Raise a Healthy Green Glass for St. Patty's Day

St. Patrick’s celebrations are just days away but as older adults think ahead to longer lives, hopefully in good health, foregoing the green beer or Irish whiskey might appear to be a more wise choice each year.

Alcohol use can lead to long-term effects that include changes in balance, memory and coordination. Older adults can become more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, putting them at greater risk for falls, driving accidents and changes in cognitive function. And because many medications do not mix well with alcohol, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist and review all the possible side effects and drug interactions.

There is some good news on the St. Patty’s celebration front, Guinness, a popular dry Irish stout contains only 125 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrate per 12 ounces. Compared with Michelob lager, which has 158 calories and 14.4 grams of carbohydrate, it may be a reasonable choice when raising a toast to the patron saint of Ireland. But perhaps limit yourself to the recommended one drink per day for women and no more than two for men.

Moderation is also key to help keep unwanted weight off but there are small changes to traditional meals that will help make them more heart and health friendly. Limiting fat and empty calories? Try leaving skins on potatoes in your Shepherd’s Pie to increase fiber, substitute ground turkey for half of the beef or use whole wheat flour in your soda bread recipe. And in place of a Shamrock Shake or other less-than-healthy emerald beverage, try this green smoothie recipe instead.

Green Smoothie