Alcohol, fitness, and our health

by Rishi Haria

 

 

The recent ban on alcohol has hit many people hard during this lockdown era. Being stuck at home all day leaves us with very little to do in our free time except binge watching TV shows. So I can understand a bit of escapism with a few drinks at home from time to time. Is there a silver lining to this ban for our health, at a time where keeping our immune systems strong can be the difference between life and death for some people? I believe it should be our own choice as to whether or not we drink, even during the coronavirus outbreak. 

 

Optimal health has never been as important as it is now for my generation. Although I am not a doctor, I know what it takes for most people to improve their health. Seeing a daily coronavirus death toll every morning on social media has become the norm for us all. Nobody wants to be under lockdown, but we all understand and necessarily agree with the logic behind it. The silver lining is that the extra time spent at home can enable us to reevaluate certain areas of our lives, including keeping ourselves healthy. If any of us are unfortunate enough to catch the virus it is important that we make sure we are as healthy as possible in order to fight it off. Not everyone has obvious underlying health conditions, but the average person is under exercised, eats badly and fails to keep their immune system in a peak state.  

 

Part of the fight against Covid-19 should start with taking care of ourselves. Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, sleep well, control stress levels, and live a healthy lifestyle. 

 

Alcohol has barely been a part of my life for many years now. I have been drunk just once in the past 12 months. I have become such a lightweight that my tab was as small as my muscles are becoming due to the closure of the gyms, and I couldn’t even make it to midnight… Having kids definitely changes things. I cannot say that I miss it much at all. I started to feel healthier and more energetic once I put those heavy party days of my youth behind me. Not that I am exactly old, but after reaching the end of my 20s (I am 33 now) I felt that it was the right time to say goodbye to hangovers. Some might call me boring. Others might call me very boring!

 

Apart from feeling terrible, what are the actual negative effects on our health and fitness? It is a question that would be relevant to a lot of people that try to keep a healthy lifestyle but also like to enjoy a drink or two…. or three. The biggest concern from chronic alcohol consumption during a virus pandemic is that it can hinder our immune system’s ability to fight off infections. Most people that drink alcohol are likely to do so socially as opposed to being a full on alcoholic. So let’s discuss the other less depressing but still important ramifications from alcohol consumption. 

 

There are 7 calories per gramme of alcohol, 4 calories per gramme of carbohydrate, 4 calories per gramme of protein, and 9 calories per gramme of fat.  When you consume too many calories it can result it weight gain regardless of where these surplus calories come from. The alcohol calories themselves do not directly convert to body fat. The alcohol gets absorbed by the bloodstream and then goes to the liver. Our body will start to use the alcohol as its primary energy source because we cannot store alcohol in the body. The problem is that alcohol slows down fat oxidation. Carbs and dietary fats are now directed to storage rather than being burned off. More often than not we tend to choose less healthy/higher calorie options when our inhibitions are lowered. Not only are we eating too much because of the alcohol, our ability to burn off the extra calories is reduced while there is alcohol in our system. This is why eating high fat junk foods is such a bad idea when you drink alcohol. A chicken breast salad with no dressing anyone?

 

Full Story: https://expatlifeinthailand.com/health-and-beauty/alcohol-fitness-and-our-health/

 

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Since 1989, alcohol has been classified as a Class 1 carcinogen. The damage it does to the liver is quite insidious, and usually surfaces after decades of abuse.

IMO the best way to treat alcohol, apart from abstaining entirely, is to drink in moderation. One or two glasses of wine, 3 beers. Also have 2 or 3 alcohol-free days a week. The liver enjoys the rest.

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Since 1989, alcohol has been classified as a Class 1 carcinogen. The damage it does to the liver is quite insidious, and usually surfaces after decades of abuse.

IMO the best way to treat alcohol, apart from abstaining entirely, is to drink in moderation. One or two glasses of wine, 3 beers. Also have 2 or 3 alcohol-free days a week. The liver enjoys the rest.

Yet It's affects on the development of human history is undeniable!

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/03/problem-drinking-soars-under-uk-lockdown-say-addiction-experts

 

with the UK returning to lockdown (looking at infection rates) it doesn't bode well..

I became a tea totaller but many see it as a social illness ????

On 9/18/2020 at 5:43 PM, Lacessit said:

Since 1989, alcohol has been classified as a Class 1 carcinogen. The damage it does to the liver is quite insidious, and usually surfaces after decades of abuse.

IMO the best way to treat alcohol, apart from abstaining entirely, is to drink in moderation. One or two glasses of wine, 3 beers. Also have 2 or 3 alcohol-free days a week. The liver enjoys the rest.

My friend told me that Beer is not Alcohol ???????????? and he believes it !

12 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

Yet It's affects on the development of human history is undeniable!

 

 

Churchill said " I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me". I wonder, because alcohol is a depressant, and he frequently talked about his black dog.

13 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

Yet It's affects on the development of human history is undeniable!

Yes, there are 7 or so billion of us.

 

Probably half that if it weren't for drunken shagging. If it weren't for alcohol, half of us wouldn't even be here.

12 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

I became a tea totaller but many see it as a social illness ????

I hope it is non-caffeine tea!? Take care

 

 

Pot is now available!? Everything in moderation. : )

On 9/18/2020 at 5:20 PM, snoop1130 said:

Apart from feeling terrible, what are the actual negative effects on our health and fitness? It is a question that would be relevant to a lot of people that try to keep a healthy lifestyle but also like to enjoy a drink or two…. or three. The biggest concern from chronic alcohol consumption during a virus pandemic is that it can hinder our immune system’s ability to fight off infections. Most people that drink alcohol are likely to do so socially as opposed to being a full on alcoholic. So let’s discuss the other less depressing but still important ramifications from alcohol consumption. 

I've been drunk almost every day for the past 12 years.

Also exercise nearly every day (10-20Km bicycle), survived COVID with ease.

 

65 now, looking forward to a drink once the rain stops and I can get to the shops.

 

PS.

The paragraph about weight and calories clearly BS of the highest order.

If you exercise more than you eat and drink, you will lose weight.

18 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've been drunk almost every day for the past 12 years.

 

 

Unless cirrhosis of your liver acts up.

Well written and I agree with most of it but not all fats are bad for you.

 

I follow a Low Carb High Fat (keto) lifestyle and it works for me, albeit with a few downsides that I am working on.

 

Animal fats are deemed healthy on this regime. Some will say it's a faddy diet, the less polite will call it BS but it works for me. Cutting out processed foods and sugar is top priority. I cook 'healthy' food every day. I eat the local pork and chicken, but mail order beef and lamb, grass-fed online from paleorobbie.com.

 

At 20 Kg down in the last 2/3 years my regular blood tests now show all in the normal range. They were all over the place before.

 

As for alcohol, where I live the village shops only sell Chang and Leo beer (55 and 60 Baht respectively) so if I want alcohol my choice is limited which fortunately limits my intake. I am BORED with Leo and Chang, and the only other local options are of course the deadly Lao Khao and Hong Thong etc. I wil never resort to drinking that rot gut. Every day I see dozens of drunk Thais, from early morning to late at night, drinking so much there has to be many future health problems building up. When we go on breaks it's a real treat to order a nice gin and tonic or a dry white wine.

 

What helps me most to moderate my alcohol intake is memories of dealing with my late first wife's chronic alcoholism for way too long. Anyone who has lived with an alcoholic will get this.

 

Cheers!

 

 

At 69 I can lift, carry and NOT drop a dozen bottles of rum, does this mean I'm healthy or a drunk 

3 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

At 69 I can lift, carry and NOT drop a dozen bottles of rum, does this mean I'm healthy or a drunk 

A healthy drunk, just a step up, you still have promise.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I've been drunk almost every day for the past 12 years.

 

So that must be the reason why you post so much nonsense.????????????????????

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Churchill said " I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me". I wonder, because alcohol is a depressant, and he frequently talked about his black dog.

Churchill was well known for his drinking of course, but it's very unlikely that he was a manic depressive, as is often claimed, despite his references to his 'black dog'. That could merely mean a 'very bad mood' following one of the many setbacks in his life.

 

I love his well known saying: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

 

Very interesting article on this topic here:

 

https://www.churchillcentral.com/winston-churchill-did-not-have-depression-heres-why/

 

 

 

6 hours ago, elgenon said:

I hope it is non-caffeine tea!? Take care

 

 

Teetotal is an expression I drink water and I learnt to love it ????

36 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Churchill was well known for his drinking of course, but it's very unlikely that he was a manic depressive, as is often claimed, despite his references to his 'black dog'. That could merely mean a 'very bad mood' following one of the many setbacks in his life.

 

I love his well known saying: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

 

Very interesting article on this topic here:

 

https://www.churchillcentral.com/winston-churchill-did-not-have-depression-heres-why/

 

 

 

One of his best retorts was when Bessie Braddock reproved him, saying " Winston, you're drunk!"

"Madam, you're ugly. But I'll be sober in the morning".

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

One of his best retorts was when Bessie Braddock reproved him, saying " Winston, you're drunk!"

"Madam, you're ugly. But I'll be sober in the morning".

Almost as good as:

 

 

9 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

Yes, there are 7 or so billion of us.

 

Probably half that if it weren't for drunken shagging. If it weren't for alcohol, half of us wouldn't even be here.

And we would all be better looking!

On 9/19/2020 at 9:31 PM, Tchooptip said:

Teetotal is an expression I drink water and I learnt to love it ????

un-caffeinated water I take it.  : )   Yes, there is such a thing as caffeinated water.

 

Yeah, water tastes better with ice.

On 9/19/2020 at 4:21 PM, Tchooptip said:

I became a tea totaller but many see it as a social illness ????

One of the three golden rules I was taught as a kid -  'never trust a teetotaller'. 

Alcohol ban during lockdown is actually a good one. Alcohol is not good for our body at all. 

Just now, TsuiShing said:

Alcohol ban during lockdown is actually a good one. Alcohol is not good for our body at all. 

Overeating is worse ....... how about a ban on all fast food during lock downs.

Lack of exercise also bad ......... how about closing down all entertainment broadcasts.

 

I want to control you totally, so I'll ban anything that gives you any pleasure for starters.

 

 

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Overeating is worse ....... how about a ban on all fast food during lock downs.

Lack of exercise also bad ......... how about closing down all entertainment broadcasts.

 

I want to control you totally, so I'll ban anything that gives you any pleasure for starters.

 

 

Agreed.