Alcohol Consumption - Open question
Discussion
For various reasons (but nothing unsurprising for a middle class, family & career driven bloke) I have got into the habit of having a large scotch most evenings - 100-150ml with ice when I walk in through the door - drinking it over the course of an hour or so.
It doesn't give me a hangover, or get me 'drunk' but it does just soften my mood as I get back from work and get into family mode.
I don't hide it, I can afford it, and general just really enjoy it. I am otherwise fit, healthy, active (in the sense that I do my 12,000 steps a day) and am only slightly 'over wight' . I eat healthy, monitor my weight and otherwise have no other 'vices' in life - Smoking, fast food, over indulge with anything else etc etc. I drink a lot of water throughout the day, with a few coffees in there.
Realistically, I am not going to stop any time soon, nor do I really want to. I wouldn't class myself as addicted to it, eg; if I have a reason to not drink I won't - mediciation, driving in the evening, house to myself and I can relax in other ways, have eaten a large early dinner etc etc etc.
However, I am drinking twice that of the government's recommendations. Yes it is not ideal, but it is my treat to myself. Everyone knows smoking kills, being fat kills, recreational drugs kill etc etc - but society keeps on ticking.
What sort of risk is this?
What could I do to lessen any health impacts it has on me (other then reduce/stop it...)?
Should I be actively concerned/worried about long term risks?
Welcome your thoughts! Thank you
It doesn't give me a hangover, or get me 'drunk' but it does just soften my mood as I get back from work and get into family mode.
I don't hide it, I can afford it, and general just really enjoy it. I am otherwise fit, healthy, active (in the sense that I do my 12,000 steps a day) and am only slightly 'over wight' . I eat healthy, monitor my weight and otherwise have no other 'vices' in life - Smoking, fast food, over indulge with anything else etc etc. I drink a lot of water throughout the day, with a few coffees in there.
Realistically, I am not going to stop any time soon, nor do I really want to. I wouldn't class myself as addicted to it, eg; if I have a reason to not drink I won't - mediciation, driving in the evening, house to myself and I can relax in other ways, have eaten a large early dinner etc etc etc.
However, I am drinking twice that of the government's recommendations. Yes it is not ideal, but it is my treat to myself. Everyone knows smoking kills, being fat kills, recreational drugs kill etc etc - but society keeps on ticking.
What sort of risk is this?
What could I do to lessen any health impacts it has on me (other then reduce/stop it...)?
Should I be actively concerned/worried about long term risks?
Welcome your thoughts! Thank you
Edited by Roberts13 on Wednesday 16th January 08:57
Roberts13 said:
For various reasons (but nothing unsurprising for a middle class, family & career driven bloke) I have got into the habit of having a large scotch most evenings - 100-150ml with ice when I walk in through the door - drinking it over the course of an hour or so.
It doesn't give me a hangover, or get me 'drunk' but it does just soften my mood as I get back from work and get into family mode.
I don't hide it, I can afford it, and general just really enjoy it. I am otherwise fit, healthy, active (in the sense that I do my 12,000 steps a day) and am only slightly 'over wight' . I eat healthy, monitor my weight and otherwise have no other 'vices' in life - Smoking, fast food, over indulge with anything else etc etc. I drink a lot of water throughout the day, with a few coffees in there.
Realistically, I am not going to stop any time soon, nor do I really want to. I wouldn't class myself as addicted to it, eg; if I have a reason to not drink I won't - mediciation, driving in the evening, house to myself and I can relax in other ways, have eaten a large early dinner etc etc etc.
However, I am drinking twice that of the government's recommendations. Yes it is not ideal, but it is my treat to myself. Everyone knows smoking kills, being fat kills, recreational drugs kill etc etc - but society keeps on ticking.
What sort of risk is this?
What could I do to lessen any health impacts it has on me (other then reduce/stop it...)?
Should I be actively concerned/worried about long term risks?
Welcome your thoughts! Thank you
The amount you drink is your business, however Alcohol is in fact a very cleaver drug that can creep up on you where you can develop at some level a dependency. I imagine over time the amount your drinking to have the effect it gives you at present will need to increase to achieve that effect. The fact is it has already done this as I imagine you didn't start of at this level. That's when it can become an issue. I'll get off my soap box now. It doesn't give me a hangover, or get me 'drunk' but it does just soften my mood as I get back from work and get into family mode.
I don't hide it, I can afford it, and general just really enjoy it. I am otherwise fit, healthy, active (in the sense that I do my 12,000 steps a day) and am only slightly 'over wight' . I eat healthy, monitor my weight and otherwise have no other 'vices' in life - Smoking, fast food, over indulge with anything else etc etc. I drink a lot of water throughout the day, with a few coffees in there.
Realistically, I am not going to stop any time soon, nor do I really want to. I wouldn't class myself as addicted to it, eg; if I have a reason to not drink I won't - mediciation, driving in the evening, house to myself and I can relax in other ways, have eaten a large early dinner etc etc etc.
However, I am drinking twice that of the government's recommendations. Yes it is not ideal, but it is my treat to myself. Everyone knows smoking kills, being fat kills, recreational drugs kill etc etc - but society keeps on ticking.
What sort of risk is this?
What could I do to lessen any health impacts it has on me (other then reduce/stop it...)?
Should I be actively concerned/worried about long term risks?
Welcome your thoughts! Thank you
Edited by Roberts13 on Wednesday 16th January 08:57
thebraketester said:
Errrr 150ml isn’t a large measure..... that’s 6 single shots.
Or just over 4 if your local does proper measures I don't drink through the week. I'm a classic, card carrying binge drinker. I'm not massively concerned about it.
Who was it that said "find something you love, and let it kill you"?
In the UK shots are quite small, 25ml, the rest of Europe uses a larger shot I believe (37.5ml?)
The only thing I'd be concerned about is being over the DD limit. I'd often have a beer of an evening (something nice, a yeast wheat beer etc) and if I have two I've got that nagging at the back of my mind that IF I needed to go somewhere I'd be well over the limit (here, the limit is 0.2).
However it does help someone relax often
The only thing I'd be concerned about is being over the DD limit. I'd often have a beer of an evening (something nice, a yeast wheat beer etc) and if I have two I've got that nagging at the back of my mind that IF I needed to go somewhere I'd be well over the limit (here, the limit is 0.2).
However it does help someone relax often
My old Dad used to have a couple of beers any night he wasn't working, he did shifts so night shift days were obviously no booze days. He started after a bad spell with stress, and having been to the docs been given some pills which didn't really agree with him and then decided that a few drinks (but never to excess) was a better option. Stress is a big killer too!
There was an interesting interview with a medical professor on the Chris Evan's show a while back and I think he'd written a book or two on trying to avoid cancer. He said that a few drinks throughout the week wasn't really a problem but better off to avoid the top shelf stuff and have wine or beer instead as it tend to have some positive health properties as well as the negative ones.
Personally I don't drink every night though I could easily fall into it. Following an extended spell over Christmas where it was every night I've found it a little difficult to come back to the norm. I was questioning my potential addiction last night having come back from a run and really fancying a beer to round off the evening but held off in the end. Will try to stay off it tonight too.
There was an interesting interview with a medical professor on the Chris Evan's show a while back and I think he'd written a book or two on trying to avoid cancer. He said that a few drinks throughout the week wasn't really a problem but better off to avoid the top shelf stuff and have wine or beer instead as it tend to have some positive health properties as well as the negative ones.
Personally I don't drink every night though I could easily fall into it. Following an extended spell over Christmas where it was every night I've found it a little difficult to come back to the norm. I was questioning my potential addiction last night having come back from a run and really fancying a beer to round off the evening but held off in the end. Will try to stay off it tonight too.
If you are concerned about it enough to write a long post about it, then it is on your mind.
I wouldn’t like it as a habit, but don’t think you have any immediate cause for concern unless the volume or frequency has been increasing - which might (only might) indicate the start of a journey towards more than habit
Would it be less on your mind if you reduced the frequency to every other day or the volume to 50 - 75ml?
I wouldn’t like it as a habit, but don’t think you have any immediate cause for concern unless the volume or frequency has been increasing - which might (only might) indicate the start of a journey towards more than habit
Would it be less on your mind if you reduced the frequency to every other day or the volume to 50 - 75ml?
samsock said:
rossub said:
The current guideline of 14 units a week is just stupid.
Personally I wish we could go back to the 80s/90s when there was less of the nanny state bks we have to put up with now.
No, I drink a bit more than what I expect would be healthy for my body. That’s my choice and I accept the risk. If I only drank 28 units, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought.
If you think that there is any chance whatsoever that drinking only 14 units a week for a ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ individual will ever give any kind of health problems, you’re being a bit naive IMO.
If you think that there is any chance whatsoever that drinking only 14 units a week for a ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ individual will ever give any kind of health problems, you’re being a bit naive IMO.
rossub said:
No, I drink a bit more than what I expect would be healthy for my body. That’s my choice and I accept the risk. If I only drank 28 units, I wouldn’t even give it a second thought.
If you think that there is any chance whatsoever that drinking only 14 units a week for a ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ individual will ever give any kind of health problems, you’re being a bit naive IMO.
You’ve yet to provide a single shred of evidence to back up your forthright points regarding alcohol consumption. If you think that there is any chance whatsoever that drinking only 14 units a week for a ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ individual will ever give any kind of health problems, you’re being a bit naive IMO.
OP, you’re getting through 6 bottles of scotch a month. That is a huge amount regardless of what anyone else says and likely to damage your liver.
Badda said:
You’ve yet to provide a single shred of evidence to back up your forthright points regarding alcohol consumption.
OP, you’re getting through 6 bottles of scotch a month. That is a huge amount regardless of what anyone else says and likely to damage your liver.
So what do you think is a safe limit then?OP, you’re getting through 6 bottles of scotch a month. That is a huge amount regardless of what anyone else says and likely to damage your liver.
rossub said:
Badda said:
You’ve yet to provide a single shred of evidence to back up your forthright points regarding alcohol consumption.
OP, you’re getting through 6 bottles of scotch a month. That is a huge amount regardless of what anyone else says and likely to damage your liver.
So what do you think is a safe limit then?OP, you’re getting through 6 bottles of scotch a month. That is a huge amount regardless of what anyone else says and likely to damage your liver.
You don’t believe it and that’s fine.
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