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Alcohol

Caveman Catfan

All-American
Sep 1, 2002
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Do you believe that imbibing more than 1 drink per week increases your cancer risk by 10% for men and 16.5% for women, as has been reported?
 
I know I quit drinking a couple years ago and can’t believe how much better I feel. I really enjoyed my drinks too but stepping away from it has provided a lot of clarity and other benefits notably wake up feeling way fresher, fewer calories and less wasted time feeling like crap when I’d overdo it or eat something crazy in the middle of the night.
 
It is believable.

As for me, I rarely drink. I hate the taste of beer. And really just don't see the point of drinking.

I'm not against it (as long as one is responsible about it). Heck, as a 21st B-day present for my son, to stay in touch with his KY roots (since he has only ever lived in NC), I put together a bourbon basket for him (basket w/ 4 different bourbon's, and 2 glasses).
 
Do you believe that imbibing more than 1 drink per week increases your cancer risk by 10% for men and 16.5% for women, as has been reported?

I assume that is for Americans. If its limited to Americans, yes i believe it. Not because its alcohol, but because its alcohol combined with loads of other crap out nation allows food producers to feed us.

You can easily tell it isnt alcohol because many cultures in the world drink alcohol daily and in greater quantities. If it it was just the alcohol, theyd all be dead.
 
I'd get waaay more concerned about sugar if I were the average American
but how could we be hot, sticky and sweet from our head to our feet yeah?
Def Leppard GIF
 
Doing dry January now. I do have to say, I feel pretty amazing across the board. Sleep, clarity, mental state, weight has dropped, mood, able to hit the gym, saved money.

And like someone above said.. the sleep disruption really got to me, along side having my first kid. You just can't have a few beers/bourbons, go to bed at midnight, and expect to function at 6am with a kid.

Ill probably never give it up for good. But I see the value in cutting back now and there's just no value in weeknight drinking or tying one on anymore. Too much is lost for just a few hours of moderate (or heavy) numbness.
 
It is believable.

As for me, I rarely drink. I hate the taste of beer. And really just don't see the point of drinking.

I'm not against it (as long as one is responsible about it). Heck, as a 21st B-day present for my son, to stay in touch with his KY roots (since he has only ever lived in NC), I put together a bourbon basket for him (basket w/ 4 different bourbon's, and 2 glasses).
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Doing dry January now. I do have to say, I feel pretty amazing across the board. Sleep, clarity, mental state, weight has dropped, mood, able to hit the gym, saved money.

And like someone above said.. the sleep disruption really got to me, along side having my first kid. You just can't have a few beers/bourbons, go to bed at midnight, and expect to function at 6am with a kid.

Ill probably never give it up for good. But I see the value in cutting back now and there's just no value in weeknight drinking or tying one on anymore. Too much is lost for just a few hours of moderate (or heavy) numbness.
I have been cutting back to just the weekends at one drink each night for the last few months. Two shots of whatever and coke or about two shots of Brandy in a snifter Saturday and Sunday nights. Decided last night to drink (don't really know why) and drank more than what I had been lately and while not getting drunk, I was feeling it pretty good. When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had tied one on. I guess since I had really cut back so much, my body was now not used to what I used to suck up and let me know it. A good reason to stop and just do the one drink or so for the weekend. Nothing this weekend since I had enough last night.
 
I quit cold turkey on Memorial Day and haven’t looked back. I’m pretty healthy so I don’t really know if I notice any changes but I go to bed earlier and am not hungover anymore.
I used to drink with friends and didn’t know when to stop. Never could come home and just have a drink though. Had to be social outing for me but if it was social I was getting drunk. Think they call it binge drinking lol.
Woke up Memorial Day to go golfing at 6am. Still tipsy and said that’s enough for me.
I’m 33 and was the life of the party so it’s a shock to our friends that I stopped. But I still have a blast and realize I’m just as fun sober.
 
I have been cutting back to just the weekends at one drink each night for the last few months. Two shots of whatever and coke or about two shots of Brandy in a snifter Saturday and Sunday nights. Decided last night to drink (don't really know why) and drank more than what I had been lately and while not getting drunk, I was feeling it pretty good. When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had tied one on. I guess since I had really cut back so much, my body was now not used to what I used to suck up and let me know it. A good reason to stop and just do the one drink or so for the weekend. Nothing this weekend since I had enough last night.

Yeah I actually broke one day. But it was only because of watching the Bills/Ravens game with family and we had the holiday the next game. Even then I kept it pretty tame. 2 beers and a small shifter of Bourbon to celebrate the win.. and man, youre right.. the hangover was worse and it was a fairly wasted morning in terms of being productive. I was much more tired, workout was worse, was definitely a little more edgy feeling.
 
Do you believe that imbibing more than 1 drink per week increases your cancer risk by 10% for men and 16.5% for women, as has been reported?
No, its actually ridiculous considering the large studies out there with myriad conclusions. None, that im aware of, support that little alcohol causing that level of concern.
 
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I have been working in the radiation field for over 30 years. Now on top of that, if I have a drink, I've got 10% higher chance of getting cancer?
Well, the hell with that. Bottoms up.
With today's chemicals, food colorings, and bad processing practices, we would have to grow and make all of our food ourselves to keep all of the cancer-causing agents out of our bodies. I guess we can try (with what is out there now) to keep the percentages lower, but in the end, does it really matter that much? You hear of too much salt, sugar, eggs, bacon, and other foods will give all kind of problems and then, later on we find that eggs, bacon, red meat are not that bad, because our bodies are naturally built for those kinds of foods. My addiction is sweets, if I could control that, I would be in a lot better health as far as weight (high blood pressure mainly). While not obese or fat (exercise a lot), I am heavier that I should be.
 
As others have stated, I'm not against drinking in moderation. But, a long time ago I determined that I didn't like the taste of wine at all, only a beer very rarely (probably drink less than 8 annually - plus, most beers give me excruciating heartburn), so 'social' drinking was a nonstarter. Once I passed the age of 45 and even a slight buzz produced a hangover that lasted way longer than I could afford, I pretty much cut way back on all drinking. Nowadays, maybe once a month if I'm in the mood, I'll have a bourbon on the rocks and/or with a splash of water. Alcohol just doesn't really appeal to me anymore. Never enjoyed getting really hammered and losing control even when much younger. So, if I think the taste of most alcohol is bad and I have no intention of getting drunk, why drink? At least that was my reasoning.
 
I drink more than the recommended amounts, and have no question that in general alcohol is not good for you. How the stats actually are calculated, who knows, but it is obviously not a healthy habit. I know several people who basically drank themselves to death, and quite a few who had to go the AA and rehab route to kick the habit, or it would have killed them. I am sure we all do.

I have cut down a bit as I got older, I don't like staying up late, and a lot of alcohol interferes with my sleep, so I especially limit what I drink if I have to get up early to do something. Just as one example, I either don't drink at all, or maybe have one beer if I am playing golf for money (which is almost a given) or in a tournament, definitely does not help my game.

That being said, so long as it is not interfering with things you want to do, it is not the ONLY factor to consider. As others have said, a healthy diet and regular exercise and keeping your weight down is more important, at least IMO.
 
Do you believe that imbibing more than 1 drink per week increases your cancer risk by 10% for men and 16.5% for women, as has been reported?
Interesting question. I certainly do not know and had never considered it, as I do not drink. I googled the question and there are, to no surprise, many articles and links regarding it. Here is an example:
 
Yeah, I would say it's possible. The real question is what was the base chance to start with? 10% of 1 isn't much, but 10% of 50 is a bit different.

I'd get waaay more concerned about sugar if I were the average American
Truth. There is a reason they give you radioactive sugar during a p.e.t. scan. It's cancer's food.
 
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I know I quit drinking a couple years ago and can’t believe how much better I feel. I really enjoyed my drinks too but stepping away from it has provided a lot of clarity and other benefits notably wake up feeling way fresher, fewer calories and less wasted time feeling like crap when I’d overdo it or eat something crazy in the middle of the night.
I just started a 30-day break after a couple of bevs on the way home from a work trip Thursday night. Day 3 of nothing and I've already lost 4 pounds, slept like a rock last night and my face even looks less puffy. And I am not a heavy drinker - more than average but never drink beyond a mild buzz, if that. Mich Ultra (stopped craft beer last fall), old fashioned, gin and tonic and bourbon neat, never more than 2 in a sitting or per day (yes, I was a regular every day'er, but no more than a couple unless it was an event). Some would call that "heavy", but when I think of heavy I think a full 750 ml bottle a day kind of drinker.

Cold turkey works for medium to lower frequency imbibers without any nasty side effects, but for heavier drinkers I know there are medical methods to make sure cutting booze is safe.

My goal is 30 days, then see how I feel/look. Most likely I will continue another 30, then another 30. The first drink I'll have when I do have one will just be a light Mich Ultra, but I will never go back to daily. It is amazing how one feels without it.
 
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Yeah I actually broke one day. But it was only because of watching the Bills/Ravens game with family and we had the holiday the next game. Even then I kept it pretty tame. 2 beers and a small shifter of Bourbon to celebrate the win.. and man, youre right.. the hangover was worse and it was a fairly wasted morning in terms of being productive. I was much more tired, workout was worse, was definitely a little more edgy feeling.
When I do these little booze breaks, I'm terrified of bourbon being my first beverage "back". Done it twice and it was idiotic because you go in thinking you have the same tolerance you had before the break, only to find out halfway through the second one that it was a dumb idea.

Like you, I'm not planning on quitting forever, just breaks 30-days at a time and then a wait and see approach before sliding in only on the weekends for a beer here and there (light, light beer). If I have any bourbon, it'll be in the form of an old fashioned first.
 
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So does a good pour of Eagle Rare.
Step away from bourbon altogether for a few weeks or months and then go right back to your usual neat pour of ER. I bet you'll say "WTF was I thinking?!?!". I know I did last fall when I cut off bourbon for about 5 weeks and then came right in with a neat pour after having nothing for all that time. About blew my face off and my throat was on fire. 30 seconds later I felt hammered. :D
 
Cold turkey works for medium to lower frequency imbibers without any nasty side effects, but for heavier drinkers I know there are medical methods to make sure cutting booze is safe.
When I quit I had HORRIBLE insomnia. I’d stay up til the sun came up because I simply wasn’t tired. I’d even take sleeping pills and they didn’t do anything. Took about 6 months for me to get a normal sleep schedule again.
 
I think a lot of people relapse becauae they don't feel better. When you quit and still feel like crap it is discouraging. I suppose you just have to get past that phase.
 
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I just started a 30-day break after a couple of bevs on the way home from a work trip Thursday night. Day 3 of nothing and I've already lost 4 pounds, slept like a rock last night and my face even looks less puffy. And I am not a heavy drinker - more than average but never drink beyond a mild buzz, if that. Mich Ultra (stopped craft beer last fall), old fashioned, gin and tonic and bourbon neat, never more than 2 in a sitting or per day (yes, I was a regular every day'er, but no more than a couple unless it was an event). Some would call that "heavy", but when I think of heavy I think a full 750 ml bottle a day kind of drinker.

Cold turkey works for medium to lower frequency imbibers without any nasty side effects, but for heavier drinkers I know there are medical methods to make sure cutting booze is safe.

My goal is 30 days, then see how I feel/look. Most likely I will continue another 30, then another 30. The first drink I'll have when I do have one will just be a light Mich Ultra, but I will never go back to daily. It is amazing how one feels without it.

That’s great man. For me it just got to a point where I appreciated feeling good all of the time vs part of the time and one day I realized it had been over a year since I’d had one.
 
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I have several bottles of bourbon, most with half or more left in the bottle. I haven't had a drink now in, gosh, I guess it's been a couple of years now. I'm older now, and as Hank Jr. said, All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down, lol, and I don't want to drink alone.

I'm prescribed some pretty strong meds, and the two just don't mix, at all, so I just haven't even thought about having a drink in a while. Instead, when I want a nice relaxing buzz, I just take a few hits from my Delta 8 cart and I'm good. No more hangovers, and I don't have to worry about it messing with my meds.

But man, when I was a young man they couldn't make bourbon fast enough, lol.


As to the OP's question, IDK, and there are so many different studies sayin different things you don't know what to believe.
 
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