Good Drinking

Aren't drinking studies so much fun? One week, we learn that wine is good for you in moderation; the next, any amount of drinking is terrible and should be avoided. Something similar just happened with this study that revealed that drinking rates will rise around the globe in the next 10 years based on current trends. Is it really any surprise given that facism is also on the rise, with so much anti-immigration, anti-woman and anti-everyone-else sentiment on such a roll even in nations we didn't expect it from? The only issue is if we're too drunk to protest, we're in even more trouble than we thought!

The issue is that there are a bunch of other studies that claim millennials are killing the booze industry, drinking much less and forcing alcohol manufacturers to rethink their whole business, even going as far as making non-alcoholic drinks to reclaim their lost business. If this is true, how is the reverse also true? It's likely that the latter only considers drinkers in the United States, but it seems like we're constantly receiving mixed messages from researchers. That, of course, is how science works, which is why it's so hard to prove things sometimes.

Which theory do you think holds more weight? Do you think drinking is on the rise or decline?

As a young mother, I tried to make sure everything my child ate meant something, nutrition-wise. I was 22, and my baby was an underweight preemie, so you can imagine the flaxseed, full fat milk and other heavy-calorie foods I fed my toddler. (I wish I'd thought of avocados back then!) I didn't ever let them have junk food. In fact, their dad gave them junk food during a day out at the age of three, when shopping for a car. It was taking a long time, he hadn't packed a snack while I was home working, so he bought them Cheetos from a machine. Boy were they impressed!

That sugar is addictive. I used to scoff at the idea of sugar being so terrible, but then I realized that it's added to EVERYTHING, and it's there to make us want to keep coming back for more. Did you know that 1 in 5 kids in our country drink a bunch of sugar but don't drink just plain water? It's a terribly sobering thought, and as much as society loves to shame and blame fat people, we have to consider modern lifestyles, how sugar's added to everything, how it's peddled like a drug in everything from school vending machines to every holiday party to a reward or treat to look forward to and really make some changes overall. The average size is 16 now, so it's not just something to blame on random people. 

Do you think you get enough water? How about the kids in your life?

Innovation, creativity, problem-solving... these are the qualities that make a great entrepreneur today and I love what this local beer company is doing with all three! Saltwater Brewing is making six-pack rings that are not only biodegradable but edible, preventing loss of life when wildlife try to eat or get stuck in the rings. The company's model should not just be embraced but be made into a mandatory law for every seller of six packs!

I don't understand why we don't have laws like that in effect already. Okay, I do: the bottom line, profits over people (and animals), right? But if we set laws outlawing the destruction we've caused and making it a law to do better, we'll certainly change things, won't we? I read that ADIDAS is selling shoes made out of ocean plastic--this is amazing! And it's also something that other companies should be doing until we get rid of the garbage patches in the ocean, too.

Have you heard of any other alcohol sellers doing good for the community and the world? Share your stories in the chat!

When I make smoothies, I almost never use a recipe. I toss ingredients in, taste, toss in more. I usually get stuck on something I like and just stick with that for a while--often it's a green like spinach with something creamy, like yogurt or coconut milk, and something sweet, like OJ or some fruit and honey. Bam, there's a smoothie, right?

There are benefits to be had when it comes to following recipes, though. For starters, it's easier and less time consuming, but you can also design recipes for specific nutritional needs. Take this Dairy Free Berry Smoothie recipe; it has cashew butter and almond milk as well as blueberries and bananas, making it a pretty balanced meal. It also calls for vanilla extract, which is a great way to add flavor without adding a bunch of sugar. There are so many extracts to choose from if you want to play with flavors, too.

What types of smoothies do you like to make? Share your recipes in the chat.