Day 19: Alcohol and health

I'm not anti-alcohol. I think it's fantastic in moderation and occasionally not in moderation.

But, being off the turps to focus on being fit and healthy for 12 months, I can't help but try and look around the net to see if what I'm doing is a good thing or a bad thing.

Stories can vary. I've seen the following:

1. Rabid anti-alcohol sites, from the true believers who are probably also god botherers.
2. Terribly sad stories about how alcohol has destroyed lives, which is not relevant to me but you can see why they said goodbye.
3. Alcohol is great - you should all get pissed with your mates and it hasn't done me no harm (Guilty as charged your honour).
4. Alcohol is sophisticated, and we are not drinking but tasting and being high brow (Perhaps also guilty your honour).
5. Alcohol will keep you alive longer eg French paradox (ah, perhaps I've kidded myself with this one too).
6. Alcohol in moderation is part of a life well lived, just like a good meal, and any risks are worth it (where I finally got to in maturity).
7. Alcohol causes about 70 different health problems, and may have some benefit but this is inconclusive.

An example of 7 is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_alcohol. I mean, look at that list. If you caught little jonny chewing something that had all those side effects you wouldn't be too pleased as a parent would you. Yet you wonder if it is true, or have the god botherers gotten to wikepdia as well? The stat I keep coming back to is that moderate drinkers seem to live longer than people who drink nothing every time (ie from all causes of death).

So spin it however you like, but if you can cope with moderate drinking (a glass or two with dinner) you'll live longer on average, god botherers be damned.

I guess at the end of the day we all have our own situation, and our own priorities. Only we individually can determine what is the best approach for us, and what is the best way to manage our relationship with alcohol.

In my case, at the moment, I'm trying to look like the fit guy. To do this, I'm off the turps for a while.

As a pleasant side effect I'm sleeping better and feeling better.

Only when I do look like the fit guy will I have to think about whether or not I should go back on the drink. That will be a good problem to have, as looking like the fit guy is not an easy thing for me to do.