Alcohol and Shopping This Black Friday: Don’t Get Caught Off Guard

Are you going out to shop for Black Friday specials? If you are, you won’t be alone in trying to get the “early bird” specials. The times that stores open for shopping on Black Friday vary and it’s very important to keep in mind safety should be a high priority when you’re getting to the stores.

Consider this: many people travel or visit family and friends for the Thanksgiving holiday. Along with this comes celebration, after all, it is a time to be thankful for all of the things you have. Some people incorporate drinking alcohol into their activities; therefore, we would like to give you some advice of how to be safer this Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Exercise and alcohol may not mix

If you are not driving don’t be quick to say that you can drink alcohol. Chances are that you will be doing a lot of walking whether it’s from a parking space far away from the store, speed walking through the store to get the items on your list of deals to score, carrying those heavy bags or boxes because the store ran out of shopping carts or scooting the boxes on the floor while standing in the long line (while holding other small items) for a long time.

All of that activity is bound to leave you feeling hungry, thirsty and maybe even tired. This can be a result of your sugar level dropping. In order to decrease the risk of this happening you should take breaks and replenish your carbohydrates and fluids.

Diabetes, Alcohol and Shopping

If you’re a diabetic you have to be extra careful in the activities you do and whether or not you consume alcohol prior.

The Mayo Clinic says:

“When you drink an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol moves quickly into the bloodstream without being metabolized in your stomach. Within five minutes of having a drink, there\’s enough alcohol in your bloodstream to measure. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, and for the average person it takes approximately two hours to metabolize one drink. If you drink alcohol faster than your body metabolizes it, the excess alcohol moves through your bloodstream to other parts of your body, particularly your brain. If you\’ve ever gotten a \”buzz\” when drinking alcohol, that\’s why.”

How much alcohol a body can process

 

Every person has unique characteristics, such as: height, weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc which means that while some people may be able to consume a large amount of liquor other people cannot tolerate the same amount.

It’s very important to know how our body processes alcohol in order to put the proper balance.

This is what Brown University Health promotion (http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/alcohol/alcohol_&_your_body.php) has to say:

“Knowing how to count a standard drink is necessary for calculating blood alcohol concentrations. Too often, people underestimate how much they have had to drink because they aren\’t using standard measurements.”

The article points out the different factors involved with how quickly a person can process alcohol they consume.

We advise you to speak with your physician before consuming alcohol, especially if you have certain health conditions that will slow down the time it takes your body to process it.

Wrap up of this article

Celebrating Thanksgiving with your family and friends is a time to be thankful for what you have. It’s important to take proper care when you’re going shopping this Black Friday. If possible refrain from alcohol consumption in order to optimize your shopping experience for you and those around you. Take time to replenish the calories you have burned but don’t overindulge.

Our message to you: Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. We are thankful for readers like you.