![\"wine\"](\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/wine-300x167.png\")
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Isn\u2019t it a wonderful custom that we have? We take a small shot of whisky, say \u201cL\u2019Chaim\u201d and\u00a0swig it down. According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons of Aish HaTorah, the custom of saying\u00a0“L\u2019Chaim” when drinking wine is first mentioned in “Machzor Vitri” 80, s.v. “Shnayim.” \u00a0At one time, they used to give wine to the condemned so that their execution would be less\u00a0painful for them – (source: “Midrash Tanchuma” Parshat Pekudei 2).\u00a0 Jews started to say\u00a0“L\u2019Chaim” (which means “to life”) before drinking wine to distinguish from this and to\u00a0emphasize that drinking wine should be for life – (source: “Kol Boh” 25 s.v “U’B’Seudat”) and\u00a0not for death.\u00a0 There is an ongoing discussion about the harm of drinking alcohol and the health\u00a0benefits of drinking. Let\u2019s try to sort it out.<\/p>\n
Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol (ethanol), refers to the intoxicating ingredient found in wine, beer and\u00a0hard liquor.\u00a0 Beer, wine and other liquor contain different amounts of alcohol.\u00a0 The amount of\u00a0alcohol in distilled liquor is known as proof.\u00a0 Proof refers to the amount of alcohol in the liquor;\u00a0for example, 100-proof liquor contains 50% alcohol.\u00a0 Traditional wine has approximately 8-14%\u00a0alcohol, while regular beer has 4-6% alcohol.<\/p>\n
Recent studies show that moderate use of alcohol may have a beneficial effect on the coronary\u00a0system.\u00a0 In general, for healthy people, one drink per day for women and no more than two\u00a0drinks per day for men would be considered the maximum amount of alcohol consumption to be\u00a0considered moderate use.\u00a0 (By healthy people, we are referring to non-pregnant women,\u00a0individuals not addicted to alcohol, and people without pre-existing medical conditions, among\u00a0others).\u00a0 However, the amount of alcohol that a person can drink safely is highly individual,\u00a0depending on genetics, age, sex, weight and family history.<\/p>\n
According to the Mayo Clinic, Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits.
\nIt may:<\/p>\n
Even so, the evidence about the possible health benefits of alcohol isn’t certain, and alcohol may\u00a0not benefit everyone who drinks. Moderate alcohol use may be of most benefit only if you’re an\u00a0older adult or if you have existing risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol. If\u00a0you’re a middle-aged or younger adult, some evidence shows that even moderate alcohol use\u00a0may cause more harm than good. In fact, if you’re a woman and drink alcohol, talk to your doctor\u00a0about taking supplemental folate to help reduce the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol\u00a0use. You can take other steps to benefit your cardiovascular health besides drinking \u2014 eating a\u00a0healthy diet and exercising, for example.<\/p>\n
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that if you choose to drink alcohol you\u00a0do so only in moderation \u2014 up to one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.<\/p>\n
Examples of one drink include:<\/p>\n
There is no question, especially as Purim is upon us, that we have to be very careful about our\u00a0drinking. This is something that, when it goes beyond the limits, can end tragically. There is\u00a0always the danger of an accident, but just as dangerous is the possibility to alcohol addiction\u00a0which can lead to cirrhoses of the liver and cancer. Ultimately, the person would need a liver\u00a0transplant to survive. Other complications include:<\/p>\n
Having an occasional L\u2019Chaim is wonderful. I highly recommend it and it can even be a heart-\u00a0healthy thing to do. But anything beyond the moderate levels we have enumerated, are not good.\u00a0Enjoying alcohol in moderation only, even in Adar, can \u201cadd hours to your day, days to your\u00a0year and years to your life.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at\u00a002-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Isn\u2019t it a wonderful custom that we have? We take a small shot of whisky, say \u201cL\u2019Chaim\u201d and\u00a0swig it down. According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons of Aish HaTorah, the custom of saying\u00a0“L\u2019Chaim” when drinking wine is first mentioned in “Machzor Vitri” 80, s.v. “Shnayim.” \u00a0At one time, they used to give wine to the condemned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":39150,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n
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