, for one, am going to have a beer and think that over.
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