Guy: How much alcohol intake is considered healthy?
DrRic; That's a loaded question, what other medical problems do you have?
Guy: Are you saying alcohol is a medical problem?
DrRic: I believe it's effects can be used to "quiet emotional reactions" and some people can start out using it recreationally but end up depending on it like medicine "to get through occasional tough times"
Guy: I saw on Dr Oz that red wine has resveratrol, an antioxidant to help fight cancer.....and I don't have any tough times in my life.
DrRic: Reseveratrol does help as an antioxidant to neutralize dangerous life choices but you would have to take alot of volume and the toxic effects of alcohol on judgement, fatty liver, sleep and digestion make it more of a burden to the body.
DrRic: Also, it's not the amount of tough times it's the learned reaction to them. Stressors are a part of all human interaction (inescapable), some react badly (generalized anxiety) and some react seemlessly (meditator). For every rise in adrenaline and cortisol the body goes through in a day, there will be less room for serotonin and oxytocin (love hormones/procreation). That would be akin to a proinflammatory life vs and antiinflammatory life. Developing a dependence on alcohol to neutralize the adrenaline/cortisol times will set you up for more alcohol as the challenges of life accumulate with age.
I have the above conversation with patients (mostly male) on a regular basis. I will always expect a defensive stance from the patient with what is supposed to be a rhetorical question to me- "What is your healthy alcohol intake?" (expecting I will fire back with stumbling words or some form of denial) Then I boldly say I don't drink. The reaction is raised eye brows and "really!". Then I mention my story about the last beer being after I finished the 10/10/10 Chicago Marathon. I decided to detach myself from this thing that no longer served me. Truthfully I began to feel brainwashed into thinking the only way to watch a sporting event, relax after work, or finish some sweaty endeavor like cutting the grass was to order two beers, (one for chugging now and the other if the waitress took too long to come back for my next request).
Most who went to college know alcohol is a right of passage in starting to leave the nest and search for a life partner (or maybe just the next hook up) but it revolves around the keg party. THERE!....it IS synonymous with party!!! Somehow it transcends into middle and old age as well. Some people will use it as an excuse for doing lewd acts...."oh...I was drunk" or "you were so funny last night!"(intoxicated). So you can see how people can easily step on the throttle and increase consumption to deal with bigger life challenges. (when the right thing would be to tactically problem-solve with a clear mind). Those of you who just said to yourselves "..but I do think better with a glass in my hand" really should investigate other ways to problem solve and compare the difference. Be patient, alcohol is immediate (like xanax) vs techniques of controlling the stress reaction take a while to learn (I'm going on 5 years and I am still a novice). You just might be able to stop an addiction. I don't bother with candy coating the word dependence-I just reveal it as I see fit and I don't like the effects of drinking.
It can be considered a drug that dehydrates. Alcohol and water don't mix. The more you drink, the drier every cell becomes. Athletes are told not to drink before competition as it decreases stamina, strength, and performance. I mentioned fatty liver before and this is one of the biggest contributors to the abnormal blood tests. When the body has to detoxify alcohol, it does so with the liver. This organ is already busy with high sugar foods, pesticides, GMOs and then we have a few drinks. The liver starts to suffer and back up, it's called hepatic congestion....I call it slow liver failure leading to cirrhosis. Reverse your ways now or you will be feeling the sharp end of a surgeons knife replace your liver.
So are you if you are in training for competitive sports-don't drink alcohol.
if you are adopting a new lifestyle change- don't drink alcohol.
if you are trying to lose weight - don't drink alcohol.
if you have a major medical problem and taking medication-don't drink alcohol.
if you are being treated for any psychiatric problem-don't drink alcohol.
if you are trying to detox your life-don't drink alcohol.
if you have any history in the family of alcoholism-don't drink alcohol..
You can find other docs who say it's ok to drink with any of the above but the fact that you had to look probably means you should consider abstaining.
DrRic; That's a loaded question, what other medical problems do you have?
Guy: Are you saying alcohol is a medical problem?
DrRic: I believe it's effects can be used to "quiet emotional reactions" and some people can start out using it recreationally but end up depending on it like medicine "to get through occasional tough times"
Guy: I saw on Dr Oz that red wine has resveratrol, an antioxidant to help fight cancer.....and I don't have any tough times in my life.
DrRic: Reseveratrol does help as an antioxidant to neutralize dangerous life choices but you would have to take alot of volume and the toxic effects of alcohol on judgement, fatty liver, sleep and digestion make it more of a burden to the body.
DrRic: Also, it's not the amount of tough times it's the learned reaction to them. Stressors are a part of all human interaction (inescapable), some react badly (generalized anxiety) and some react seemlessly (meditator). For every rise in adrenaline and cortisol the body goes through in a day, there will be less room for serotonin and oxytocin (love hormones/procreation). That would be akin to a proinflammatory life vs and antiinflammatory life. Developing a dependence on alcohol to neutralize the adrenaline/cortisol times will set you up for more alcohol as the challenges of life accumulate with age.
I have the above conversation with patients (mostly male) on a regular basis. I will always expect a defensive stance from the patient with what is supposed to be a rhetorical question to me- "What is your healthy alcohol intake?" (expecting I will fire back with stumbling words or some form of denial) Then I boldly say I don't drink. The reaction is raised eye brows and "really!". Then I mention my story about the last beer being after I finished the 10/10/10 Chicago Marathon. I decided to detach myself from this thing that no longer served me. Truthfully I began to feel brainwashed into thinking the only way to watch a sporting event, relax after work, or finish some sweaty endeavor like cutting the grass was to order two beers, (one for chugging now and the other if the waitress took too long to come back for my next request).
Most who went to college know alcohol is a right of passage in starting to leave the nest and search for a life partner (or maybe just the next hook up) but it revolves around the keg party. THERE!....it IS synonymous with party!!! Somehow it transcends into middle and old age as well. Some people will use it as an excuse for doing lewd acts...."oh...I was drunk" or "you were so funny last night!"(intoxicated). So you can see how people can easily step on the throttle and increase consumption to deal with bigger life challenges. (when the right thing would be to tactically problem-solve with a clear mind). Those of you who just said to yourselves "..but I do think better with a glass in my hand" really should investigate other ways to problem solve and compare the difference. Be patient, alcohol is immediate (like xanax) vs techniques of controlling the stress reaction take a while to learn (I'm going on 5 years and I am still a novice). You just might be able to stop an addiction. I don't bother with candy coating the word dependence-I just reveal it as I see fit and I don't like the effects of drinking.
It can be considered a drug that dehydrates. Alcohol and water don't mix. The more you drink, the drier every cell becomes. Athletes are told not to drink before competition as it decreases stamina, strength, and performance. I mentioned fatty liver before and this is one of the biggest contributors to the abnormal blood tests. When the body has to detoxify alcohol, it does so with the liver. This organ is already busy with high sugar foods, pesticides, GMOs and then we have a few drinks. The liver starts to suffer and back up, it's called hepatic congestion....I call it slow liver failure leading to cirrhosis. Reverse your ways now or you will be feeling the sharp end of a surgeons knife replace your liver.
So are you if you are in training for competitive sports-don't drink alcohol.
if you are adopting a new lifestyle change- don't drink alcohol.
if you are trying to lose weight - don't drink alcohol.
if you have a major medical problem and taking medication-don't drink alcohol.
if you are being treated for any psychiatric problem-don't drink alcohol.
if you are trying to detox your life-don't drink alcohol.
if you have any history in the family of alcoholism-don't drink alcohol..
You can find other docs who say it's ok to drink with any of the above but the fact that you had to look probably means you should consider abstaining.
