2. Having One Too Many

While we’re talking about mixed drinks, let’s discuss mixed messages. When it comes to alcohol, should you or shouldn’t you? We’ve all heard about the bennies of tossing back a glass of red wine. But there’s a fine line between just enough and way too much.

While the stats can be confusing, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers easy-to-understand tips, and it does offer hope.

Binge drinking is a big problem but can be controlled with some simple understanding and planning. The NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men -- in about 2 hours.

TIPS: A phone calendar or small card in your wallet can actually help you track how much you drink and if you are in a problem area. Suggestions are to:

·      Track how many drinks you have during the week on a small card in your wallet, on your calendar or on your phone.

·      Know how much alcohol is in a standard drink -- a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, a wine cooler, one cocktail or a shot of hard liquor.

These tips can help you understand your own personal alcohol consumption. Then make a conscious plan to stretch out and/or limit what and when you will drink.

3. Being a Bump on a Log

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three adults is not active enough, and physical inactivity is the fourth-leading risk factor for global mortality.