Is Alcohol ‘serving’ you?
Studies show that alcohol consumption increased in the years leading up to 2020 and skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Lately, there is a popular movement to reduce alcohol consumption or quit all together due to emerging research into it’s negative health effects.
I encourage you to read this post and listen to this podcast (The Huberman Lab) and decide if alcohol is truly ‘serving’ you.
Drinking alcohol is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood that is typically celebrated with a toast, or more, on your 21st birthday here in the United States. As we age it becomes an expected part of celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and graduations. It works it’s way into our professional life in after-work happy hours, cocktail parties and business dinners.
Socially, many lean on alcohol as a social lubricant, making it easier to relax and socialize. We also drink to relieve or numb negative emotions like stress, anxiety and depression.
So, we drink when we’re HAPPY, we drink when we’re SAD, we drink when we’re SOCIALIZING, and we drink when we’re WORKING.
Throughout history, up to just 20 years ago, men were consuming more alcohol than women. In the last 20 years women are catching up and in some areas taking the lead.
Ladies, this is not the type of equality that ‘serves’ us.
How have our lives, roles and marketing changed to drastically increase our alcohol consumption?
More women in professional roles, consuming at happy hours and business dinners.
Pervasive ‘mommy drinking culture’ that encourages moms to drink to deal with the demands of family life. Have you seen tumblers labeled as ‘Mommy’s sippy cup?” Or the memes about “mommy’s happy juice?”
Wine producers advertise the feminine glamor of the stemmed wine glass as wine consumption grows beyond the Italian dinner table.
Fruit-flavored and ‘spiked’ beverages, low sugar/carb/calorie seltzers and slim can packaging are all designed and marketed to appeal to the ladies.
Many people find that as they age into their 40s they are less able tolerate alcohol. The adverse effects begin to outweigh the benefit of temporary relaxation or reduced social inhibition.
Faster and prolonged intoxicating effects: dizziness, headache, nausea.
Poor sleep, memory lapses, hot flashes, night sweats, frequent night waking, digestive issues.
Weight gain, insulin resistance, joint pain/inflammation, mood disturbances/anxiety, brain fog, skin issues, fatigue.
Long term alcohol use increases risk for problems with mental health/cognition, immune function, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and liver failure.
Read more about the impact of alcohol on the body’s systems and organs.
The fact that surprises most of my clients about how the body processes alcohol has to do with metabolism and detoxification in the liver. Alcohol is a toxin. When we consume alcohol the body prioritizes it’s detoxification because it is more toxic and therefore more dangerous than the foods we’ve eaten that are also in our system. The body knows it needs to GET IT OUT. While the body moves the alcohol to the front of the liver-line, the other food can not be utilized for energy so it’s more easily stored as fat.
This post is meant to educate, to make you an informed consumer when it comes to alcohol. We each have our own reasons behind our choices, but it’s best to be informed about the impact of those choices.