Here's my speech and his...
Health benefits of drinking wine
Coming from a science background, I was very interested to look into the health benefits of drinking wine and especially because in 1 Timothy 5:23 it says to “use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities”. To be honest, with all the media attention given to the negative aspects of alcohol, I was amazed to discover that a small amount of wine consumed daily is actually beneficial to our health.
We believe as a team that the Bible doesn’t forbid the consumption of wine, but like with many other things (e.g. the way we use our money, handle relationships, etc...), it sets clear parameters for how we should use it.
By a small amount, we mean ¾ cup for women and 2 cups for men per day, because this is what reaps the most health benefits. Also, as supported by the many biblical references including both wine and food, it is best sipped slowly during a meal. Red wine is better than white because it contains the skin, seeds and stems of grapes.
- Some of you may know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, accounting for up to 50% of all deaths.
- Studies have consistently shown that consuming small amounts of wine reduces mortality from heart disease (caused by strokes and heart attacks). As Douglas will discuss later, the majority of people in France consume a small amount of red wine daily with their meals, and as a nation, France has among the lowest rates for heart disease in the world.
- Studies have shown that moderate drinkers live longer than those who either don’t drink at all, or who drink heavily.
- Now for some personal testimonies – two of my family members had laser eye surgery and were both given a glass of red wine prior to the procedure because it is a well known relaxant and alleviates anxiety! Why would wine be included as part of the protocol if it was detrimental to your health?
- My mum had a couple of stokes about eight years ago caused by blood clots being pumped through her heart and into her brain and she takes nothing more but a glass of red wine a day and has had no further health problems.
How does wine benefit the heart?
Put very simply, when a person’s arteries become blocked with fat deposits, blood clots form and can cause heart attacks and strokes. Wine:
- stimulates the production of good cholesterol, which removes the fat deposits (grape juice does not do this);
- contains anti-oxidants, which inhibit fat deposits from forming in the artery walls (anti-oxidant activity increases with fermentation, so wine is better than grape juice);
- reduces the ability of red blood cells to clot together, so blood flow is made easier; and
- has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Another interesting finding, is that more recent studies have shown that wine can be beneficial to the stomach with regard to stomach ulcers and food poisoning, because it has been shown to reduce the rate of infection of the bacteria associated with these problems (Helicobacter pylori , Eschericia coli, listeria and salmonella).
So I conclude that a small amount of red wine can actually be beneficial to your health!
This is the speech I wrote for Grant....
The benefits of the wine bottle
Among the many benefits of drinking wine is the extremely useful bottle it is enclosed in!
In the garden
- Wine bottles can be inverted into the ground around a garden bed to make an excellent retaining wall. The small dip on the base of the bottle collects rain water, forming a small reservoir that attracts beautiful butterflies and birds to brighten up your garden.
- Wine bottles can be used as table legs, for a durable, creative alternative to other materials.
- Wine bottles make excellent garden lamps – simply drill a hole in the base and feed white Christmas string lights through it. Then add some glass beads to make a particularly beautiful creation to enhance your garden.
- Wine bottles can be used to make wine bottle trees [The original idea came from Africa, where it was believed that the reflective light emitted from the bottles would scare off any evil spirits from a person’s home. Nowadays, wine bottle trees serve as invaluable, innovative and artistic features for your garden]. Unlike real trees, wine bottle trees do not require fertilizers or water and will not die.
In the home
- For the lounge room, wine bottles can be decorated (e.g. with paint and ribbons) to make beautiful vases and candle holders. They can also be used to display small cars, model houses, etc… on the mantle piece. They can be filled with water and the ink inserts from highlighter markers, then put in front of a black light to create an illuminating art piece.
- For the kitchen, wine bottles can decorated and filled with food substances, such as nuts, rice, herbs, spices, pasta, dried fruit, chilli, etc… Cheap corks can be purchased to close the tops. Alternatively, wine bottles can be used to store liquid substances, such as oil, water, vinegar, detergent, in which case cheap spouts can be purchased to transform the humble wine bottle into a stylish dispenser.
- For the bathroom, wine bottles can be decorated and filled with bath salts, fragranced oil, beads, sea glass, shells or marbles to make beautiful decorations for your window-sill.
- Wine bottles can be crushed and the glass fragments used to make colorful mosaic art pieces for the home.
- With the help of a glass cutter, wine bottles can be cut and made into unique tumbler glasses and vases.
Gift ideas / soul winning
- All the previous ideas can be used as unique evangelism tools to stimulate conversations with strangers, ultimately leading to soul winning!
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