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

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
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.
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 Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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