Today is your day Boomer! Especially if you have a little Irish blood in you....or you just like green beer! It is St. Patrick's Day and "There are only two kinds of people in the world,” an Irish saying goes. “The Irish and those who wish they were.” I don't know about that, but I always wondered why the colour GREEN on this special day? According to The Christian Science Monitor, blue was the first colour associated with St. Patrick’s Day, but that started to change in the 17th century. Green is one of the colours in Ireland’s tri-colour flag, and it has been used in the flags of several Irish revolutionary groups throughout history. Ireland is the “Emerald Isle,” so named for its lush green landscape. Green is also the colour of spring, the shamrock, and the Chicago River, which the Midwestern city has dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day for the past 40-odd years....hence the picture on today's blog! So, this begs the question: how much dye does it take to "green" the river, what happens to the fish, and can you still drink the water? Answers I could not find on any internet site. I thought dye was bad for you....something to consider when you enter a pub today and consumer a few green cold ones. Have one for me....cheers!!
Today is your day Boomer! And today is another day for wining......and I don't mean complaining. I mean drinking some pressed grapes and enjoying the health benefits. That's right, drinking alcohol is good for you. First, let's state the obvious....only in moderate amounts: two glasses per day for men and one for women. Research shows the following positive health effects: (1) reduces risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease (2) is an anti-flammatory(white wine is better for this) (3) decreases risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol(red wine is a better choice) (4) good for mental health, may increase age longevity, may promote healthy gut bacteria. All of this sounds good and much of it boils down to the antioxidants which are higher in red wine. It seems reds--like Merlot, Cab Sav, and Shiraz--have been studied more.....which means more research is needed on whites. Boomers, maybe we could volunteer for a new study! Cheers!

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