Five Surprising Benefits of Alcohol

Longevity
The news about wine keeps getting better. Dutch researchers say that a half-glass of wine per day might help you live longer--five years longer, in fact. (Remember, though, excessive drinking can lead to health problems that may shorten your life.) Though the researchers note that more study is needed, the theory is that light alcohol consumption--and especially red wine--may contribute to longevity because the "polyphenolic compounds contained in wine have been seen in animals to stop the build up of fatty tissue in the arteries that can result in stroke or heart attack."


Improves Heart Health
Japanese researchers believe that light to moderate drinking paired with socialization (enter happy hour) can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease. While the researchers mostly looked at men, it's easy to see why the findings could be true for women too. Most health experts are fine with light drinking--one glass per day (but not every day) for women. And aren't we all happier when we're spending time with friends?


Reduces Inflammation
Those who drink were found to have a significantly reduced risk of developing several arthritic conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA), reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondylarthropathy, according to Dutch researchers. Researchers aren't exactly certain why alcohol consumption (note, no guidelines were given as to which type of alcohol and how much, but we can safely assume that the scientists are talking about moderate drinking here), but they speculate that alcohol may have inflammation-reducing effects.


Aids Weight Loss
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston who studied the alcohol consumption of more than 19,000 women over 13 years found that women who drank a "light to moderate amount of alcohol" (defined by no more than two servings a day of wine, beer or liquor--I'll add that some studies have found that any more than one drink per day for females to be excessive, so just file that away) tended to gain less weight than women who didn't drink. The study was recently published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

An explanation, please? "Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol tend to eat less food, particularly carbohydrates," said cardiologist Lu Wang, lead researcher on the study and an instructor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, who spoke to USA Today.


Fights Osteoporosis
A new studyreports that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon. Dietary what? It's an ingredient believed to increase bone mineral density, and researchers from the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, Davis, say that beer is loaded with it.

They studied commercial beer production and found that most commercial beer--especially hoppy beer--is a rich source of dietary silicon. Based on these findings, the scientists suggest that moderate beer consumption may actually help fight osteoporosis.

Mortal Kombat

I'm thinking this is going to be like that new Duke Nukem game. You hear about it for years, but nothing ever really happens past the preview.

Burnt Offerings

"I listened to my voice as I said it. I sounded tired, almost bored, and so serious it was almost frightening."

"Love is never free, Jean-Claude. Its the most expensive emotion we have."

"Love isn't the most expensive emotion, Asher. Hate is. Because hate will eat you up inside and destroy you, long before it kills you."

"Kill or leave him the hell alone, like any big predator. Don't fuck with it unless you can finish the job."

"It cut both ways, and I wanted to make my point deep and sharp."

"Not the dreams where we are hunted by the monsters, but the dreams where we are the monsters. We raise bloody hands to the sky and scream, not from fear, but from joy. The pure joy of slaughter. The cathartic moment when we plunge our hands into the hot blood of our enemies and there is no civilized thought to stop us from dancing on their graves."

"We're all creatures of light and darkness. Embracing your darkness won't kill the light. Goodness is stronger than that."

"I seemed to have that effect on people. Hard to be bright and shiny in the middle of a kill zone."

"Self doubt is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Thou Shalt Always Kill

Little Lion Man

Seven Tricks to Fall Asleep Fast

1. Sing yourself a lullaby
Don't laugh. I'm serious. I've been singing lullabies to my son for a few years now, and they aren't only effective for him, they always make me drowsy, too. I suspect that singing has soothing, stress-reducing properties (even with an off-key voice like mine!), and I am proof that it works. (I know, it might be awkward singing to yourself in bed when your guy is trying to sleep, too. But try singing as you're getting ready for bed.

2. Rock yourself
And I don't mean with rock and roll, I mean a rocking chair. I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep in my baby's nursery at 7:30 p.m. while putting him to sleep. My conclusion: Adults could use a little rocking too! If you have a rocker in your house (not likely, unless you have kids like me), fabulous. An office chair that spins works too.
Out of luck? Ask your man to rock you! Hey, if anything it could be a cute bonding experience for you two. Why does it work? I suspect that it has something to do with the method that baby-sleep expert Harvey Karp, M.D. discovered: A slight "jiggle" or rocking of your body, especially your head, can lull babies (and adults!) into dreamland fast.

3. Curl your toes
I read about this in the June issue of Health. "Curl your toes tightly for a count of seven, and then relax," reports writer Brittani Renaud. "Repeat through each muscle group, working up form your toes to your neck."

4. Tidy up your bedroom before bed
Confession: I can't sleep in an unmade bed. I'm not joking. If I somehow forget to make my bed in the morning, I make it before bed. It makes me feel more organized, which helps me relax. Turns out, there's some logic to my anal habit. Messy houses, bedrooms included, can have an impact on our stress levels.

5. Write in a journal
This is a practice I gave up several years ago--and I really miss it. There's something soothing about writing right before bed. And it's healthy! According to Alice Domar, a psychologist and women's health expert, it helps your process stressful situations and can help you reach resolution.

6. Try cherry juice
Your I-can't-sleep regimen: chamomile tea, an eye mask, a dark bedroom--and cherry juice? Odd, I know. According to researchers at researchers at The University of Rochester, it's not the pucker from sour cherry juice that supposedly makes your lids to get heavy, it's the fact that cherries contain a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that contributes to sleepiness and relaxation.

7. Fall asleep with a light weight on top of you.
Some experts believe that having a feeling of (light) weight on top of you may release a hormone--serotonin--that helps you feel sleepy. Try a weighted blanket—or pile of clean laundry!

Parachute