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Suppose This Woman Had Been My Mother!

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

April 8, 2007

It's an ideal way to write a column. I'm attending a medical conference while cruising the Caribbean sea. But don't think I'm goofing off. I'm spending long days listening to a variety of international speakers. But as a former ship's surgeon I also love being at sea.

How To Be A Smart Drinker

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

January 14, 2007

"Aren't you being a bit inconsistent? You're always advising others to cut down on sugar. Then before dinner you have a rum and coke. Don't you realize that rum is made from sugar?"

Health Ad Forbidden in Beer Case

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Sunday, November 19, 2006

What's in a bottle of beer? 99.9 per cent of my beer-drinking friends didn't realize that beer contains health benefits. A Canadian brewer agreed that distributing information about the contents of this popular drink in beer cases would be beneficial. He also agreed that it must be stressed that excessive alcohol consumption causes serious health problems. But he soon learned the government forbids beer companies to claim any health benefits of any kind.

Drinking Mothers Commit A Cardinal Sin

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Friday, August 25, 2006

Destroying yourself slowly with alcohol has never made any sense. Even worse, destroying an infant physically and mentally before birth is maternal madness. But year after year alcohol-riddled babies are born suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Alcohol is now known to be the leading preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in North America. It's an immense medical and social tragedy.

We Need A Boar's Head Pub In Every Hospital

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Monday, January 16, 2006

How about opening an English style pub in your local hospital? Just mention this idea to a hospital board and it will question your sanity. Readers may also conclude that I've gotten into the sauce before writing this column. But 25 years ago I visited the Boar's Head Pub in Toronto's Sunnybrook Veteran's Hospital and left convinced that it helped patients cope with medical problems better than most medications.

New Year's Red Wine Headache

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Thursday, December 29, 2005

"Oh my aching head! Why did I drink so much last night?" That's a question many people will ask on January 1, 2006. Some headaches will result from too many martini's, beers or scotch-and-sodas. That's a hang-over. But you've magnified the odds of a blistering headache if you recklessly imbibed in too much red wine. What is it about red wine that carries such a blow to the head?

Sorry, James Bond, but you're wrong

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

June 9, 2003

Why would I disagree with James Bond? He's ordered dry martinis for years and never seems to age. And Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, supported the use of alcohol. So did Jesus. After all, he transformed water into wine. And I never forget that, through the ages, polluted water, not alcohol, killed millions of people. That's why I never feel guilty about a pre-dinner cocktail. But is it actually the alcohol that helps drinkers live longer?

What You Don't Know About Sleeman Beer

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

March 4, 2002

Have you ever wondered what you're drinking while enjoying a bottle of Sleeman beer? I doubt that many beer drinkers ever give it a second's thought. But beer isn't just beer. I've written for years in my medical column that beer and other alcoholic drinks are often unjustly criticized. I agree that alcohol in excess causes problems, but so does excess in anything. But used in moderation beer provides several benefits. So the next time you pour yourself a bottle of Sleeman beer consider these nutritional facts.

Why I'm Not A Teetotaler

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

February 10, 2002

What's the first thing I do after seeing patients all day? I take a 20 minute walk home, greet my wife, open up the bar and enjoy a drink while watching the evening news. Some evenings a glass of wine with dinner. There are 10 reasons why I consider this a healthy habit.

The Morning After 2001

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

December 24, 2001

Here's a good Trivial Pursuit question to start 2001. How many of you know that thousands of people will be suffering from "Veisalgia" as they begin the New Year. Veisalgia is the littleªknown scientific name for hangover! So what can you do to prevent or cure this malady? And how much does veisalgia cost this nation?

U.S. Government Agrees on Medical Benefits of Alcohol

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

October 14, 2000

For years everyone has pussy©footed over the facts about the medical benefits of alcohol. Even its supporters haven't had the intestinal fortitude to level with the public. Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finally had the courage to tell it the way it is.

Who Wants To Disagree With Secret Agent 007?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

February 13, 2000

"My wife will have a vodka martini and I'll have a rum and diet coke". I've requested these pre-dinner drinks from waiters for years. Now, a report from the University of Western Ontario says we're both making a mistake. But is secret agent 007 totally right?

Send Wine, Not Flowers

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Have you ever wondered what to take to a friend in hospital? Possibly a book to help pass the time? Or flowers to brighten up a dreary hospital room? Well, think again. The French have the right idea. Send a bottle of red Bordeaux wine.

There Are More Old Wine Drinkers Than Old Doctors

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Why do I have a glass of red wine with my evening meal? I'm convinced it's prudent to add "Resveratrol" to my circulation every day. Besides I've always thought that Sir William Osler one of this country's greatest physicians was right. And why would I want to disagree with Cardinal Richelieu? Even some Ministers of Health have finally admitted to wines medicinal value. Á Stephen Dorell, the British Secretary of State for Health, recently stated that up to four alcoholic drinks a day for men and two or three for women is beneficial in revelant groups. Á Dr. Philip, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health, announced, "In my personal view alcohol in moderation is beneficial. There was a significant bias in the past against drinking." But so far there's been nary a peep from any Minister of Health in Canada!

A Book, "The Healthy Barmaid", Is Born

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

What have London's Heathrow airport, an English pub and an elderly barmaid to do with this column? In one word, "plenty". A chance remark triggered "The Healthy Barmaid". It is hoped this book will improve the lifestyle of readers and save them from diseases that should never happen.

Is Alcohol Friend Or Foe?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Will teetotallers or those who enjoy an alcoholic drink have a decreased risk of heart attack during this Christmas season? I recently questioned two international experts of this matter during the 3rd International Conference on Preventive Cardiology in Oslo, Norway.

What Protects The French From Heart Attack?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

It's called "le paradoxe Francais", the riddle of why the high©living French consume a diet high in saturated fats, eat more cheese, smoke more, have the same level of blood cholesterol, yet suffer from fewer heart attacks and live longer than North Americans. What protects them? The good news it's not spinach.

Alcohol isn't the only hazard on New Year's Eve

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

The scenario will be repeated in thousands of homes during this holiday season. Parents and teenagers being reminded not to drink and drive at the same time. It's still good advice. But how many will also be cautioned not to smoke during the party and while driving their car? Yet tragedy will inevitably strike homes because people can't resist lighting up in the automobile. A recent study shows that the "Bingo Brain Syndrome" isn't confined solely to the Bingo Temples.

Does social drinking protect the heart?

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Do you ever feel guilty about having a cocktail after a tough day? Possibly worry that a daily alcoholic drink during the Christmas season is bad for your health? It's prudent to evaluate the medical facts before you decide one way or the other on this matter. And whose decision about the " Happy Hour " makes the most sense for the elderly, the moralists or Sir William Osler?


W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones
Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod