Booze Nazi
In a recent study from the ominous sounding group, The Global Burden of Diseases, it was recommended that the only safe level of drinking alcohol is zero drinks. We have seen all of the studies about red wine and how one drink per day is good for you.
The study states that the potential to cause cancer and other diseases, outweighs the benefits you get from the heart health boost. It also looked at risks from impaired driving and self harm from too much alcohol.
So what's the take away from all of this? If we are honest, we probably aren't too shocked that alcohol is not good for us. But who is drinking alcohol for the health benefits??? My guess is people who lie about why they drink.
The article has a very interesting quote from Noelle LoConte, an oncologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin that puts it all into perspective:
"We're not proponents of complete abstinence. There probably is an amount of drinking that's OK," LoConte told NPR in June. "But from a cancer-prevention standpoint, drinking the least amount of alcohol possible would be the best strategy."
Isn't it weird how nearly everything gets back to moderation? Are brownies a health food? No, but I eat them any way. Just not every day.
Is a nightly glass of wine ruining your life? It might depend on the size of this glass, I've seen some pretty impressive ones. It's not helping you reach your goals or improving your health, but if a glass of wine and some reality TV keeps you from being stabby it is probably worth it. Sanity is important, but what about that guilty feeling that starts creeping in?
In my next e-mail I will get into how you can enjoy the "forbidden" foods and beverages without having so much guilt. It's probably not what you think. It all comes down to one word.