Don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?

Hello! Last week, we looked at the first of five components of a healthy lifestyle: not smoking. This week, we are going to look at the second component.

The Second Commandment: Thou shalt drink alcohol only in moderation!

Okay, so I know that I have been a big buzzkill the last few weeks. Such is the lot of the fitness zealot. But this week, I have some good news: there is some evidence that moderate alcohol consumption can be good for your health! Yay! We will talk more about that in a moment, but first we must deal with the main thrust of today's article: over-consumption of alcohol is definitely not consistent with a healthy lifestyle.

Another big killer

We learned last week that smoking is the #1 preventable cause of death. Over-consumption of alcohol is #3, and kills 100,000 Americans each year. Last week we listed some well-known people whose lives were cut short by smoking, and I felt like this really helped drive the point home. So this week I have compiled a short list of celebrities killed at least in part by alcohol. As you can see, alcohol claims many very young victims.


Brian Jones, musician (Rolling Stones), 25
Gram Parsons, musician, 26
Jimi Hendrix, musician, 27
Bix Beiderbecke, musician, 28
Hank Williams, musician, 29
Andy Gibb, musician, 30
Steve Clark, musician (Def Leppard), 30
John Bonham, musician (Led Zeppelin), 32
Keith Moon, musician (The Who), 32
Ira Hayes, war hero, 32
Keith Whitley, musician, 33
Bon Scott, musician (AC/DC), 33
Charlie Parker, musician, 34
Stuart Adamson, musician (Big Country), 43
Billie Holiday, singer, 44
O. Henry, writer, 47
Richard Burton, actor, 58
Truman Capote, writer, 59

There are many musicians on that list, for some reason. On a personal note, my grandfather died at the age of 69 as a result of alcoholism. Overuse of alcohol causes a higher risk of premature death from all causes, which can be attributed to many possible factors:

• Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer


• Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood


• Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease


• Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure


• Stroke


• High blood pressure


• Cirrhosis of the liver


• Injuries due to impaired motor skills


• Suicide

Alcohol is also involved in 32% of traffic fatalities. Of course, not all of these victims were the drinker. Overuse can also cause miscarriage, or fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development. It is also a "major ager", and has a particularly noticeable effect on the skin, even leading to rosacea in some cases.

How much is enough?

A somewhat tacky joke: what do martinis have in common with breasts? One is not enough, but three is too many! Ha ha ha. But that is actually not far from the truth.

Moderate alcohol consumption is defined by health experts as no more than one drink per day for women. Men can probably get by with two if they are younger than 65. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.

I don't drink. Should I start, for my health?

Here is the good news that I promised you earlier: there is evidence that moderate (can't stress that word enough) alcohol consumption leads to decreased premature mortality from all causes, particularly heart disease. Moderate drinkers seem to do better in this regard than even teetotalers. Red wine in particular is associated with better health, due to its high concentration of the antioxidant resveratrol.


Still, if you do not drink now, I would not encourage you to start, for two reasons. One, there is some evidence that even in very small amounts, alcohol consumption increases the risk of some forms of cancer. But the big reason is the danger of alcoholism.

I enjoy alcohol now. But if I had known when I started what I know now about the damage alcohol can do to a person's life, I never would have taken that first drink. It is just not worth the risk.

How to cut down or quit

Here are some Internet resources that may be helpful if you are interested in cutting down on your drinking, or quitting entirely (which is what you should do if you cannot contain your alcohol consumption to healthy levels!):

How to Cut Down on Your Drinking (PDF)

Alcoholics Anonymous

My story

Last week, I confessed my own past struggles with tobacco. This week, I must disclose honestly that I used to be a very heavy drinker. Do you detect a pattern here?


In my early twenties, consumption of a half for even a full case of beer in a day was not unusual. After that period, my alcohol consumption varied somewhat and did decline sharply overall, but was still quite high. I became a little concerned over the past few years when I realized how high my alcohol consumption really was.

I would find myself at the end of the day thinking that I had not drunk that much, only to add up the drinks in my head and realize that I had indeed had seven or nine drinks over the course of the day. It was a sobering realization (pun intended). I was also somewhat ignorant as to how much alcohol consumption was considered healthy, until I discussed it with my doctor.

About a year ago, I made a concerted effort to limit my alcohol intake. I was actually quite nervous about it at first! Strangely, I found that drinking hot tea was a big help. It served as a very serviceable substitute for end-of-the-day relaxation. Waiting until evening to start drinking was also helpful.

I was very surprised to find that I suddenly felt much better! I did not realize until I cut back that I was actually suffering from mild hangovers a good bit of the time! It took a month or two for the new habit to really "lock in", where I was consistently drinking 0-2 drinks per day, but I got there.

I also gradually changed my drink of choice from beer to wine. On a typical night, I now drink a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon with dinner, or afterward. On extremely rare occasions, I do have a third. Never more than that. Rarely, I will have Scotch or Irish whiskey instead of wine. Only on the rarest occasions will I have a beer, and this would usually be when I am out.

Cutting down has been a huge positive for me. I feel much better as a result, both physically and mentally. But it has really opened my eyes to how pervasive is the effect of alcohol on our society and culture.

In conclusion

• One can safely enjoy moderate alcohol intake as part of a healthy lifestyle!


• One should drink no more than 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day, to maximize health and minimize the risk of chronic disease and/or premature death.


• Red wine is the best choice, due to its high level of the antioxidant resveratrol.


• If one finds oneself unable to limit one's drinking, one should seek help to abstain altogether.


• I should hope it would go without saying, but illegal drugs in any amount are not part of a healthy lifestyle.

Next week, we will look at step two in our Lifestyle Makeover! Until then, take good care of yourself. Make it happen!