Asian flush

Everyone knows I enjoy drinking alcohol. They even know I drink like a fish! *guffaw* I love my reds and single malts in the evening. I enjoy cool and refreshing ales, beers and whites during a hot day.

I would typically turn red after a few drinks but I generally would ignore the cosmetic side effects to have a good time! Yes, that’s how much I enjoy my drinks!

Why do I turn red? No, it’s not because my blood circulation is in excellent condition. No, it’s not really due to any allergy to alcohol. No, it’s not because my genetics have malfunctioned. No, it’s not because I’m Chinese or Asian.

It has been scientifically proven that most Asian especially Japanese, Chinese and Koreans respond to alcohol by turning red. So there is no surprise when you see a sea of red faces (think loyal Man U supporters!) all over bars and clubs in Asia. In Europe, alcohol-drinking Asians will stick out like the red lights in red light districts!

Alcohol is metabolised in our liver where it is oxidised first to acetaldehyde and then converted to acetate by an enzyme known as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2). Those who turn red after a bit of alcohol have a genetic change in their ALDH2. The gene variant causes the body to metabolise alcohol more quickly, but become less efficient in breaking down acetaldehyde. The build-up of acetaldehyde is what causes your blood vessels to dilate and your skin to turn red. Sometimes one will also experience itchiness on the skin and the body gets redder after scratching it! Drink too much and chances are you’ll forget your red face/body and itchy skin, as you end up throwing up and busy sorting out your mess!

This condition is known as alcohol flush reaction. Since it typically happens to Asians, it is also called the Asian flush/glow.

Recent studies have revealed evidence that ALDH2-deficient individuals are at much higher risk of developing esophageal cancer from consuming alcohol than those with a fully active ALDH2. Esophageal cancer also happens to be one of the deadliest cancers in the world with pretty low survival rates. Acetaldehyde is a metabolite of alcohol but is also an animal carcinogen and mutagen with recognised cancer-promoting properties. When the tissues of your upper aerodigestive tract are repeatedly exposed to acetaldehyde, the probability of DNA damage and mutation could also increase. OUCH! NO SHIT!

Since this is a genetic problem there’s no cure for alcohol flush except to completely abstain from alcohol. If you get red, you should think about drinking less as you’re putting yourself at a higher risk of developing both cancer and hypertension. If you can’t completely abstain from alcohol, drink moderately and this is defined as one to two drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women.

Cheers! Opps! :-)

Rolex Submariner No Date 14060M

Property of Mr Flabby Less

Rolex Submariner No Date 14060M

This is the "base" Submariner, which every collector must have in their repertoire of watch collection. In stainless steel, it's a very versatile piece for both casual, work and formal attires. Without the date feature, it has a very clean look and feel. I actually like the no-date feature as it's easier to adjust before wearing *LOL*

I bought this from a good friend complete with box and papers and after 9 months I sold it to another good friend. It's all good as this piece is still within my family of friends!

Optimal protein intake

People often ask me how to determine their optimal daily protein intake.

 

I immediately ask them their objective and body weight before giving them the optimal daily protein intake.

Basically, there are 4 objectives to consider:-

a. Survival- our bodies need roughly 0.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight

b. Maintaining- our bodies need about 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight

c. Bulking- our bodies need roughly 1.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight

d. Cutting- our bodies need roughly 1.25g of protein per lb of bodyweight

So, if you are 200lbs, you’ll need the following amount of protein daily based on the above four objectives:-

a. Survival- 160g daily or 26.7g per meal for 6 times a day

b. Maintaining- 200g daily or 33.3g per meal for 6 times a day

c. Bulking- 300g daily or 50g per meal for 6 times a day

d. Cutting- 250g daily or 41.7g per meal for 6 times a day

 

You’re probably wondering why the daily protein intake is divided into 6 equal portions. Well, there’s no way you can eat such amount of protein over 3 meals daily- you’ll be stuffed! You could as an alternative ingest protein shakes but not all the time as you need real food. The idea here is to constantly feed your body sufficient amount of protein so that it can absorb the same constantly to build muscles. Take too much protein at a meal and chances are your body will store it as fat. When you take protein periodically every 2 to 3 hours, your metabolic rate will be kept high throughout the day, which is good! I eat (protein included) 6 times a day and I consume a mix of real food and protein shakes.

You would also probably wonder why protein intake during cutting is more than during maintenance. Protein has a very high thermic effect of food (“TEF”)- how much energy your body has to burn to be able to use it. Carbs and fat have roughly 5% TEF. Protein has 20% TEF. That means if you eat 1,000 calories of protein, you instantly “lose” 200 calories as your body needs to burn that much just to be able to use that protein. Furthermore, when you are cutting, your body has to get energy from somewhere. It will get this energy from your body in the forms of adipose (fat), glycogen (carbs), and skeletal muscle (protein). This means, protein is very important when cutting as it helps burn itself off and when your body needs to extract energy, it helps minimize any loss from skeletal muscle (which you want to keep!)

Banrock Station, 2011, Chardonnay

Property of Mr Flabby Less

Banrock Station, 2011, Chardonnay

Attractive golden colour. Quite dense and chewy. Bouquet of pear, peach and vanilla. Short to medium finish. Sharp tannin and a tad sour when it warms up. Table wine price and quality. No complaints.

Poupille, 2008, Castillon, Bordeaux

Property of Mr Flabby Less

Poupille, 2008, Castillon, Bordeaux

100% organic Merlot. Dark ruby in colour. Perfume of dark berries and cassis. Stubborn and needs time to breathe. At least 2 hours of decanting is required. Tannin is harsh initially but would integrate after decanting. Medium to full-bodied. Taste mainly of dark berries. Mild taste of spices and oak. Pretty straight forward wine and easy drinking after decanting. Still needs cellaring IMO.