June 16, 2021

When Well-Oiled, Skip the Fat


When Well-Oiled, Skip the Fat
Far better to offset drink with something like this. Photograph by ja ma on Unsplash

On June 13, gastroenterologist Anna Denisova at the SM-Clinic in St. Petersburg gave advice that may seem contradictory for lovers of wine and other alcohol.

While any seasoned drinker knows that hydration and a snack can prevent hangover, Denisova has found that some post-beverage foods should be avoided for individuals with chronic illnesses such as ulcers or gastritis.

Fatty foods such as salo (cured pork fat), sausages, salmon and mackerel, and spicy foods like pickled vegetables and wasabi, can irritate the stomach alongside drink. Risks include hospitalization due to conditions like pancreatitis.

While a glass or two of wine per day should be fine, Denisova clarifies, in general drinking anything more will almost certainly exacerbate gastrointestinal issues.

Much like the fabled activated charcoal pill that many a Russophile has swallowed before a night drinking with friends, the snack is still essential. Just remember: fat and spice are not very nice, although they are tasty and, admittedly, complement drinks better than fruit.

And if you're interested in what else you might avoid after a good drink... don't plan on thieving or driving a tank!

 

You Might Also Like

Getting into the Spirits
  • April 01, 1998

Getting into the Spirits

Results of the First Annual International Vodka Taste Off and Taste of Russia Dinner, held in Montpelier, Vermont, February 28, 1998.
Like Uber for Booze
  • January 20, 2021

Like Uber for Booze

Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade has thrown its support behind a measure for distance-selling alcohol.
Don't Drive Tanked
  • October 30, 2020

Don't Drive Tanked

Cars and alcohol don't mix, especially when your job is driving a military IFV.
Lighten Up, Russia
  • June 30, 2020

Lighten Up, Russia

Experts report that Russian drinking habits over the last couple of months have gotten a bit lighter.
No Booze for You
  • April 04, 2020

No Booze for You

Nothing is sacred when it comes to fighting coronavirus. Not even vodka.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955