My Lover?...........Alcohol!

I love alcohol! And my choice of ‘poison’ is red or white wine. I have never been worried about my love for my alcohol as I figured I do not drink everyday, I also drink ‘healthy alcohol’ after all, red wine contains lots of antioxidants and flavinoids, which are magic words to a health conscious woman like me. Plus, I do not like to drink alone and would never even consider drinking a glass of wine on my own at all. How wrong I was with my assumptions.

The truth is, alcohol is good for you. YES, if you stick to the recommended Units, which is :

Women: 2/3 units a day

Men: ¾ Units a day; with at least 2 or 3 off alcohol days in a week.

1 Unit is however: Half a standard glass of wine      

                                Half a Pint of beer

                                A measure of spirit

Alcohol has some health benefits such as reducing the build up of fat on the inner walls of your arteries and it may reduce the risks of developing a heart disease, reduce the risk of you having a stroke and may reduce the risk of gallstones and diabetes.  It is also said to reduce the risk of developing stomach ulcers as alcohol destroys H pylori which causes ulcers and alcohol raises good cholesterol levels which in turn prevents plaques from causing blood clots.

So, with all these good deeds, why does alcohol have a bad name?

I recently gave up Alcohol for Lent and boy, did I not just suffer? Apparently, I never realized that I was addicted to alcohol on a social level. Just because I was not drinking everyday, did not mean I wasn’t abusing the bottle, engaging in drinking bottles of ‘booze’ with my girlfriends. I was in love (and still am) with the immediate altering mood that alcohol gives me, making me a happier, relaxed and sometimes euphoric feeling. Alcohol was my Friday bestie, turning me into a fun lady who could dance all night till morning never tiring, hopping from one club to another.

Within 20 minutes of guzzling my red wine of choice, it would get absorbed into my bloodstream and not only would I feel beautiful, I would be the sexiest girl in the room, with a lovely, charming personality to go with it, when in reality I hate talking and can be quite antisocial.

So, how am I coping without my’ choice of poison’?. Well, it’s only been with the Grace of God as my Lent pact on abstaining was made in Church before God and I am quite fearful of my God. Hence, I am counting down to the 30^th of March, when Lent ends and I can finally have a drink.

Alcohol in excess can have some real serious consequences though, and some of us forget this! These are a few:

·         Excessive drinking can cause cancer of the esophagus, liver, breast, Pancreas, Pharynx, Larynx (Scary right!)

·         Sudden death in people with cardiovascular diseases

·         Heart muscle damage which can lead to heart failure

·         Brain shrinkage

·         Cirrhosis of the Liver

·         Miscarriage in women

·         Fetal alcohol syndrome in newborn ( applies to women who drink whilst pregnant)

·         Accidents

·         Suicide

Alcohol is a gift from God and should be used in moderate amounts for enjoyment, pleasure and health, the Sin being ‘getting drunk’. So, when I do start drinking again, I shall be drinking more responsibly!

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