12/4 Wellness Wednesday

The Holidays are time to have fun with friends!

Alcohol is a pervasive cultural vice and one that many of us can easily over consume. This time of year, especially, can be a difficult time to keep to just a few drinks on the weekends. Family, friends, co-workers, everyone wants to meet up for festive holiday cocktails. 
I just read this very interesting blog post from Precision Nutrition on drinking and it's impact on health, fitness and performance. I was (well, perhaps I wasn't really) surprised to see how easily I can go from a moderate to heavy drinker. I certainly feel the deleterious affects of heavy drinking, my wedding ring doesn't fit well, my pants are harder to button, and CrossFit workouts are so. much. harder. ​

There are some well researched impacts of heavy drinking on our health. A few of them are: 

• Fat Loss: Ethanol (the primary chemical that gives alcohol its effects) has metabolic priority in the body, ensuring that it is metabolized before fat, carbohydrates, or protein — this effectively stops any ongoing fat loss in its tracks.
• Mood: Alcohol can have an impact on mood, with high alcohol consumption rates linked to depression.
• Sleep: Alcohol consumption is correlated with a reduction in sleep quality and duration, as well as an increase in sleep disturbances.
• Athletic Performance: Alcohol consumption can impair recovery from athletic activities, inhibit motor coordination, reduce muscular work capacity, and increase the potential for injury."​

Light to moderate drinking may have some positive impacts as identified the by Precision Nutrition folks:

• Pleasure: Assuming you’ve graduated from wine coolers and cheap tequila shots, alcoholic beverages usually taste pretty darn delicious.

• Leisure: A bit of alcohol in your bloodstream does help you feel relaxed. And like a good meal, a good glass of wine should offer the opportunity to slow down for a minute.

• Creativity: There’s evidence that when you’re tipsy, you may be more successful at problem-solving thanks to increased out-of-the-box thinking.

• Social connection: Drinking may contribute to social bonding through what researchers call “golden moments” — when you all smile and laugh together over the same joke. This sense of community, belonging, and joy can contribute to your health and longevity.

As with most healthy lifestyle practices, context matters as we are all unique snowflakes with different tolerances. Have you heard the saying, "The Dose Makes the Poison"? What might be tolerable to you could be fatal to someone else. That is why I hate the idea of moderation. Moderation is relative to each individual and it is a moving target. You're idea of moderation is probably not mine. Your moderate dose might be fine for you, but for me it bring me to my knees worshipping the porcelain god. 
I agree with the Precision Nutrition folks, we should drink because we enjoy the taste and flavors, not because we're stressed, or it's our daily habit, or social pressure from others. 
What do you think? Have you experimented with alcohol consumption? Do you do a sober January? Tell me in the comments. ​

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