I Heart Beer : Advantages of Beer

Because a lot of people have been giving me some positive reactions about last week’s article (the one about the top alcohol myths) I decided to give you some new facts about everyone’s favorite golden ale: beer. It is comforting to know that people now want to know more about what they are drinking and what they are putting inside their bodies. It used to be, we didn’t care what we drank as long as we got drunk. Anyway, here are the top ten things I like about beer.

10.) Beer is chock full of fiber. In fact a liter of beer contains about 60% of your daily recommended fiber intake; and everybody knows you can drink more than just a liter of beer. Right partyphile? Wondering where all that fiber comes from? Well, it actually comes from the cell walls of malted barley, one of the most important beer ingredients. So how does this help you? It may help reduce the risk of acquiring heart disease, plus it regulates your bowel movements. So that’s why it is always easy to release your bowels after a night of boozing.

9.) Beer reduces stress: Actually, alcohol in general has been found to reduce stress. This just might be one of the best benefits of drinking beer. Plus, it gives you a really good excuse to drink up! So, when your mommy or wife insists that beer should not be part of your daily expenditures, just explain to them that it is your version of a massage. However, you must remember to take in some beer in moderation.

8.) Beer Promotes Bone Strength. Beer actually contains some dietary silicon. Dietary silicon is known to promote strong bones and improves bone mineral density. However, not all beers have the same amount of silicon. It has been found that beers with higher levels of malted barley and hops have higher amounts of dietary silicon. So, as usual, check the label. And if you are looking for the beer with the highest amount of dietary silicon, you may check out Brewdog’s Sink the Bismarck, which has four times as much hops and barley than normal beer. Of course, it would cost you around 2,600 pesos, but hey, if it helps your bones, it might be worth it!

7.) It is available everywhere. Let’s face it; no party is complete without a little alcohol. The good news is, beer is one of those chosen few that is available everywhere and is relatively affordable. You can find it in bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels, inns, sari sari stores, convenience stores, pubs, clubs, and so much more. It seems like almost everywhere in the Philippines beer is present; and that is always a good thing.

6.) Beer cures insomnia. Or at the very least, can make one sleepy. Beer naturally has nicotinic acid and lactoflavin that promote sleep. Plus, one of beer’s common ingredients is hops which is a natural sedative.

5.) It tastes really good. Especially when it is super icy cold. ‘Nuff said.

4. Beer is full of vitamins. Beer is actually a very good source of several vitamins. It contains Magnesium, Selenium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Biotin, Folate, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 to help keep you strong and healthy so you could party all night long

3.) It gets you drunk. Obviously, we partyphiles drink beer to get some sorta buzz. Beer is a safe and convenient way to do that. Quite honestly, I remember how it feels to not know what cocktails contain. It can get quite intimidating, and it is easy to feel unsure about spending your money on a cocktail you might not enjoy. And since your favorite brand of beer always tastes the same, and it gets you drunk, beer is always one of the best options. However, I seriously suggest you expand your alcohol vocabulary.

2.) The upward motion of the bubbles gets really entertaining. I don’t know about you, but when I am really drunk, I stare at the bubbles in my beer; I swear, it is quite entertaining. Another effect of too much beer? Writing stupid articles, like this one.

1.) Beer is good for the heart. Beer has been found to reduce a person’s chance to experience heart failure. It has also been found to significantly increase the amount of good cholesterol in a person’s body, thus reducing the tendency of a person’s blood to clot. And because of this, it prevents strokes and keeps the brain young!

Listen to Confessions of a Partyphile – the radio show- g0n 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday evenings, 6 to 9 PM.

For comments, sugges5tions, and confessions from this partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph or follow the columnist at http://www.twitter.com/zhaun

june 30 is Chocolate Ice Cream Day

June 30 is Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Gather all your chocoholic friends and make some choco-based alcoholic cocktails today!

Reasons Why Beer is Better Than A Human Partner

6 Women Say: Beer doesn’t fart

Men Say: Beer doesn’t complain about farting

5 W: beer doesn’t buy you dinner just to get in your pants

M: You don’t have to wine and dine beer

4 W: Beer is a loyal partner

M: A beer doesn’t get jealous when you grab another beer

3 W: beer doesn’t snore

M: Beer is always wet

2 W: You can enjoy beer when you are on your period

You don’t have to wash a beer before it tastes good

1 W: beer does not come with in-laws

M: Beer does not come with in-laws

Drink of the Week: Choco Chip Margarita

1 Shot White Rhum and 1 Shot Creme de Cacao or 2 Shots of Bailey's Cream

4 Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Scoops of Chocolate Ice Cream

Bled them all in a martini glass and serve with a dusting of cocoa powder

Happy Birthday June 30

Michael Phelps (24) Won 8 Gold Medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Fantasia Barrino (25) American Idol Season 3 Winner

Ralf Schumacher (34) Formula One racer. Brother of Micheal Schumacher

Mike Tyson (43) Professional Boxer, Convicted of Rape, Bit Evander Holyfield's Ear

Top Ten Alcohol Myths

Alcohol is one of the most important elements of a party. A party without alcohol is like a cheeseburger without cheese; it just does not make sense. It has gone by many names. People call it a social lubricant, the devil’s drink, a person’s poison of choice; I just call it my best friend.

And because everything is better with alcohol, here are some alcohol related myths that I’m sure you’d find interesting.

10 Coffee helps drunken people get sober – Only time can make a person get sober. It does not matter how much coffee you drink, how many cold showers you take, how much exercise you get, the only way a person can get sober is by waiting. For how long? Well, it depends on how much alcohol you have actually consumed. Alcohol leaves the body at a rate of .015 percent of blood alcohol content for every hour. If you consume five times that amount, then you have to wait for five hours to get sober. Do I know how much alcohol makes up .015 percent of your blood? No. This is why I am a partyphile, and not a doctor. If you know how much .015 blood alcohol content translates to in beer bottles or tequila shots, then you must be brainy enough to know that coffee does not solve anything…aside from a cause of drowsy.

9 Beer gets you in the mood to party – Contrary to popular belief, beer is not a good option for partying because too much of it can make a person feel drowsy. This is because beer contains lactoflavin and nicotinic acid that promote sleep. It also contains hops that have been found to be a natural sedative. This is why, I always tell you to go for some cool cocktail. Even something as basic as a Rum-Coke would keep you ready to party (because of the caffeine). If dancing is what you plan to do with your Saturnights, skip the beer.

8 Bottled Tequila contain worms- I am sure you have heard all those stories about how some Tequila bottles contain worms. But according to my study, most Tequila bottles do not contain worms. Mescal is actually the alcoholic beverage that contains worms. And, to bust another myth, they aren’t really worms; they are butterfly caterpillars or guranos. So there. Tequila bottles do not have worms; such a thing does not exist. Start talking about Mescal with butterfly caterpillars in case the topic comes up; it will make you seem like you know so much about alcohol and that is always a good thing.

7 Men and women of the same height and weight can take the same amount of alcohol - Women always consume less alcohol because they have more fat that allows alcohol to concentrate more easily in their bodies. Women also have less amounts of dehydrogenase in their bodies, an enzyme that breaks alcohol down.

6 Beer has low alcohol counts – The highest alcohol count for a commercial beer is 41% which is a little over the alcohol content in most Tequila and Vodka brands. This beer is produced by Brewdog and is named “Sink the Bismarck” which could only be purchased online. A 330 ml bottle costs roughly Php 2, 600. With a price tag like that, I would rather go for some Tequila and save myself from all the hassle of ordering online.

5 People who don’t drink are alcohol free – Actually, our bodies produce a small amount of alcohol twenty four hours a day, seven days a week from time we are born until the day we die. So nobody is truly free of alcohol; they just don’t know it.

4 A beer belly is caused by beer – It is caused by eating too much not drinking too much. No amount of beer, or any other type of alcohol, is necessary to achieve a beer belly.

3 Alcohol destroys brain cells – When taken in moderation alcohol helps in mental or cognitive functioning. It does not destroy the brain cells; however, it affects a person’s response time and motor skills.

2 Alcohol causes weight gain – this is a very common misconception. However, extensive research has proven that it does not cause weight gain in males and even helps females lose a small amount of weight.

1 Alcohol pills are just a joke on FB – I’m sure everyone has seen those photos on Facebook about red Horse capsules. It may look cute and funny, but it might just come true in the near future. Russian scientist Evgeny Moskalev has actually found a way to turn ANY type of liquid into powder form. The scientist might have had too much fun with the experimentation, or he just happened to have a hot bangin’ party in his lab one day, but he somehow managed to think of turning vodka into powder. The experiment was successful and has been tried on other types of alcohol. The powderized alcohol may be placed inside pills to be taken orally or may be snorted for a more potent hit.

June 23 is World Columnist Day!

World Columnist Day!

Celebrate the importance of newspaper columnists around the world. Especially me! If you are from Davao, Philippines check out my newspaper column in Edge Davao: The Business Paper. I swear, it's all about partying.