Dr. Natasha Withers: Most people know how they feel after drinking too much alcohol. But if you want to make an informed decision about drinking, it's worth taking a scientific look at the path of cocktail or a glass of wine takes through your body.

When you drink alcohol, it's absorbed into your bloodstream, say the stomach and the small intestine. Within just a few minutes the alcohol is distributed via your blood through your body.

Some alcohol is excreted through the breath and the sweat, but the majority is processed by your liver, which under normal circumstances does a great job of turning toxic alcohol into nontoxic compounds.

Heavy drinking such as several drinks a night on a regular basis really taxes the body system, especially the liver and can lead to serious health problems including insomnia, weight gain, sexual difficulties and liver disease, just to name a few. In extreme cases brain damage or death due to alcohol poisoning can occur.

Here are a few simple tips to help you minimize the effects of alcohol. Eat something before you even start drinking and while you are drinking have some snacks. Be sure to paste yourself with a glass of water or juice in between each drink.

And of course if you are going out in a car decide beforehand who will the designated non-drinking driver.

I am Dr. Natasha. Live well!

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