What is a healthy attitude and consumption of alcoholic drinks?

Question

I have been a over drinking for around say 4 years may be more but not a full blown alcoholic in the physical sense.
I had a discussion in with my wife about drinking sensibly and next week I am going without a drink to see how I really feel about drinking physically and phychologically.
I do not want to stop drinking as in teetotal as that to me is extreme and I enjoy a beer and a wine and would not deny myself the pleasure. But I do not want to drink where it is unhealthy but have a healthy sustainable enjoyment that maybe be beneficial..
I am 38, 6' 2" and weigh 220 lbs.
Some advice would be nice that I could use and give me food for thought as I develop my practice and attitude to a more healthier way of life.

Answer 1

A drink or two on the weekend to me is social drinking and any amount of drinking that causes you to loose control or become abusive tends to be a problem. If you think you were tending to having a problem you probably were, good that you saw it.

Answer 2

How frequent do you drink and how much? Do you drink alone? These are some questions you need to ask yourself. A beer a night isn't a bad thing, as is a glass of wine a night. In fact, drs recommend a glass of red wine a night could be a healthy benefit. However, if you are consistently drinking a six pack every night, or are binge drinking on weekends, you could be developing an alcohol problem that could turn into full blown alcoholism. The link below will give u questions to answer to find out if you have any alcohol troubles. Good luck and God bless!

Answer 3

Wow, good for you. I think you should try to completely reset you perspective on drinking. How about this? After your week of sobriety, keep your consumption pretty limited for a while. Don't keep alcohol in the house. That way you won't be battling your self-control (like being on a diet with a houseful of donuts and fried chicken). Go ahead and have a drink or two if there is a special occasion or you go out to eat or with friends. Always stay under the legal limit (I don't think this requires explanation).

At the same time, figure out how much money you spend per week on alcohol. Whatever portion of this you don't spend, put in a jar (or a savings account). Plan something expensive to do with your wonderful wife (a trip somewhere or something that you wouldn't normally do) and figure out how much it will cost. How much you are drinking now, and how much you give up will determine when you get the reward.

You don't have to do this forever, but it might help you find out (1) what the drinking is worth to you, (2) what you might be missing when you are drinking (including good health), and (3) what is a good balance for yourself.

Good luck!

Answer 4

To me, a glass of wine with a nice dinner can't be a problem unless you really are an addict. Or a glass of beer, if it's that sort of meal. The key, I think, is with a meal, so you absorb it more effectively. The alcohol helps digestion, and the digestion prevents the alcohol from going directly to your brain. It's drinking on an empty stomach that really does you serious harm.

But then, we are talking one glass, or maybe once in awhile two, if it's a large meal. We are not talking large volume here. For one thing, alcohol has calories (it is FUEL, of course!), and at your age and weight, that has to be a consideration.

Answer 5

These are the rules I use, and I think they're pretty sensible. I allow myself to drink 3 or 4 nights a week. I try to restrict it to one or two drinks a night. If I notice, I've been drinking for a couple of nights in a row, I only allow myself one drink. Of course, sometimes I break the rules:)

Answer 6

Some studies show that one glass of red wine a day could be beneficial to heart muscle function, arteries and cholesterol. One drink a day or maybe one drink every other day seems like a sensible approach.

Answer 7

It is very healthy to have a small amount of red wine every day, either with lunch or dinner. In cultures where this is done regularly, people are healthy and live longer (including some relatives of mine from Portugal.) As far as how much wine (or any alcaholic bev for that matter) to consume, my father-in-law says in his Portuguese accent "One is gold. Two is silver. Three is no good."

Answer 8

see the doctor