Today is your day Boomer! Yesterday, this blog encouraged you to take an alcohol test to see if your drinking habits will reduce your life expectancy. Hmmmm....probably. Today, we learn from another study that smoking cigarettes also gives you a shorter life. Here it is: as much as 10 years shorter if you are a life-long smoker! What about for that cig you have once in awhile? 20 minutes per smokestick is the research; if you smoke one pack per day, it means 7 hours of life lost per pack! But there is some good news Boomers. 58% of American Boomers say they have smoked at least 100 cigs in their lives, but quitting has huge benefits. Researcher Dr. Sarah Jackson says "Stopping smoking is, without a doubt, the best thing you can do for your health, and the sooner you stop smoking, the longer you’ll live.” And remember, smoking contributes mightly to other medical issues like cancer and heart disease. In the words of that famous TV show detective from the 1960s, "Get Smart"!!!
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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