THE

HEALTHY

DRINKER

This book is for those of us who will always enjoy our alcoholic drinks but wish to be as healthy as possible. I will always drink and I will always want to live as long and strongly as possible. Don't ask me to give up my drinks and I'll not ask you to give up your toxic, hormone-loaded tofu and organic spinach loaded full of cow E.coli from Mexico.

Our approach is not mandated sobriety. We are aiming at controlling and master the bottle beast and not avoiding him like a coward. There are time

The HEALTHY DRINKER is about controlled drinking, scaling a problem back to a level that is sound in terms of professional and family responsibilities. Our aim is continued enjoyment of drinking as both a coniseeur and fan with new found boundaries in terms of health, legality, family budget, and improve human relationship.

Why do people drink and are all those motivations good, bad, or neutral?

 Bisit and extract

http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/233beer&health.html

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CHAPTER 1

The Negatives: Dangers and Problems with alcohol consumption

Before we profile some positive aspects of alcohol consumption, let's be honest and 

1. Shortened life expectancy or lifespan - this is a commulative effect of some of the following negatives with liver damage, nerve degeneration, weaked immune system, poor nutrition, and accidents such as drunk driving. Old temperence literature before the advent of scientific techniques used to catalog the number of deaths in their community per 1000 by job profession. Abstinent folks might be 12-20 per 1000 while in one case they said tavern owners would be as high as 70 per 1000. The world-renowned CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in their September 24, 2004 Newsletter reported that AADs (Alcohol-attributable deaths) in 2001 was 75,766 with the YPLL (Years of Potential Life Lost) in 2001 being 2.3 million or about 30 years on average for AAD. The figure used today by many agencies is 100,000 deaths in the US PER YEAR. These only include severe drinkers and not the general population. The contribution of alcohol to deaths which might had other components were not included. 72% of those who died from AAD were male. The majority of deaths attributed to binge drinking involved >= 5 drinks per men and >= 4 drinks for women. The Aetna InteliHeath® network says that becoming sober can increase life expectancy by 15 or more years, based on available insurance industry data. If we search for "life expectancy calculators" on the web, we can get some neat tools that reflect our drinking patterns using real data. I like the "long version" of The Wharton School's calculator as it covers so many vital factors: ( http://gosset.wharton.upenn.edu/mortality/perl/CalcForm.html )
2. Liver damage and chirrosis - ethanol turns into a nasty chemical called acetaldehyde which damages the liver and makes it function poorly,Ask yours become fibrous, and make us more vulnerable to other chemicals in the environment. We'll talk much more about liver health and protection in later chapters. 
3. Bad decisions and real harm - Besides making a bad first impression (and not getting another chance) and perhaps screwing things up with the man or woman of your dreams, alcohol has some very bad effects on all of us. We tend to learn to minimize these things and surround ourselves with friends who will watch our back. But on our own, all of us without exception will make spontaneous, uninhibited, and poorly considered decisions when in the least of alcohol-induced fogs. Drunk driving, unwanted sexual advances, violent fights, physically dangerous "dares", and destruction of valued property are the big problems. Alcohol is responsible for more prison time and death than probably anything else except declarations of worldwide war and natural disaster. One could make a case they are about as dangerous to our species, especially when combined. The 12-step and AA type programs usually require one to account for these bad decisions, admit them, and when possible try to recoup or repair the damage.
4. Hangovers and Headaches - we all know about this. In this book we will analyze the causes and find certain, scientifically superior ways to avoid these things or at least minimize the pain.
5. Poor nutrition and bad diet choices - alcohol contributes to poor eating patterns and even missing meals in a way that may be as harmful as the ethanol itself. You take in a toxic and don't give your body the nutrients and proteins it needs to heal...and we're set up for a DOUBLE DISASTER. If we smoke and abuse other chemicals the effect is a TRIPLE and more waiting to happen. Alcohol makes us dull and lazy, not able or willing to get up and purchase/prepare a good, sound meal. For some of us it robs out budget for good foods. I've rarely seen an alcoholic or abusing friend who spent "good booze money" on quality vitamin and herbal supplements to support their overall health. Similarly, drinking often puts us in places like bars or parties where the foods have limited nutrition (such as junk snacks or greasy bar food), limiting our choices. We will talk about planning our drinking sessions later and part of that should be assuring three good, healthy, nutritious meals that day and the next.
6. Reduced response rate - this is most critical in when driving a vehicle or in a work environment where a lack of alertness can result in injury. Even a slight buzz produces lower response times. The brain is also numb and were not as inclined to want to be sharp, ready for action, or prepared for problems. Alcohol also impairs some of ability to quickly process images (like a moving car or violent machine action) and the combination of slower perception and slower response can lead to many types of injury. 
7. Pharmaceutical interactions - alcohol can do bad things with certain pharmaceuticals and many of the ads we see on TV warn us about consuming alcohol at all or with their new miracle pill. That is hardly the fault of drinkers or producers and points to the crazy designs of these megacorporations. We may note that most of the God-given herbal remedies are distributed in alcohol tinctures, the chemical ethanol not only preserving the remedy but delivering it safely and cleanly!
8. Lost income - the world is full of rich drunks but sometimes one must be very rich to have people to cover for you and prevent you for needing to be available and responsible at all times. Most alcohol abusers have poor work records, longer periods of unemployment, and very severe abusers are more prone to homelessness. 
9. Nerve damage - The myth that alcohol causes loss of brain cells is hard to put to rest. It does not occur but nerves needed by the brain to do things can be significantly compromised over years of ethanol abuse. Ethanol may not erode our grey matter but it will damage our nerves - and brain without good nerves is good a very efficient or informed brain. 
10. Fatigue, slothfulness, low productivity - you never saw a drunk, lazy ant have you? Can't say the same for our species. The ethanol-rich body tends to slow down, concentrating energy of those processes necessary to recover and be safe. In major chemical terms, alcohol raises NADH levels which in turn reduces pyruvite, giving less gluconeogensis - ultimately less sugars for the brain and body. Less sugar is less energy. Other chemicals reduce stimulation, response rate, motivation, and muscle function, leading us to stay put and sluggish whenever possible. Acetaldehyde, the major byproduct of ethanol processing and the major toxin of note causes very severe reductions in muscular efficiency. Any Olympic athlete tested with ethanol in their system should be given one second less or a mile further or something to compensate - ethanol is the enemy of human performance at all our levels of fitness. This is a simplified explanation of energy levels in the inebriated body but you can study other pathways and causations if so inclined. hangover and headaches do enough damage. We get slow, we take longer breaks, we go home early or arrive late, and so on.
11. Nasty chemicals - we'll speak of the big, bad malicious congeners in another section. Some drinks also include hazardous or best-avoided artificial colors. Sugar is very common and simple, crude sucrose is common in fruity drinks they want us to think are natural and healthy. These are really nothing more than alcoholic soda and just as harmful in quanity. If want a healthy, fun fruit drink go with 100% real fruit and a good, pure vodka. Just like coffee shops and bottled beverage makers, fruit drinks in bars barely contain any juice (perhaps 5-20%) and use sugar and additives to give the appearance and taste of healthiness. We all assume the same drinks we make at home as as good in bars and bottled formulas as we make them. Fruit, vegetable, and others juices are often watered down, amended, and even completely removed for profit. Besides these cheap, unnatural mixers may not require refrigeration and some even come from dry packets - costing a fraction of what a refrigerated, perishable juices would cost them. Just because a drink cost $10 doesn't mean they used good stuff. Your "healthy" screwdriver may have just 5% orange juice (or even none!), the rest being artificial flavors, citric acid, and flavors. Caffeine is sometimes hidden in drinks today, especially the alcoholic energy drinks. If you're ever tempted to go the authentic, untaxed, rural moonshine route, a huge host of nasty chemicals from lead to arsenic (and other heavy metals) as well as bacteria are ready to meet you. Just ask a "revenuer" or as they are called today County Sheriffs and ATF Agents what they find floating in mash pots. And check the internet for a list of chemicals they've found in the lab analyses.
12. Increased cancer risk - alcohol, especially the stronger, nasty stuff irritates the mouth, throat, and stomach, often causing cancers in those parts of the system. Cutting down the strength of a drink is good for this reason. Strong, potent, throat-riping shots are not good for the tender inner tissues. Women who drink more are also more subject to breast cancer. It is a complex issue because many serious drinkers also smoke and many also have poor diets. Some heavy drinkers have poorer, less medically sound lifestyles and get less medical care. Studies are thus very hard to separate one cause from another.  Suffice it to say that irritating and inflaming any portion of the body is not good and is prone to create general havoc and eventually tumor production. If we combine this irritation with chemicals in alcohol which release free radicals and a diet with poor nutrition (not fighting cancer as it should), and the regular drinker can be screwed on several fronts relating to cancer risk. Don't count on all those bloody mary drinks to give you enough lycopene to fight all the possible cancers. The good news is that some chemicals in some drinks actually reduces our risk of tumors. 
13. Sleep and rest issues - yes, I know full well. Alcohol causes many of us to go to sleep early, "black out", or crash more quickly. It also interferes with melatonin and other chemicals our brains uses to assure good rest. Very often, alcohol causes a short, quick, earlier nap but wakes us up - with or without stomach issues to keep us up longer. Alcohol also makes some of us stay longer than we should, either due to longer socializing or again that lack of melatonin. In the long term, alcohol can take a big toll if sleep deprivation is compounded by several drinking episodes a week.
14. Hypertension - even while reducing stress our blood pressure can increase. We can be mellow and yet our heart will pound and our pulse race. Some drinkers tend to do crazy, strenuous things they would not in a sober state. That too contributes more to over-stressing the vascular system. If you drinks strong drinks and get dehydated, the risk of hypertension is often increased because a glass or water or two almost always works of moderate blood pressure. BP is important to all of us and we'd be ready for ground if it regularly becomes our of range in either direction.
15. Weight gain- not only does a sixpack or round of sugary mixed drinks, adds to our girth, we also tend to find easy, convenient, poor foods when drinking. It's about more bad decisions under the influence. When was the last time a drunk person asked for bowl of fruit, active culture yogurt, or mixed salad. No! Of course, it's usually Doritos, Slim Jims, and hot dogs and then of in mass quantities. Cutting back a few bottles a month is an enormous factor in improving one's caloric intake. One radio celebrity said he lost over a hundred pound not by a new diet or exercise but simply but cutting our his adult beverages each night.
    
16. Ulcers - Tubes and the Deadly Duo - our throat and esophagus is vulnerable to cell damage when abused by strong stuff. Give those soft, fleshy, and VERY VITAL tubes a flow of caustic tobacco smoke all day and a flow of potent ethanol for hours each evening or all Saturday and you've got the formula for cancer. Even short of the big C-word, imflammation of the things we need to breath and talk with, should demand our attention. Cut back on both smoking and drinking as you can and drink lots of water to hydrate and cleanse those lovely, so imporant portals.
17. Fetal death and deformity - no one will argue that drinking when pregnant or "could become pregnant" is a dangerous thing. Some studies show that women who immediately abandon the ethanol trial upon finding themselves with child will be okay and then some. Some women prefer to take no chances and when a pregnancy is planned, they forego all such delirious joys. Women who breastfeed also must astrain from alcohol so going without is often a full year long proposition. 
18. Violence and family abuse - there are mean drunks and placid, sleepy drunks. Unfortunately, many of us are the former and treat our loved ones very rudely, unkindly, and with evil intent in the final stages of a binge. Some will point out that the marriage or relationships might have caused the drinking in the first place but I am nearly certain that heavy drinking seldom makes things better. Alcohol has ruined more homes than infidelity or so I heard a preacher say one day. Given that a ethanol-lubricated person, away from the influence of their mate and family, is more prone to cheating, we have some major issues to consider. Sometimes drinking with family is a good thing because it puts temptations and opportunities out of reach for time being. I know one couple who have a secret code word among themselves. When the other drinks and gets out of line with another person and is approaching stupidity, violence, abuse, wrecklessness, or insult, they whisper the word. Over the years they have honored each other without fail every single time the code word has come up.  
19. State-dependent learning - sometimes one cannot remember things seen or studied under a beer buzz or influence of other drugs. College students eventually figure this out; sometimes after starring at an unexpected, impossible-for-me C+ with disbelief. Very often at the next buzz of whatever kind, those studied and observed things come flowing back as if you just walked into a big locker. Unfortunately, that can be too late for an exam or other exercise where memory was needed and failed us.
20. Aspiration of Vomitus - this sounds crude but thousands of people die this way. Death is from asphixiation or later aspiration pneumonia which is slow ugly death by lack of oxygen. No air and soon we have no brain function and everything shuts down. Vomitus is the stuff we produce in the act of vomiting, throwing up or emesis. They get drunk, maybe take a pill or two, pass out, have reduced reflexes, and the whole food/drink/acid complex in their stomach comes up and is aspirated into the lungs. Normally if we are reasonably sober, we can wake up suddently, then spit up or vomit out the harmful stuff. Gag reflexes, our body's life-saving software program, works only when we're normally alert with sharp neurons. Nightime upward flow of acidic stomach contents near our lungs has happened to most of us even if our only consumption was lots of chili and water - or spaghetti and ice tea. Often we wake up half drunk with a wicked, life-saving cough. Too much ethanol and a deep sleep (together with drugs perhaps) and we are not so lucky. If if there is not a suddent event after aspiration of vomitus, one can have mild pneumonia and severe, chronic bronchitis (COPD) after one night of drinking, hurling upwards, and lying down. Your author had bad bronchitis for a month after one such episode and could not walk up 5 steps for awhile. Antibiotics can help but they tend to kill good bacteria too so I lived with this condition.
    
21. Sexual dysfunction and hormonal chaos- the so-called "whiskey weiner" is known to many men. Four to six beers often do the same trick. And that means Little Richard or [your penis' name here] can do no fun tricks. He might get shy and hide like a turtle on a winter day during a wolf attack. A BAC over 0.8% is often the point of no good return. Young men are sometimes slightly less effected by lower alcohol blood levels but as men age even a little alcohol can be tragic in terms of performance. The old joke (and a poor, sad one) is that by the time a guy has the girl warmed up and drunk, he himself is insufficiently above to plunder her garden. The brain is more but the body less so. Four drinks can cut back a person's testosterone by 44% and in a social situation not many dudes under 25 can't handle that kind of hit. Hormone levels aside, alcohol produces blood vessel dialation so the penis not only gets a big blood flow but also easier draining of the same stuff. Dicks are like hoses and water balloons. You need water pressure to be steady and high with no backglow to reduce pressure. A drunk penis gets relaxed and flaccid about as readily as it can get hard - that unstable state is not a romantic winner. lcohol also produces weight gain and obesity transforms both male and female hormone profiles to some bad places. The University of Illinois' McKinley Health Center puts alcohol as the #2 reason for erectile dysfunction of 11 listed. A secondary issue is that alcohol impairs brain function and so sex may not feel as intoxicating as it should. And we all know that memory issues can cause a potentially fine night to be utterly forgotten.
    
22. Additives a plenty- While red wine and beer are loaded full of good chemicals (see below), light beers and cheap beers often have junk additives that are harmful. They include cheap ingredients like corn, rice, and even liquid sugar to speed up fermentation - brewing time costs money. Cobalt is added to some light beers to improve their head. What about our head you stupid money-grubbing brewery executives?!?! You brewing morons are improving head duration by 5 seconds and willing to hurt my heart in the process?!?! No freaking way folks. Not acceptable! Look for beers brewed under the German Purity Law or Reinheitsgebot and some them can be American microbrews. Go organic when you can. You'll rarely find a beer or wine or liquor with listed ingredients. Thank you lawmakers and the brewing/distilling lobby for that criminal withholding of facts. I like Rogue beer for they list everything. Miller Lite includes propylene glycol alginate - look that up folks. You'll find PGA will protect us against strontium uptake during thermonuclear war but in regular, practical life it inhibits uptake of good nutrients. Light beers are made more colorful and flavorful with chemical magic and so the apparently healthier product is often us the opposite! Sulfites cause hangovers with red and fortified wines, even good Japanese plum wines. The Campaign for Real Ale in the UK is lobbying for full disclosure of all ingredients in their drnk of choice. Instead of using real fruit, many wine and beer makings using odd flavoring agents. You'd think people fussy about their grapes, malt, and yeast would be as careful about avoiding artificial crud. Not so!

Anything with 22 possible negatives sounds like a killer. And yes it can be? Fortunately we can and will find ways to reduce and eliminate all of these negatives.

We will take about eliminating, reducing, or mitigating these problems in future sessions. To know one's weaknesses and potential vulnerabilities is to be strong, informed, and ultimately safer. When it comes to the human body and our relations with each other, denial and ignorance must be put off. Be informed and take control.

CHAPTER 2. 

Signs we need immediate professional help

CHAPTER 3. 

The Positives: Benefits and value of moderate alcohol consumption

Here is a carefully researched compilation of proven, positive aspects of moderate alcohol drinking. If you and I are downing a six of Michelob (or any beer) a day or polishing off half a bottle of JD, these benefits will not apply and will in fact be reversed in most cases.

1. Reduced stress and relaxation - people often say alcohol consumption costs our economy X number of billions of dollars in reduced productivity, missed work days, and so on. What is seldom counted is the amount of money saved by alcohol-mediated stress reduction. How many billions in psychiatrists, pricey pharmaceuticals, sleep therapy, massages, unwise sexual activity, sleeping pills, injury from exercise avoided, and [your vice here] are saved because alcohol performs these other expensive and oft risky functions. Dr. Weil has said "except for improved serum lipid profiles...most of the alledged health benefits of alcohol are really benefit of relaxation". Relaxation is usually just a short-term result and insomnia can take over if drinking is increased. Taking in a bunch of sugary drinks (with or without caffeine) is going to have the opposite effect. One of the main chemicals involved in this process is GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) which alcohol enhances in the normal human. GABA causes us to be more calm, sedated, and sleepy in the short term. The receptor becomes less effective over time with more drinking, so our need for alcohol increases when we are drinking for this effect and a "buzz" in general. 
2. Social bonding, fun, and recreation - people love to drink and always will. Something in our genetics (all of us in fact) has this desire from time to time. Call it an evil need to be numb or just basic human nature as you will. Good made fermentation and not long after that our species discovered it. I am fascinated by stories that people tell about animals too loving the drink. Cows in a pasture with apples or other fruit will sample the fallen, mushy pomes and let them rest as if by plan. Then they consume them at the peak of fermentation and seem content. Farmers and farmboys have observed such activity for centuries. The need to be numb and have an altered state is not unique to our species. Other mammals find it both compelling and important.
3. Energy and Euphoria - many drinks are loaded with carbohydrates, giving our bodies a very significiant sugar rush. Some of the new bottle drinks and not a few mixed drinks have caffeine to boot. The old Irish Tea and Irish Coffee were made to make us dumb, numb, and mellow while being fully awake and highly energized. I once had 14 Long Island Ice Teas and if I'd had my way Ithat night 'd had every woman in town, written the Great American Novel and Top 10 Hit in 33 seconds each, brokered world peace, and found someway to walk on the moon. Alcohol is a BIPHASIC CHEMICAL meaning it produces two different phases or effects depending on dose, situation, and timing. We tend to go from happy to sad if alcohol gets too strong. We can easily transform  from calm to angry with just a bit more liquid. For people prone to anger, lack of control, depression, violence, and bad decisions by mental illness or genetics, alcohol can intensify the dark side of the biphasic response. Good becomes bad and friendly becomes unfriendly in a hurry with this drug we choose to enjoy and respect.
4. Blood sugar stability - Sweet sugar drinks and carbo-loaded beers can create problems but certain uses of alcohol are very valuable for aiding in sugar level normalization. Since ancient times Brandy was used to revive fainting victims. The science behind this remains true because alcohol stimulates glycogen release from the liver and thus a rush of sugars which helps fainting victims who have low blood sugar levels; a typical thing when people skip meals, purge, or fast to the extreme.
5. Heart help and more HDL - the good cholesterol can increase with moderate alcohol use. One Harvard study showed that 14 drinks a week was a good number to be less likely to die of heart attacks. A score of studies show the same, something half way there, and even the opposite. Pick your study and your brew, folks. Remember that one of the problems with alcohol is making bad diet choices (by laziness, lack of situational opporutnity for good foot, lack of money) and some those choices are very high in bad fat, bad cholesterol, and lacking in heart-healthy chemicals. 
6. Creativity, art, and the released mind - studies have shown alcohol has very little technical ability to improve creativity as rigorously measured in a lab. But one cannot argue with the likes of Hemingway and a thousand other skilled authors, artists, and engineers who find alcohol helpful and sometimes necessary to their best, more rewarded processes. While drink may not improve what we have as talents and gifts, it surely helps release some of our best thoughts, words, ideas, and images that the sober brain stiffles, stalls, hides, and inhibits. Humans are naturally self-editing, hindered, restrained, and sensitive creatures. I find in my own writings that a slight buzz is beneficial to clarity, sometimes just a phrase or two that summarizes a complex problem. I often find myself writing down phrases in a lubricated state that I latter find brilliant when composing a short story or other piece of work. I may be too impaired at times to type and form perfect, neat paragraphs but I can bring some lucidity, insight, and unique understanding to a problem in such a state. The fog of drink sometimes brings out crystal clear conclusions and thought. Some people find alcohol important to humorous writing. Graphic art too flows better for some people. We must remember that some of the most brilliant and famous stage and movie actors of all time had some decent and even genius moments under the heavy hand of drink. They had some horrible moments but many of them knew just how sauced up to get to bring out the best performance. Enough to release the tongue but not so much as to forget or be uncoordinated. Not all things under the influence and written down or painted will make sense or impress later but many will. Know how to keep the best of these. Remember to write them down as you'll not remember most of your bright thoughts and ideas. The ethanol molecule in some moderation released us from many of these barriers and filters. I like to call this the alcohol-released mind.
7. Germicidal properties - The Apostle Paul, hardly your basic heathen, told his faithful correspondants to "take a little wine for your stomach sake". It made the stomach and intestines a bit happier after ingesting questionable water and the perhaps undercooked, old food. Preachers are quick to point out that such a common recipe for improving and partly sterilizing the bad, contaminated, microbe-ladden water of the time; and by inference there is no such need today. People have used drink to keep them healthy, cleanse food (ie. chicken marsala), and partly decontaminate water. It was also useful to clean the teeth and gums in a time when toothpaste and brushes were unknown; strong drink was the first mouthwash after all. That said, too much alcohol will dry out and crack one's gums so only periodic, infrequent swishing about is recommended today. Stronger rum, whiskey, and such liquors were often applied to wounds just as one might use iodine, hydrogen peroxide, or a bacterial gel today. Long before medical people had magical formulas, the best educated doctor would use strong brandy or another liquor to clean wounds. In wartime, may surgeons had nothing else but strong liquors to sooth both the wound and the patient's brain. What do most doctor's wipe your arm or butt with before giving an injection? Ethanol. Same stuff that make strong liquor strong my friends; just a purer, clearer, unflavored form. In times past in the civilized world and still today in third worlds, people die from bad meals, infected mouths, and messy wounds by the millions. Strong drink was also strong medicine.
8. Positive business and social interaction - alcohol is still the stuff that lubricates the gears of business and social affairs. Someone said that "good Scotch has sealed more business deals than all the lousy golf games and overhead presentations in the world". Probably true. It helps us say something kind to Aunt Milly and also tolerate her date reaking of menthol and mildew. Unfortunately, it also gives us the opportunity to offend a muscular or powerful person, their entourage, armed posse, and their thirty best friends from thr stretch Hummer. There was a time that a non-drinker had no hope of landing the finest deals, contracts, and opportunities in the US. People didn't trust the non-drinker unless he was your utterly honest, Sunday-go-to-meeting, endlessly puritanical, trustworthy accountant; we always tolerated a few of them but never loved them too much. The co-worker evening alcohol mandate is still true in some parts of business world in Asia and other countries, but becoming less true in our politically correct America. One must also understand the benefits of joining with a group of wine, whiskey, and great beer enthusiasts, sharing ideas and experiences. Let's be honest. In many parts of our world whether in business, a fraternity, on a work crew, or in a social club, alcohol consumption is a core and requirement for acceptance of the group; and all the help, money, and fun that flows from that. Alcohol-based clubs and interest groups are a good way to interact with others and most such groups have rigorous rules and processes that assure responsible consumption.
9. Hair - ever seen a bald wino? This is perhaps more of an illusion since winos usually have long, unkempt hair, often covering over any folicular challenges. Yet some scientists believe that wine of some kind and perhaps alcohol in general may have a beneficial effect on man hair loss or the chemicals which cause premature hair loss.
10. Fewer stones - there is some evidence that alcohol reduces the number of kidney and gall stones, perhaps because it acts as a solvent (stone dissolver) in the system but it may be related to more complex chemistry we do not fully understand. We do know that regular drinkers have fewer kidney stones than the general population. But given that alcohol drinkers often pop large numbers of cheap, calcium carbonate antacids (which bathe the kidneys in calcium, encouraging frequent stones), there could be a major offset. Evidence for reducation of gall stones is a bit stronger than the kidney stone evidence from what I have seen.
11. Resistance to food poisoning - alcohol and especially wine has always been used to improve health when the quality of food and water is suspect. "Take a little wine for your stomach's sake" said Saint Paul (aka Saul of Tarsus), one of the most conservative and respected of all Christian writers. One outbreak of Salmonella in Spain measured the effects of alcohol consumption on the infection. 95% of those not drinking were adversely affected while just 78% of those taking 40 grams of alcohol or less were affected - that's maybe 1 or 2 drinks. An amazing 54% of those drinking over 40 grams (3 drinks on up) were harmed by that toxic microbe. 95% to 54% - I really like those odds. There is other evidence that alcohol consumption may reduce harm from E.coli and Shigella.
12. A few good chemicals or twenty - Beer is really hop and malt tea if you want to think of it in clear and fundamental terms. Hops and malts are very good for us. The benefits of resveratol in red wine is widely known and proven by sound studies. In general, polyphenols from grape skin and seeds are very good for the heart and blood vessel linings in particular. Red wine is richer in these polyphenols (by 40% or more) than white wine by far because white wine i susaly produced without skin and seed chemistry. Grapeseed and skin extracts are available for people who want to avoid the ethanol. The harms of too much red wine are also known and will be discussed in the following sections. The French and Italians for all their fat and rich sauces get a bit of a break in the heart disease department because they lavishly and generously fill their tables with heavly red wines. This is known as the Mediterranean Effect and is well-proven by solid literature. Yeast in German-style hefeweizen beer is wonderful for the digestion. Hops in a truly hoppy beer (and that's not regular Bud, Michelob, Miller, or Coors) is very rich isoflavonoids which reduce the risk of prostate, breast, and colon cancers. Some beers have tested to have FIVE TIMES the polyphenols of white wine, improving good cholesterol and reducing cancer risk. Guiness (the dark stuff) for example is very rich in flavonoids and many dark beers can lower cholesterol in moderation. There is recent indication that red wine reduces tooth decay and helps with gum disease in additional to the germ-fighting traits of basic ethanol. These antibacterial compounds are not isolated or named but they clearly work as group according the Dr. Hyun Koo of the Eastman School of Dentistry. There are studies under way to determine what grape varieties, blends, and fermentation methods are most healthy. Even when red wine does not kill the bacteria, it seems to reduce plaque and inhibits remaining bacteria to produce as many caustic acids in the mouth. 
13. Vitamins and other cancer fighters - did you know that beers, especially good strong ones, produce a good source of Boron. A pint of suds also gives about 68mcg of folate - and we need just 200mcg a day or 3 pints. The makers of Guiness have funded studies that show their product and other dark beers have some useful antioxidents - although I must remind you that dark beer often has more congeners or headache-causing chemicals. Red wine has some melatonin, a chemical found in grape skins and the human brain that induces healthy, sound sleep. Sherry is high in polyphenols that could provide some cancer protection - does the alcohol offset all of this? Whiskies sometimes have good amounts of ellagic acid which reduces "rogue cells". 
14. Improved appetite - the munchies come not only from alcohol but other drugs like you-know-what. Some seniors find their appetites reduced and thus they have weaker nutritional states than if they ate more regular, hearty, good meals. A bit of the grape or suds has been shown to encourage the elderly to eat more - and when the table is sound and nourishing, that's a good thing. Some people will skip a meal due to a sour or sick stomach. Sometimes a soothing, not overly strong drink will eliminate that and stimulate our desire to eat when and what we should. 
15. Enhanced injury recovery - this may surprise some folks but more than one medical study has showy head injury victims who consumed alcohol prior to the event were not only more likely to recover faster but less likely to die. The improvement was 24% according to a study in the Archives of Surgery 141: 1185-1191.
16. Enlightened, alcohol-enhanced nutrition - frankly I may never have discovered the wonders of fresh fruit, phytonutrient health drinks, and "brain drinks" if it were not for the opportunity to mix these with vodka and other nice forms of drink. I might well have tried wheat grass juice or blue-green algae sometime somewhere if the chick was hot and persuasive enough. But being able to have my vodka with these healthy twists was the first way it all worked out. Women motivate men but other times the encouraging curves are shaped like a fancy bottle. I always appreciated fresh fruit, smoothies, newly minted juices, and herbs as much as the next guy (meaning: not so much), but if one's intensions and creativities can be brought to the world of creative drink mixing and invention of one's own formulas, you have my full and eternal attention.

CHAPTER 4. 

The Basics of Alcohol Metabolism

CHAPTER 5

It's mostly about the liver

The liver is a processing plant and not one with the occasional holiday off. It runs 365 x 24 x 7 for our entire life. An hour or two off would lay us out in a coma and a day off would put us the other side of the ground. It is the main organ hurt by drinking unless one drives into a poll while drunk. 

The basic functions of the liver are:

1. Bile production and excretion to promote digestion
2. General system detoxification and reduction of harmful products to the blood
   
3. Storage of glycogen for energy 
4. Metabolism of fat, carbs, and proteins
5. Storage of vitamins and minerals
6. Enzyme activation
   
7. Excretion of cholesterol, hormones, drugs, and other excess chemicals
8. Synthesis of body proteins and clotting factors

There are three stages of liver damage which occur as the result of alcohol abuse. These are

1) FATTY LIVER - this is a reversible condition in most cases, usually requiring immediate abstinence or a major reduction in ethanol intake. It occurs with most heavy drinkers, many moderate drinkers, and a wide array of people with obesity. About 40-50% of heavy drinkers will get to this stage and in one study up to 40% of people with consumption of 10 grams a day of alcoholo may be in this state. If you drink 3 or more drinks a day and are overweight, your condition may be at Stage One here or very close. 

2) ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS - 

One in five heavy drinkers will get to this stage.

3) CIRRHOSIS - this is a non-reversible, often fatal condition that is characterized by the replacement of heavy, succulent, functional liver tissue with hard, fibrous bands and in some cases hard cysts and tumors. About 25% of heavy drinkers end up here and many of them die from liver malfunction or other diseases that radiate from a poor immune system. If a person consumes more than 60 grams of alcohol (for men) or 20 grams for women (note this major difference!), your risk of cirrhosis and pre-mature death are vastly increased. Daily, regular drinking without periods of interruption make those risk higher still and binge drinking that taxes the liver in strenuous ways time after after is another high risk factor.

Liver damage is caused by a number of components including the ethanol itself (a good pickling ingredient) and more likely it's product acetaldehyde, a very nasty, toxin which causes immense free-radical damage. The congeners in alcoholic beverages too must be removed from the system. Unlike the lungs and kidneys we only get one liver and liver transplants are hard to get, very expensive, and not a sure thing - even for millionaires with lots of influence and top surgeons. There is no such thing (yet) as a synthetic or artificial liver. Nor is there any process like dialysis to take over liver functions as we do for the kidneys. Fortunately, the liver is somewhat forgiving up to a certain point of damage and our Creator has given us some wonderful herbs and vitamins that aid in liver cleansing and even internal regeneration. Your doctor or local lab can test for liver enzymes which indicate troubles that exist or are coming your way.

Acetaldehyde is a very powerful chemical and we need to minimize it from occuring and affecting our body at every opportunity. This chemical not only inhibits mitochondrial function in each cell but starts a vicious cycle. A weak mitochondrial system leaves more of the chemical unprocessed by the body (mainly liver), leaving more of it to persist. This produces a bold toxic cycle which in the extreme leads to alcohol poisoning and death. One can literally shut down the basic of cell biology with this one chemical that arise from ethanol. A chemical which interferes with the normal mechanism of it's own metabolism and removal, is a very dangerous one. It's something like a fire which gets so hot it quickly evaporates off the water and mist trying to extinguish it. At some point even a good sprinkler system is too little and too late for it vaporizes in the face of the furnace. 

There is some evidence that acetaldehyde is partly responsible for alcohol addiction and perhaps makes a person easy prey for other addictions of a stronger kind.

The stages of liver damage from alcohol are usually classified as 1) alcoholic fatty liver, 2) alcoholic hepatitis, and 3) alcoholic cirrhosis. It often takes 8-10 years of heavy, daily drinking to have unset of the two upper stages but in some persons onset can be in a few years. If you are a regular drinker and have frequent digestive upset, skin jaundice (yellowing), a sudden appearance of liver spots (brown skin spots), bleeding in the throat or feces, or tenderness or swelling of the abdomen, seek immediate medical attention and request a liver enzyme test.

Despite all these wonderful mediating things, SOME ADVANCED STATES OF ALCOHOL-INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE ARE IRREVERSIBLE AND ULTIMATELY TERMINAL - THAT MEANS FATAL! The number of people who die waiting for that possibly helpful liver transplant are growing worldwide.

If you think you have any liver complications from previous drinking or just want to be safe, ask your doctor for an exam. He or she may order a Liver Function Test (LF or LFT) or the more extensive Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) with with at least 14 tests. The major LFT tests are as follows:

• ALT (Alanine Aminitransferase) - this is a major measure of liver cell damage and is traditionally the main indictor of hepatitis. 
• GGT (Gamma Glutamyltransferase) - this is a popular measure of alcohol abuse but also inicates bone disorders. Alcohol use and some drugs elevate it's levels, even if use is limited or moderate. Only a bit of drink is needed to elevate it. It's measure relative to and ALP and GGT is important to rule out certain conditions. 
• Albumin - as the main liver proteins, it's quantity and ratios are very important. It will be low with an inflammed, sick liver. Other diseases such as colitis may reduce it's levels. Albumin is very important as it helps maintain oncotic pressure in our vascular system, helping good chemicals, beneficial drugs, hormones, and lipids get where they need to go. Patients with cirrhosis will have markedly low albumin levels. Malnutrition and kidney stones can lower it too. When we take in too little proteins in our diets, our bodies are so in need of albumin that our system automatically breaks down muscle proteins to synthesis this proteins. 
  
• ALP (Alkaline phosphatase) - this is a good measure of bile duct blockage which occurs for various reasons. Biliary cirrhosis is indicated by elevated levels. 
• AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) - this measures a major liver enzyme which may be too high or too high depending on the condition. It also occurs in the heart, skeleton, and kidneys. It can also be raised because of myocardial infarction ("heart attack"), pancratisu, anemia, severe burns, kidkey disease, and severe trauma. 
• Bilirubin - this is the class measure of jaundice in scientific terms not just yellow skin terms. It is a major pigment formed from the breakdown of heme in the red blood cells. 
• Blood ammonia - this is a measure of hepatic encepalopathy and occurs when the liver cannot process the proteins at the expected rate. Ammonia and other chemical proliferatein this weak environment. It indicates low liver function and sometimes an overly protein-rich diet. It is not a perfect measures for encephalopathy because cigarette smoking and some seizure medicines can skew it's values.
  

CHAPTER 6. 

Hepatoprotection - keeping our liver safe

Protecting our liver is the main way to keep our overall health from being harmed with moderate, responsible, and carefully planned drinking. The following is a list of herbs, chemicals, and treatments which may or may not be of value to you.

• Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) - this lovely plant (and I meanly nice to look at AND useful) is actually a thistle. The Latin name is pronounced "sill-eye-bum" but it looks like Silly Bum - how appropriate for the best thing on the planet to help us silly drunken bums! It has dark, white-spotted, sharp leaves as if they were sprayed with milk. It's a nice garden plant but I would not try to harvest your own stuff as it is hard to analyze the strength and be sure we're getting a good dose. It is widely used to treat mild liver disease and prevent patients from develop full-blown, irreversible cirrhosis. It is a general liver cleanse and is usually marketed as "liver support" for this reason.

• One Drink an Hour Rule - This doesn't mean we should drink 12 beers over 12 hours. It means that our body has a natural speed of metabolism and detoxification. Obey that natural pace. ALCOHOL ABUSE IS NOT JUST ABOUT QUANTITY BUT ABOUT SPEED OF INTAKE! An overtaxed liver hit with binge drinking is an inefficient, easy damaged organ. It gets a blitzkrieg it cannot handle and there will be hell topay. One drink per hour lets our liver prepare for the next drink (if any) at a reasonable pace. Give our God-given system a chance to work and work on a pace it's made for. One drink per two hours if better still, of course. 
• Four Days A Week - One good rule if you love drinking is to take 3 days off a week. That gives the liver some time to recouperate and go without a taxing load. If we're liver cleaning with Milk Thistle or another product, those items will get to work on an undertaxed liver and will likely be more effective.
• Every Other Day or Two - This is related to the "Four Days a Week" plan but can be different. After all, one can drink for four straight days (ie. a stressful Tuesday to Friday) and take off three straight days. Going to down during the week or weekends is not as good an idea as having a repair day between the moderate drinking days. 
• Look at Your Total Toxin Load - One friend of mine had liver troubles which were handled by his doctor. It turns our she was taking 8 prescription medicines (two of them very potent and to my mind nearly toxic), drank often, smoked, and add very poorly. The same liver expected to detoxify the body from strong drink and tobacco had to contend with eight different, very potent pharmaceuticals at the very same times! Her eating habits led to some deficiencies, further increasing the inability of her system to detoxify and recover. Her liver had literally hundreds of chemicals to remove and that was getting to be too much. Many college students (since the 60's and very much now too) indulge in a dozen or more different drugs and styles of drink in a single week. Even half a dozen can be hard on the liver. Pick your poisons, minimize them, avoid them when possible, limit their diversity (ie. different modes of chemical action), and remember your liver is absolutely essential to us staying alive. 
• No Binge, No Excuse, Never - I must confess that I still over-drink once or twice a year. It used to be much more often. In college it was pretty much Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, pot, hash, cocaine, purple mesc, and assorted things every single weekend. That's a dose for the liver that is doesn't need nor want. A young body is more forgiving but even then I knew I was more prone to infections, bad study habits, and messed up human relationships. I never did manage to buy a car those first four years. I lost more than one nice girl and a few good friends from my binging, drug-drenched ways. Binging costs many things and only later do we realize it in full - and then with regret and no means of recourse or repair. 
• Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) - here is another herb proven for it's liver healing properties. It's easy to find in health food stores and the occasional drug store or supermarket. The red berries are like peppercorns and can be made into a spicy, tasty tea if desired. You can even made a milk thistle/schisandra tea but it may be easier to buy a liver cleansing tea with both of them and other things included.
• Liverite® - this is a nice, widely sold, general blend of herbs and good chemicals useful for liver cleansing, in formulas with or without milk thistle. As I tend to take a regime of milk thistle separate from everything else, then I use the Liverite, I go with the basic, more readily available formula. Their original formula includes Liver Hydroysalate, 17 amino acids, Vitamin B12, L-Cysteine, Inositol, and a few other proven things. Between the two, I feel covered although I do not take either of them every month. The good folks at http://www.liverite.com claim they have "no side effects" and their total package increases energy level. They now have a 3-in-1 formula for both men and women, adding a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals, making it even easier to remember to cover all the bases. They even have a formula for canines! 
• Avoid excessive animal protein - high proteins diets like many weight lifters, fad dieters, and athletes use will tax the liver. Plant proteins are often less toxic so one might emphasize these. This is not to say red meat is always bad but it should be balanced with more animal proteins in the opinion of many liver physiology experts. 
• Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - yes, the common turf weed does have a place in our world besides raising blood pressure (from bad lawn anger), enriching landscape services, and causing endless screaming. Liver cleansing or as a "liver tonic" is one part of it's magic. Some experts say there is evidence for any liver cleansing or detoxifying effects. But even they admit is has some diuretic and bile-stimulating effect which makes the overall digestive system better. Dr. Weil says "it is good for the liver" and that's enough expert recommendation for me. I would not start chomping on your weekend pullings as the stuff needs to measured, analyzed, and standardized before being sure of a safe yet effective dose. Generally in fact, it's the root we want and not those ragged leaves. Remember: if you dose your lawn with fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides your front yard Taraxacum will be very dangerous and take our liver far in the wrong direction! Warning: if you are allergic to chamomile or other composite (daisy type) flowers this species should be avoided. Dandelion has long be part of "herbal liver teas" and it goes back the to 1800's when animal studies showed it increased bile secretion in sick creatures by up to four times. This effect has many positive offspins including possible reduction in liver congestion, bile duct liver inflammation, jaundice, gallstones, dyspepsia (sick stomach in part), gallbladder inflammation, dyskinesia of bile duct, and hepatatis damage. It may even reduce cholesterol but to a limited extent.
• artichoke (Cynara scolymus) - this semi-popular vegetable is rich in three phytochemicals, cynarin, silymarin, and caffeic acid, which are believed to have liver protection roles. They may help with minor tissue regeneration but many experts will dispute the validly of those findings. They seem to stimulate bile excretion and thus the "liver support" label is justified. There is some evidence that artichoke will lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well. It is widely advocated as digestive aid since it overall improves bile function. Be aware that the Jerusalem arichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), a sunflower cousin, does not have the same chemistry. The use of this vegetable dates to ancient times when it was called "a good for the rich" because it helped purify their body of rich, harmful food chemistry. It has been combined with milk thistle but as they share similar silymarin, one must be careful to regulate the dose. Other all the things in this section, perhaps the actichoke is the most lovely on the plate and tasty to tongue. Make it part of a salad (not cooked or steamed which reduces good chemistry) or treat as a side dish on it's own. One can purchase artichoke capsules (go standardized) but to me that as much fun as buying steak tablets or dried ice cream capsules!
• Taurine - this item is a very abundant, free amino acid and not integrated into our body's proteins structure. It is used in liver tonics because it is widely needed by the heart, liver, skeletal muscles, and nervous system. Taurine stabilizes cell membrances and aids in the transport of many important chemicals like calcium, potassium, and sodium. It helps regenerate nerves and has been used to treat epilepsy. It is also a mild sedative, helps eye function, aids males with low fertility, and helps remove cholesterol from the bile. Most of us get it from meats and fish. As a metabolic transmitter, it will help in general detox of the body. It is even used for treatment of some bipolar disorders because the brain very much needs it's taurine. It can treat some heart conditions like ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, and arrthythmias. It may benefit people with high cholesterol and hypertension too. It has a potent affect on diabetics so be very careful if your blood sugar is at or near diabetic levels - since many of us don't know, always get your doctor to recommend taurine or not. Taurine can improve some liver functions like bile flow and it also reduced psychotic episodes in treating people with severe alcohol dependency. That jury is still out on whether it always helps alcoholics or not. Peptic ulcers and diarrhea are side effects reported. Dose is very critical for most applications, so again beware and get professional advice here. I'd rather get it from healthy meat and fish that decide which doctors are about the dose levels.
• RU-21 - this stuff has all the legend of Spanish fly and sometimes about as much impotency. Legend has that the KGB in Russia wanted a formula that would let their people drink the rival spies under the table and feel no effect. Big information exchanges could turn on such an advantage. As it turned out, RU-21 has no effect on the immediate effects of alcohol but is something of a moderately proven hangover cure. KGB Agent Sergei Stolyholic might wake up first after a drunken brawl but that's about it. That could be an advantage or maybe not? Beware of cheap imitators that give you little if anything good for hangovers. The best stuff under this name has L-cysteine (to reduce liver damage), strong vitamins (for energy), L-glutamic acid, and Succinic acid to burn off some of the damage of alcohol consumption but never all of them.
• HepatoPro (formerly GastroPro) - this liver aid product is often used by drinkers but I've seen it as much as $37 for 60 caps but also much cheaper. It contains a variety of liver-protecting agents but 900mg of PPC (Polyunsatured Phosphatidylcohine) is key to liver protection by some reports.
• HepatoGen™  - this formula includes milt thistle, dandelion, Methionine, liver hydrolysate, and artichoke. This is a nice blend and worth considering.
• Livatone® Plus - Dr. Sandra Cabot's formula is available at http://www.liverdoctor.com and includes a diverse blend of milk thistle, taurine, phyllium husk powder, dandelion root, globe artichoke, and slippery elm bark.    
• Magnesium - I include this in my strong, regular vitamin regime but some of you may consider this as a supplement. Generally 500-1500mg of magnesium (consult your health care expert for a dose recommendation) can reduce vessel constriction, especially in the brain where alcohol can do much damage to our vascular tubing.
• Ester-C® - Vitamin C is still high on the list of effective radical killers and immune system boosts. Unfortunately the readily available, cheap Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, a strong chemical which not upsets the drinker's stomach but encourages even loose bowels and diarrhea. Cheap ascorbic acid is a drinker's enemy even if the vitamin is good. Combine 1000mg ascorbic acid with beer and you're one sick puppy, even worse if a bit stronger. Use the non-acidic form of vitamin C called Ester-C which does not interfere or exagerate the affects of drink. Ester-C is a trademarked brand but offered widely by various companies and at many price points. Walmart has the stuff cheap by the huge jar. By now your local supermarket probably has one or more brands. Ester-C is an important, good companion to NAC and I usually take them both on days I choose to drink.
• Minimize environmental toxins - new paint, new carpet, and traditionally dry cleaned clothes will affect our liver for it gets those chemicals we inhale and become entered in the bloodstream. Reduce the use of garden and landscape chemicals whenever possible and go with safer, organic or non-chemical solutions. Insect baits, protective devices, and safe insecticidal soap solve most of my gardening issues. Harsh houehold cleaning chemicals do our liver no good. I know, I know. Many of those "green" cleaners with citrus and whatever clean about as well as water and an old musty sponge. Some are very good so experiment and research until you find an effective set of cleaners. All this may not be enough for our neighbors and neighorhoods must be cleaner and safer too. If you have a neighbor who poison-bombs his roses try to inform him nicely and without an attitude; and have another idea from the rose society ready to recommend! Be informed, be ready, and most of all care. If some local business is bit lax on their oil disposal or airborne chemical odors, most every city or town has a hotline to take care of that anonymously. And besides we can all patronize businesses who care and act like they do about local toxins. I'm not saying you need a "green blacklist" but that could be necessary with hardcore, profit-until-caught, truly unreasonable types of people. People who don't live in our neighborhood are usually the last to care about us until our money stops coming their way! I for one have found non-toxic dry cleaning and carpet cleaning to actually work and at times save me a couple of bucks towards consuming you-know-what. All this reduces stress on our livers and that is always a good thing.
• Water is wonderful - not only does water flush chemicals from the kidneys, it is good for the liver and intestines. Get those big classes of clean, pure, additive free water each day. The body cannot eliminate wastes without water as the carrier. I like using PUR Ultimate on both my kitchen tap and from a large pitcher I try to keep full. There are scores of excellent in-home purifying systems from $30 to $30,000 - just be sure you known what each is removing and what is being left behind. 
• SAMe - this is a chemical known as S-adenosylmethionine which people with alcohol-damaged livers cannot produce in the normal amount. Alcohol prevents methionine from transforming into SAMe so deficienies are widely reported among serious alcoholics. Supplementation of 400-800mg is common in these cases but the average drinker should not be concerned about this unless your doctor recommends it. SAMe can also work nice things for depression, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's Disease, and osteoarthritis so you might just kill a couple of annoying birds with this stone. SAMe can trigger bipolar disorders in some persons and interfer with certain important drugs (MAO inhibitors, tricyclics), so NEVER EVER down this potent stuff without some serious, professional medical advice. L-methionine is one way to trigger higher SAMe levels without taking this potent stuff directly. 
• L-Methionine - this chemical is a potent amino acid loaded full of sulfur. It combines with the ATP to make SAMe which we have just discussed. Rather than taking SAMe directly, this indirect approach is used by HepatoGen. Results of this chemical include increased bile flow, lowered drug-induced liver damage, lower risk of cirrhosis, and reduced risk of fatty liver disease.
• Slippery elm bark (Ulmus fulva, formerly U. rubra in part) - this old herbal cure has many uses including nutritional supplement, gastritis/diarrhea cure, bronchitis aid, ulcer reliever, vaginitis cure, hemorrhoid cure, skin softener, diuretic, expectorant (sooths coughs), emollient, liver tonic, and demulcent. It is much used by herbalists to reduce irritation of the mucous membrances, especially of the stomach. It can induce sleep in some persons and when flavored up a bit make a nightcap of sorts. It is found in some detox teas and a few liver support capsules. I say it is the species Ulmus fulva "in part" because other species are used in other parts of the world, the Japanese going with Ulmus davidiana in some studies.
• B vitamins - drinking even a small amount of alcohol depletes B vitamins. Make sure your daily regimen of supplements includes the major B's in strong, 300% plus levels. B12 and others reduce stress too and if one drinks to reduce stress, more B12 will likely make drinking a more moderate, less urgent experience. Figure only needing 300% the RDA of B12 if you have a stressful job, add 200% more for drinking and smoking. 
• Curb the tobacco and smoked drugs - I know for some of you a reduction in both drink and smoke is unthinkable. Handle one problem at a time, get good help, study the issues, have a buddy who will help you with each (or a support program), and try to reduce to overall stress or load on your liver. Alcohol and tobacco add about 300 named toxins to the system. If you can curb the tobacco damage, your process of limiting alcohol damage will work better. Ditto for marijuana and other smoked herbs.
• L-cysteine - this chemical is used to reduce toxic effects on the liver but the NAC form is often stronger and more available. L-cysteine is part of many liver support formulae including Liverite. It is discussed below.
• Liver hydrolysate + B12 - Liverite and other blends use this combination to increase production of NADPH and NADH, which work as co-factors to cut down on harmful metabolites. The NADPH:NADH levels and their ratio too help oxidation of alcohol. Not all experts are convinced that hydrolysate is effective and the lack of mainstream, accepted studies is significient for some people - not everyone. We do know from double blind , rigorous scientific trials it has value is treatment of chronic hepatitis but conferring other efficacies for the casual drinker is another step altogether. Good studies have shown it can help in the metabolism of dietary fats though it is far from a diet pill. Part of the problem is that hydrolysate can be extracted various ways from simple bovine liver blends to complex extracts. Some similar compounds are sold on the market as "liver factors", "raw liver", "liver fractions", and "aqeous liver". Liverite and HepatoGen include this so one may decide to take them and leave the academic arguments to the scholars.
• NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine) - This is the best hope for liver salvation of anything known to science. See the next chapter.

1. Reduce the ethanol dose from our drinking. That's step one. Drink less often, weaker drinks, and fewer of them. For example, I've learn to sip a nice strong Port wine, consuming less ABV% over the course of the night, over a longer period of time (allowing the liver to metabolism things), and consume less volume. Port is not weak drink - it's in fact very strong at 12-19% (3 times beer or more) but the rich, complex flavors help me reduce the volume down by a major amount. A small glass will do me. Sherry works well as an after-dinner drink for many; easily done in moderation because of it's rich, satisfying flavors.
2. Reduce BOTH butter and margarine - yes BOTH - that fat and those oils are hard on the liver. Try to use healthier spreads based on healthy oils such as a pesto spread made with olive oil. Some people make a good, fresh, healthy mayonaisse with low amounts of olive oil and that makes a great sandwich spread. 
3. Increase fruit and vegetable intact while reducing red meat consumption - plant proteins are more easy to digest and do not strain the liver and digestive system as much. One can "kill two birds" by adding a very healthy fresh fruit drink to a splash of vodka
4. Avoid high amounts of fat and grease in one meal - that means limit yourself to a few french fries if any, not the whole mound that the restaurant gives you. I adore Calabash style seafood platters, generously piled with frieds clams, shrimp, scallops, fish, potatoes, and other assorted creatures. Not only is the liver taxed beyond measure here but so is the gallbladder; which causes of some of us to pay twice for the immense Captain's Platter. I'm learning to avoid such massive feasts and enjoy more unfried seafood or when consuming such have smaller portions.
5. Reduce the sodium. High blood pressure causes problems for main hepatic vein, causing accumulation of abdominal fluids and the many problems that will cause. 
6. Have a vitamin and mineral supplementation program and buy the good, scientifically researched stuff. In theory everyone can eat their way to a healthy diet without supplements. I'm guessing 1% of us have time, temperment, knowledge, or money for all that perfection. The liver and other body systems have trouble storing many essential vitamins and minerals. We need them replenished at least every other day. The daily vitamin is a marketing myth for our body does not develop deficiencies over night in most cases. And any slight dips can be remediated the next day with ease. Unless one has consumed a heavy dose of alcohol, a supplemental pill (or a diverse packet of goodies is better) every other day will be enough for most people. Thus those really good $60 a month vitamins are now just $30 a month or an easy dollar per day.
   
7. Avoid animal milks ie. cow and even the sacred "goat". These proteins can be hard on the liver. I will never call "soy milk" a true milk because it's not a true milk. To be a true milk, something has to have tits and chew it's cud. Soybeans don't cover those criteria; unless genetic engineering has changed in the last week. That said, soy milk is better for some folks but go easy. Remember that soy products it includes phytoestrogens which put men at higher risk for some cancers; probably because of shifting the hormone ratios in the male body. 
8. When using oil go for proven, healthy fish (Omega-3) and cold-pressed vegetable oils. 
9. Reduce protein when process. The liver produces harmful ammonia when it's capacity to process high protein meals starts to fad. Those famous low carb-high proteins diets are often hard on the liver for this reason. A protein-stressed liver can result in some cases in encephalophathy where protein byproducts and other harmful chemicals accumulate, resulting in mental disfunction and hepatic coma. 
10. Go with carbs over excess fat and proteins. The liver loves the easily-handled carbs even if the waistline may not. Carbs convert to glycogen meaning our liver had more energy for repair. Carbs produce insulin which is good doses removes body toxins. Carbs tend to convert into carbon dioxide and water, which the liver and or body handle with great ease. But avoid cheap, quick-burning carbs like simple sugars and white bread. Potatoes should be kept in moderation and not fried when possible. The cheap, poor carb, high glycemic index sources have been shown to increase risk of fatty liver. Beans, other legumes, whole grains, and brown rice are good choices for most people. 
11. Minimize other food-born toxins like color additives, preservatives, and unnecessary processing chemicals. While they liver may end removing many of them, we must consider that the other digestive organs should not be stressed either. A stressed liver PLUS stressed kidneys and gallbladder are real trouble for our health. Avoid processed foods (frozen dinner entrees, canned foods, modified carbs) when possible and prepare your own.
    
12. Add in whatever liver support and hepatoprotection products (I emphasize NAC + Ester C, Milk Thistle, and Liverite) you want to your diet. 
    
13. Eat a general diversity of foods.

• When at some restaurants, clubs, bars, or homes our good choices are limited and often poor (high fat, high grease, cheap carb). Plan to drink at places where liver-healthy foods are available or prepare your own at the friend's home.
• Avoid sugary drinks made with corn syrup, sucrose, fructose (except from real, fresh fruit), soda-based formulae, high sugar/high profit drink mixes (that's nearly every bar in the world), and cheap beers brewed from rice and corn.
• Try to integrate healthy, pure 100% fruit and vegetable juices (freshly squeezed if at all possible) into your drinks. Canned fruit juice is pasteurized out of most of good stuff so avoid it. Fruit drink mixes whether frozen or bottled are often 10-30% real fruit, full of junk sugars, and devoid of helpful enzymes in many cases. Many of them get flavor from artificial sources and are colored with harmful colorants. Bottled health drinks at okay, frozen if often better, and fresh the very best for us and our livers. I had a neighbor who had a small row of peach trees. Ever year when they ripened up she invited everyone over for peach drinks where the fruit in question was picked barely an hour before the drinks were consumed. Now that's good drinking when in moderation! Look for ways to celebrate responsible drinking with harvest of good fruits and vegetables; whether we grow them or our favorite farmer's market does. Organic is best yet.

CHAPTER 7. 

Acetaldehyde - The Really Big Bad Wolf

(and NAC the wolf killer)

Ethanol (the stuff that makes one drunk) and other contaminents such as congeners and methanol have traditionally been blamed on "pickling" one's liver and brain. It was not until the 1980's that researcher Victor Preedy of King's College in London identified acetaldehyde is a severe muscle toxin coming from alcohol abuse. Others have continued the work and found that acetaldehyde is somewhere between 40 and 100 times more toxic to individual body systems than ethanol itself. It is now alcoholism gospel that acetaldehyde is what causes the most damage from alcohol consumption, particularly the ultimately fatal condition of liver cirrhosis.

Before we utterly disgrace the acetalehyde molecule as evil and unnatural consider one fact. It gives aroma to many foods and occurs in low, less harmful doses in such vile things as broccoli, apples, lemons, and pineapple. More or less any fragrant fruit in fact. We need it in modest, small doses for fun flavors and taste.

There are a number of approaches of eliminating acetaldehyde from the system, thus controlling and drastically reducing it's harm on the system. Quite blessedly, binding and controlling the Big A does not reduce drunkenness "live". Thus one can be drunk, "have your cake", and "eat it too" with much reduced damage to vital organs and other systems. The proven means of ameliorating the results of acetaldehyde are:

1. Time -
2. 
   
3. Activated charcoal - some hangover cures rely on this simple but effective ingrediant to bind up toxins of all types
4. NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine) - this very amazing chemical is a more stable, useful version of ordinary L-cysteine which has long been a product found in health food strores. One now finds NAC everywhere. 400-600mg bottles of 100 pills or more now sell for $10-20, sometimes less in quantity. Check the big internet vitamin and supplement firms for good brands and even better prices. Not only does NAC bind to acetaldehyde and take it out of harm, it has actually saved rats in laboratory studies from otherwise fatal doses of ethanol. It is a true miracle chemical in this respect. Now comes the skepticism. Fortunately, NAC is a nature chemical we have and need in some smallish quanitites everyday. Our body is pretty happy  with 300-1200mg of it a day - sometimes a bit upset with more.  Besides the ability of NAC to remove at least 95% of the damaging effects of acetaldehyde it has some other amazing properties:

   • It is increases the number of T-cells, increasing immunity. HIV and AIDS patents often include it in cocktails. It may also protect AIDS patients against the toxic effects of other drugs they take.
   • It might "cure" severe, persistant fungal infections including Candida. Others say it just detoxifies their nasty chemisty.
   • It provides lots of available sulphur for numerous physiological processes in the body
   • Could help chemotherapy work better and reducing side effects.
   • helps angina patents. However many taking nitroglycerin have reported that NAC contributes to headaches. Consult your cardiologist here.
   • Protects against contrast agents and other dyes used in medical procedures, particularly useful in kidney studies
   • Reduction in odds or colon cancer or at least the chance that polyps during into the really dangerous tumors.
   • It thins mucous, having many proven applications where too mucus is a bad thing. It has been used over 30 years for treatment of bronchitis. NAC also help with some emphesema patients and has been recommended for people with sinus issues.
   • It is a regular and widely used hospital or ER treatment for acetaminophne or Tylenol poisoning. Curiously, most ER rooms use "time" more than NAC to prevent alcohol poisoning.
   • Possible treatment for toxic mushroom poisoning.
   • Preliminary proposal for helping with Parkinson's Disease. Jury is still out.

    

Before you sink the family fortune into stock of a company that makes NAC, consider a few bad things. It can make insulin less effective (and thus is potentially quite dangerous) for diabetics. Always take a good dose of Vitamin C with it (I prefer Ester C in 1000mg) to minimize some other chemical issues and increase it's effectiveness. When I plan to drink, I down some Ester C with 600mg of NAC, allowing a good hour to get it in my system. NAC is best when "on the job" as a preventative chemical rather than a "morning after" type of hangover treatment. You need to armor up with NAC before taking that ethanol molecule in the body's soup. NAC for getting Knackered.

I've consumed NAC for almost two years and

 1   Don't use alcohol as your only or main way to relax

This

1. Exercise program
2. Massage -\ erotic and otherwise
3. meditation
4. walk in a green, wild, calm area
5. More sex.

 1   The Alcoholic Test - give your system a rest

Drinking every single day is not really suicide but it is generally self destructive. Do your best to go 1 to 2 days between drinks and let your system recover from all the toxic elements that general drinks provide.

My logical says that drinking Sunday night will not make a good Monday. Drinking Monday night is allowable. Then I go until Wednesday or Thursday for the next planned drink, allowing social invitations to intrude on this policy from time to time.

I have always tested myself with this rule: if I can't easily and comfortably go 1-2 days without a drink, I'm going get some serious help.

 1   Beer - problems and solutions

Beer is one of the more problematic of all drinks for several reasons:

If I want to have a full weekend loaded full of sixpacks and kegs, these are my preparations for safer, more healthy recovery. This formula is close to what some experts use to "drink them under the table" but I do not recommend such games - not more than 2 a year anyhow.

• Take 2-3 Pepto type (bright pink) tablets prior to drinking. Generic products as just as good. The huge carbo doss of beer drinking causes the intestines to proliferate with bacteria and other carbo-fed organisms, leading to "beer drinker's revenge". We all know that feeling and sight. Getting this safe chemical into your system before the influx of sugars is prevention of the highest, most effective type. This chemical also reduces the effect of acid stomach.
  • alternatively take the full pink Pepto drink to coat the stomach. This is more for serious beer drinkers. The tablets are enough for most folks.
• Drink thick, whole milk to coat the stomach. You are less likely to have an acid stomach there. Skip this is using a Pepto liquid coat.
• NEVER EVER DRINK ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. Not only are your internal, soft tissues burned by alcohol, they will react, hindering smooth eating.
• Consume bread products that can absorb the beer a bit and release it more slowly to the system. Many "competative drinkers" load up on thick breads and bagels before making an appearance because they slow down the alcohol slap and allow a controlled, gradual release of the drink.
• Avoid spicy, acidic, and other strong foods. Go bland and smooth.
•  
• Nuts, sunflower seeds, and grains are good because they tend to firm the stool. And I don't mean the bar stool. Don't over consume because setting up a slow-moving, fiber plug behind "beer drinker's revenge" is not a good feeling.
• The next day:
  • pain killers are still up for debate. The popular choices can lead to liver damage when combined with alcohol in the system. I personally use aspirin at 325mg x 3 tabs but that is not suitable for everyone. I don't need headache remedies more than a few times a year so the occasional dose is not likely to harm me. Explore herbal and physical headache cures if headaches are a regular problem. Cheap beer will give more headaches so avoid that junk too.
  • take more Pepto type tablets or liquid. You can go with different chemistry such as Milke of Magnesia type product. Keep that bacterial control squad working for you.
  • sooth the stomach with ginger or peppermint tea. A tiny shock of vodka with these is not bad if you need it.
  • pickles actually work since they're loaded with acetic acid/vinegar, a surprisingly real cure for acidic stomach

 1   Wine - problems and solutions

The problems with wine are these:

• dehydration -
• sulfites
•  

CHAPTER 8. 

Understanding the Hangover

• Too much ethanol - that is easily controlled through moderation
• Liver toxins - NAC + Ester-C wil remove acetaldehyde the mjaor liver toxin 
• Dehydration - water is not in short supply as far as I know
• Lack of sleep and rest, especially good deep, REM sleep - retire earlier and plan for your recooperatipm
• Bad diet choices which stress the liver and digestive system even more - pla
  

 1   Congeners - the sad tale

To understand the effects of alcohol one must understand a large group of chemicals called congeners. They are sometimes called "inpurities of the brewing and distillation process" but in fact they are byproducts of the processes that some manufacturers alcohol absolutely love. Congeners give each label a distinct chemical signature and sometimes the very brand identity. They are what makes cheap beer taste that way. They are also why your 93 point Cabernet tastes very distinct with loads of tannins and other chemicals imparted by those months in the oak barrels.

Congeners are often responsible for the most severe type of hangover, the type with spliting headaches, dizziness, spatial disorientation, and general system breakdown. They are not the only reason for alcohol-induced headaches but they are likely the major source.

Congeners come from quick production of a brewed or distilled drink. So why do the big houses tolerate them? First of all, distilling, processing, and filtering to remove congeners takes time and in their business time is big money. Get something out twice or three times faster and you get to make more and sell it for less. There really is a difference in the expensive vodkas and better microbrewed beers - they simply have superior chemistry compared to the mass-produced, quick to market junk. Other manufacturers love congeners because they give their product distinct flavors, sometimes hiding behind these chemicals as part of their '"brand identity". Unfortunately even an expensive bourbon is high in these chemicals but filter for "smooth flavor" may get you a bit less of a dose.

You can if budgets afford go with German beers that follow their ancient Purity Law and contain only malt, water, yeast, and hops. A few other brewers follow this same rule. This does not guarantee a drink free of all congeners but it tends to reduce them.

The list of known congeners is vast and only recently has medical science begun to study their individual effects on our physiology. The best list of congeners I know is:

• aldehydes (discussed in another chapter)
• assorted acids (some imparting brand-specific flavors)
• esters (also responsible for distinct flavors, including fruit notes)
• methanol (wood alcohol - very toxic even in small doses)
• isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol - also toxic and sure to give gastric distress)
• propyl alcohol
• acetone (a toxic solvent used to clean industrial machinary)
• amyl alcohol
• tannins (product of oak barrels and part of the reason red wines taste different from each other)
• methyl ethyl ketone (toxic but very aromatic chemical)
• prostaglandins
• butanol (a very toxic chemical associated with impure batches of moonshine and a source of certain headaches)
• iron (good in small doses but harmful in excess for most of us)
• lead (a severe system poison which accumulates. In cheap moonshine this often comes from lead soder, pipes, and old metal radiators)
• histamines (well, antihistamines cure allergies so adding histamines tends to make allergic people more allergic, causing coughs, sniffling, and worse. Sometimes people think drinking has made them sick. It just may be this reaction. Histamines give some people very severe headaches and are major thing to avoid.)

The old line was that "clear drinks" are best for low congeners but unfortunately the new breed of very clear, cheap, fruity malty beverages are loaded with the stuff. It is true that clear forms of strong, expensive liquor are better, gin and vodka being the lowest for these toxic, headache makers.

Dark drinks are generally worse in the liquor and wine world. Red wine has much more than most white wines, thus the famous "red wine headache" that some people get when overindulging in a bottle of red. Scotch has up to FOUR TIMES the congeners of gin and in some cases up to THIRTY TIMES the congeners of good, clean vodka. Bourbon is worse than scotch and is one of the things to be avoided if headaches are a big problem. If you want to love your bourbon, learn to buy cleaner brands with better distillation and filtration and learn to sip it very lightly, getting satisfaction over time as to opposed to from the quantity. Cut it with some seltzer, water, or ice to suit to your taste.

The good vodkas are best because they are distilled more times and are also filtered to remove the known offenders from the above list. Skky was designed from the start to be purer and cleaner, giving an amazing four distillations. Pretty much any of the higher priced vodkas are similarly cleaner in flavor and thus lower in taste-muddling congeners. I wish I had a list of good, cheap vodkas that are low in congeners but such research has alluded my efforts to find it.

 1   Detox periodically - give your system a curing vacation

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1. Fatigue - feeling the apparent lack of sleep even if you slept over 6 hours.
2. Headache - often the pounding, sometimes the "I need to cut my head off" kind
3. General hit-by-a-truck-but-still-alive-to-feel-it feeling
4. Dizziness, vertigo (remains of "room spin"), and general lack of coordination
5. Hypersensitivity to light and sound - hating most any music or loud human interaction. Being irritable at anything louder or more bold than normal.
6. Thirst.
7. Sour or sick stomach.
8. Hunger between stomach pain
9. Sweating or clearly the results having sweated it all night
10. Red eyes
11. Tremor and muscle weakness, possible muscle pain
12. Rapid heart beat (tachycardia) and elevated blood pressure
13. Mood changes and uncharacteristic anger and lack of patience
14. Odd or foul taste in mouth - well beyond normal "morning breath"
15. Remorse, regret, and "I'll never drink again Lord if you cure me know"
16. Vomiting, nausea, or wanting to clear out that acid stomach of what remains
17. Mental confusion including depression, unusual anxieties, and lack of ability to focus

1. Fatigue - retire early and be sure you have 8-10 hours to sleep without distraction. Ending the night just 1-2 hours earlier than normal can be the real key. Alcohol can interfere with natural brain chemistry that promotes sleep. I sometimes take a single meltonin tablet to restore that natural brain chemistry and make what time I have more deep, recooperative sleep. Melatonin increases the amount of deep, REM, dream-rich sleep for many people. 
2. Headache - Avoid drinks with sulfites and any mix of drinks that maximizes your diversity of congeners. Mixing wine, beer, and hard liquor in one night is really, truly asking for an AM brain buster. Pure beers (by German standards) and clear, clean, highly distilled vodka will minimize the brain pain. Lighter liquor is safer but that rule does not apply to beer where dark beers have better, healthy chemicals in many cases. Many pain relievers s are toxic to the liver when combined with alcohol. Don't ever drink and pop Tylenol for example. Ask your doctor about what to do to remediate head pain after drinking. I like to take 3 regular bufered aspirin or 2 strong doses just before retiring or first thing in the morning. Aspirin is not safe for all persons so ask your professional experts.
3. General hit-by-a-truck-but-still-alive-to-feel-it feeling
4. Dizziness, vertigo, no coordination - 
5. Hypersensitivity to light and sound - hating most any music or loud human interaction. Being irritable at anything louder or more bold than normal.
6. Thirst - I always prehydrate the night before drinking and before going to bed. I also take a glass of water upon waking if I feel the need. 
7. Sour or sick stomach - this is often avoided by taking Pepto or a gwneric product the night profore
8. Hunger between stomach pain
9. Sweating - a slighter cooler than normal morning show will cure this and help us get more alert. Allow yourself 10 minutes or more and don't rush the process. 
10. Red eyes - nature takes care of that in time. If you're worried about other people's reaction use eye drops once and a while. I like the natural, no chem method of healing this. 
11. Tremor and muscle weakness, possible muscle pain
12. Rapid heart beat (tachycardia) and elevated blood pressure
13. Mood changes and uncharacteristic anger and lack of patience
14. Odd or foul taste in mouth - mouthwash or a good, strong burshing wil work. 
15. Remorse, regret, and "I'll never drink again Lord if you cure me know"
16. Vomiting, nausea, or wanting to clear out that acid stomach of what remains
17. Mental confusion - this is usually only a problem with higher levels of drinking which are easily avoided. For me, running in place for just 1-2 minutes clears by head. So does the cooler shower. I also stare for 1-2 minutes into a bank of fluerescent lights which stimulates wakeful brain chemistry. I do not find myself hypersensitive to cool white bulbs as I might be with sunlight or crude incandescent lamps. 

• Drink in the morning or "Hair of the Dog That Bit Ya" - this is an old remedy and not an entirely ineffective one. Of course, most of us need to get to work or some activity or church 5-7 days a week, making the morning drink a bit inconvenient. Why does it work sometimes? First of all, alcohol numbs the pains and confusion and such of the hangover. Secondly, it gives us an reason to rest and recover more, even take a little nap. That surely is good if we have the time and opporutnity. Thirdly, beer and some drinks are full of carbs and that produces ebergy to make us feel better and repair our cells. 
• Juice it Up - Orange juice does the "mroing dirnk carbo bost"  much better (complex sugars, enzymes, citric acid which rapidly converts into sugar and adrealin energy)and resting without a drink is healthier still. OJ is a bit acid for somwe morning tummies so go with a low acid form or a blend with other juices if you wish. Studies in the hangover discipline show that fructose in general (fruits, fruit drinks,or fruit-contained foods) are very effective in reducing intense hangover feelings. 
• Bland foods - most anything that ladies take for morning sikcness is good here
• Herbal stomach teas -
  

 1   Preparation - A summary

I'll admit to trying to drink others under to table or onto the vomit-ladden floor more than one time. The rules for getting to drink more with no expurgation of the stated fluid are pretty much the same as protecting your mouth, throat, and stomach from alcohol burns and rapid absorption of ethanol:

1. Drink a pint of water. This forstalls the dehydation effect of drinking, especially things other than watery beer. If one is already dehydrated from the busy day at work, exercise, or last night's drinking, going into a drinking evening might be adding negative levels to still more negative levels of hydration. Do this before the stomach coating parts 2. and 3. to avoid washing them away. The true drinking expert knows this step as PREHYDRATION.
2. Coating the stomach with a tall class of whole milk - skim milk has too little fat and it's the butter fat that protects the stomach and slows absorption
3. Drink a thick product like PeptoBismol or Mallox, preferably after a nice milk coating
4. Consume large amounts of bread, buttered if possible. I guess the butter sticks the stuff to the stomach better but I'm also wary of the fats which are slow to leave the stomach. Perhaps that is good. Avoid margarine for they contains high trans fats in many cases. The bread pores absorb the alcohol for many minutes, releasing the ethanol more slowly. I had a thing for nice, fresh yeast rolls. The more diverse the pores and hard the bread, the slower the breakdown.
5. This is cheating in any drinking game, but I always watered down my bottle of Jack or SoCo before making an appearance. Just 25% water does not show up in terms of color but it lets you put down far more stuff compared to the others.
6. Take multiple vitamins every day, and especially ones rich in B, C, E, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. A stress type formula is good but I like the strong, serious stuff with better ingrediants like the lines from Dr. Weil and Andrew Lessman. Natural Vitamin E is best and the more forms of them the better. Alcohol can burn off up to 300% of your B vitamins so you need to stock up heavy BEFORE drinking. The day after is okay but prevention is always better. Your body needs the chemistry IN PLACE before doing the alcohol damage.
7. Garlic is a wonderful product. It not only reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart damage in many people but it's S-allyl-cysteine is a chemical that helps neutralize some of the damaging acetaldehyde. I like Garlique or a good generic brand of it. Some people prefer Kyolic brand. I take a Garlique pill a day, drinking or not.
8. Consider supplementing with NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine) a chemical which binds up acetaldehyde, the one chemical which is 100 times more toxic than the ethanol itself. NAC will run you $18-27 a bottle (current prices 6/2007) but it is absolutely the sure way to keep alcohol's main chemical offender at bay. If you smoke or work in a polluted environment, NAC is a very sure way to have less damage from environmental toxins of all kinds. Acetaldehyde and it's partner malondialdehyde cause free radical damage so getting them bound up is a very good idea.
9. Have a detox stragegy such as discussed below. Do this periodically and you're more ready when the pouring begins.

About 3.6% of cancers are clearly attributed to alcohol according to one study. These are often cancers of the upper digestive system, meaning those parts were repeatly scalded and corroded by strong ethanol and other offensive chemicals. If you can coat and protect these tender passages and the big holding tank, you're farther ahead on all counts. This does mean the risk goes down to zero but it surely helps.

 1   Secure the drinking environment

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 1   Purge other chemical vices - one vice is more than enough

If you wish to be a connoisseur of alcohol, being a connoisseur of other chemical vices like tobacco and drugs is going to get in the way. The human immume and cleaning system is only made to take so much foreign, strong chemistry.

 1   Quality over quantity - a taste testor's approach

This view of drinking helps most of us.

When I found myself writing reviews for a beer database (BrewBase™ ) in the 80's, I found my emphasis was on writing clearly while consuming a small portion of the beverage in question - usually one bottle rather than a full sixpack of it. I wanted to have a buzz to let the words flow smoothly and cleverly but yet have my focus on the more intellectual, artistic side of the brewing industry. If it helps you to write a wine or beer blog or full-blown review website try that approach.

CHAPTER 9.

Calculating Dosage and Risk

The big determinent in alcohol use is what is known as ABV% or Alcohol by Volume Percentage. 5% strong beer is 5.0 ABV%. As a general, very general rule, ABV% values are commonly as follows: 

The basic formula or what some people call "beer math" is this:

Here's an an example of 3 average beers consumed by a 250 lb. male who hasn't eatan all day.

CHAPTER 10. 

Temperance Movement - Truths and Lies

Let's take a little break from the crazy science and look at some history.

First of all, the Temperance Movement was originally about temperance or moderate drinking. It was highjacked by the abstinance people who wanted to ban all drink. The true, early, original movement wanted to reduce drinking and it's bad effects - NOT ELIMINATE ALCOHOL USE AND PRODUCTION COMPLETELY!

The original movement associated with Dr. Benjamin Rush in 1784 was not about total bans of drink but it's responsible and limited use. In fact, some temperance members only sought to ban the use of alcohol on Sundays and never had any ideas of banning "tonics" which amounted to healthy cocktails. Other stripes in the movement only sought to ban saloons (which often offered other temptations of the flesh) and had no objective to moderate drinking in the home. 

Lyman Beecher about 1825 was one of the first to want to ban all use of strong drink, a full forty years after the work of Dr. Rush. 

In 1832 Joseph Livesay in the UK became known for his intolerance of all alcohol. In 1833, John Turner, a followed of Livesay gave a speech that coined the term "teatotal" still used round the world.

In 1880 the Women's Christian Temperence Union or WCTU was formed and took a very strong view against most drinking. They not only advocated pledges but worked to educate school children against the evils of drunkiness. Those who took over the original, "limited drinking" or true temperance movement should be called prohibitionists or abolitionists. They are not temperate about the issue by any means! 

The unholy alliance of the fake temperance movements with greedy government officials, led to massive taxes on alcohol long before the idea of prohibition took hold. These abstinence people did the work of corrupt politicians and helped fill their coffers from money that was often wasted and used to pay bribes. The money did not go to churches, temperence groups, or charities by any means. Remember that the foundation of our American Revolution was partly based on the excessive taxes the British levied on strong spirits. Yet today we pay higher taxes to our politicians, levels so far in excess of what our forefathers fought and died to prevent. Why do we take this today?!?

As with tobacco today, we have substances that are officially legal yet they are regulated for political profit and taxed to supposedly mitigate their harm. How much of liquor and cigarette tax goes to such causes a reducing drunk driving, student education, and addiction treatment? Very little. Much of it goes to the discretionary funds of politicians who build grand buildings, museums, and bridges; many named for themselves and their relatives. They use these funds for their own payraises, junket trips to foreign resorts, and many things we have yet to discover. How convenient! If something is legal let it be legal and unfettered without government control! If want to make it illegal, then do so. Don't make me pay more for exercising my right to drink or smoke or whatever as a free citizen of a formerly free country!

Whether one sees merit in the early temperance groups which advocated limited drinking and at home (vs. in saloons) or not, the modern abstinence crowd is a group of rank amateurs who have told our children and us lies for years. They said alcohol causes brain damage and in fact this has never been proven. Nor does drink stunt growth. Today I went to the WCTU website and their link to "Effects on the Brain" is not hyperlinked to anything - did someone realize their century of arguments are scientifically unfounded and utterly untrue?

Among other lies told by the temperance fanatics is that "alcohol has no place in nature". We know today this is far from the truth. Ethanol that falls from ripening fruit helps break down the flesh to prepare the fruit's seed to drop to the earth and grow a new shrub or tree. Likewise, humans or animals who consume fallen, fermented fruit are protected in their digestion (to some extent) by the prescence of this powerful anti-bacterial chemical in what would otherwise be rotten, unhealthy mush. Distillation as far as I know does not occur in "the wild" but as man is part of nature (and surely as valid a species as whale, polar bear, or spotted owl), our invention of this process is as natural as any other process accomplished by other higher creatures on the planet. We are of nature and thus our human devotion and perfection of distillation and brewery is as natural as anything else. In fact, we know that animals (cows and swine in particular) are known to wait around for apples or other fruit to ferment and will not touch the fallen stuff until sufficiently full of ethanol. Whether they do this for health or fun, I cannot say but they surely do it and plan it.

The temperance movement has even been implicated in silly stories and these include the rumor that high alcohol consumption was responsible for "spontanous human combustion". They have taken this risk seriously and even scared children with it.

I have no doubt that the temperance movements have done good work and saved lives prone to abuse but in the later time extreme works of the abstinance fanatics we have a clear record of false morality, bad science, and unecessary restraint of trade. 

For further reading I recommend visiting Google Books and downloading a free copy of The Temperance Movement by Henry William Blair, a very complete, detailed (even if biased) 585 page book. It is also known as The Conflict Between Man and Alcohol. You will see the strengths and flaws of the movement with careful study.

Chapter x. The occasional wild night - play the strategy

 1   Avoiding mixing types of alcohol

I always heard in college never to drink wine and beer on the same night. I never knew why but usually overindulged in both and soon regretted it. Sometimes you had to accept the drink at hand to be sociable I thought. Other times I got away with it, using water-ladden beer to remove some of the dehydration the wine had caused. Other times it was a very bad formula. Since we mostly had cheap beer and cheap wine, the penalties were maximized from the congeners.

The main reasons that mixing types of drink CAN be bad - though it is not always going to be so:

1. Different drink types have different types of congeners. You try 2 or 3 drink types and you getting a larger, fuller set of the nasty stuff. If your wine has 5 different congeners, your beer 3, and your bourbon 7, that is one potent set of stuff for Mr. Liver to clean up. Parnter a cheap red wine with a strong bourbon and some cheap Port and you're making a recipe for max-tox condition.
2. Different drink types absorb at different rates, making it harder to judge your state of intoxication. Beer is weaker in alcohol but hits fast with all the carbonation effect. If you've had 2 beers, 3 mixed drinks, a glass of wine, and a shot of something else, guessing your current state and recovery is just that much harder.
3. One can get an enormous amount of sugar in your system because you're ingesting a wide range of sugars or carbs that quickly become sugars in the system. You wouldn't drink 12 sodas or a large bag of candy and not expect to get sick. Why would 10 drinks of different types of carbos, sugar, malts, syrups, and fruit juices give you anything better feeling?

 1   Sleep cures all at times

There are studies which show a third or half of all Americans are sleep deprived at least one a week at work.

Alcohol interferes with sleep in the majority of drinkers. Even if one goes to sleep early or passes out, it is very likely one will awaken in the early morning. If you drank a bunch of stuff loaded with sugar and sometimes caffeine (as soda-based drinks), you're pretty much awake until 5 to 7 in the morning. That's the makings of a very bad day at work or elsewhere.

Unfortunately some drinkers go to sleeping pills to make those few remaining hours of night more recuperative.

For sleep help try melatonin, a natural brain chemical that many doctors recommend. We become deficient in this natural brain chemical due to factors that include physical exercise, exposure to light, and yes...alcohol. The future of human health is determining our deficiencies, then safety and carefully replacing those missing chemicals.

 1   Dehydration - some people's worst problem

Many times when I drink a bit (or more), I have no headaches but a general lethargy and malaise overtakes me. Some of this result, especially if one has a dry mouth, is from dehydration.

1. Drink a pint of water before an evening you expect to drink in. This is part of your preparation plan discussed above.
2. Alternate strong drink with water or sports drink, avoiding too much sugar overall. If drinking a good amount of wine, I sometimes have a pitcher of cold water with me so the water near at hand. This is a nice for wine tasting because a good, clean, pure water will cleanse your palette before the next wine.
3. Avoid coffee. It is a diuretic too and only makes dehydration more likely. Coffee is also acidic, especially if loaded with sugary syrups or those instant powdered international coffees. Sugar turns to even more acid than the coffee has and your back to stomach distress.
4. No matter how tired or sick before going to bed, try to drink at least 18 ounces of water.
5. Take a clean glass of water to bed with you. You just may have dry mouth at night and not having to get up for water is a good thing.
6. Drink as much water as you can in the morning, 2 tall glasses worth if possible. Remember to avoid too much diuretic coffee. It might drink a glass of pure water and one of low acid juice. If I'm not up to this, I make sure my first stop at work is to fill up my giant mug with pure water for sipping all morning long. Before you know it that mid-morning trip to the restroom is necessary and you're already purging those liquid toxins.
7. Dualing glasses. Maybe this is just a strange thing that works for me but maybe it will aid some of my readers. I pour a lovely crystal glass of wine and an another of pure, PUR Ultimate approved water. I match them glass for glass until I'm done. Giving your body equal H20 to wine or liquor is not a bad idea. Beer/hard cider/wine coolers are so full of water this dual is not needed. The water also cleanse my tastebuds and it sometimes make the next drink of wine even better. Water alternating with acidic wine and strong drinks also reduces the stomach acid level and can cleanse the throat of harmful, burning substances. Too strong, too long = cell damage and pain.

 1   Hangover cures - the good and the odd

The problems with wine are these:

 1   Hair of the Dog [that bit you] - or not

The problems with wine are these:

CHAPTER 11. 

Reality Checks

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There are many system which determine if a person has a definable alcohol problem. I use my own set of rules that are set down in a later chapter. One popular system is the CAGE system advocated by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Ask yourself these questions and answer honestly:

1. Do you worry that you might need to CUT down on drinking?
2. Do you feel ANNOYED because other people have criticized your drinking?
3. Do you feel GUILTY about drinking?
4. Do you need a morning EYE OPENER drnk to steady to yor nerves or to fight a hangover?

CHAPTER 12.

Give Yourself a Break - We're Only Human

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 1   Allow the occasional hangover day...I mean sick day

Don't expect to be perfect any time soon. We all over indulge at times and sometimes it is not so much the alcohol as the bad food decisions we made under it's influence.

If I use more than two sick days a year for alcohol-related or dietary issues, I'll figure there's a problem. There are 365 days a year and I figure 2 rough mornings or ___% perfection is more than excellent. If one starts using 5 or 8 or 10 sick days for drinking problems, seek some serious, real assistance. Be honest with yourself and count those days with accuracy.

 1   Day after meals

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While many people swear by full, fat-ladden, "hearty", traditional breakfasts of sausage, bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, etc. (or the the McDonald's version of same), it is best not to tax your already injured liver with more fat - it already has enough work to do without processing a rich breakfast of fats and fried oils. Fried foods after drinking on a long night are a major no no or point of avoidance. They also make the gall bladder work harder and it's not wise to have your liver and gall bladder both doing overtime. Keep those fried food oils and trans fats to an absolute minimum.

 1   Alternative alcohol delivery methods

The problems with wine are these:

 1   Alcohol for Christians and Jews

I'm pretty much getting roasted in the media for this section so here goes.

About half of the scriptural references to alcohol in the Old (Torah) and New Testaments is positive.

Drinking is to drunkeness what food is to gluttony. The scripture condemns
the excesses rather than the moderate, refined use.

John Calvin, the noted founder of conservative, fundamentalist thought and very clear writer of doctrine was not adversed to Christian's consuming the fermented beverage.

I sometimes hear preachers talk about our core, traditional America values and doing what our forefathers intended and taught. We all remember the real life of Thomas Jefferson don't we? The year before his death and perhaps one or two years before, George Washington was the nation's largest producer of whiskey. He used his Mount Vernon estate to produce something on the other side 10,000 gallon of the stuff. Before there was Jim Beam and Jack Daniels there was Whiskey Baron George Washington. Values of our founding fathers, indeed! GW's scenic, inspiring, agriculturally creative Mount Vermon farm did not always make money or what it could. His Scottish farm manager said they were wasting lots of grain that spoiled or animal's could not consume it fast enough. He told the former President that his native land they stored and invested excess grain in "liquid form", not only preserving a farm's investment but making it grow and become more profitable as it aged. Brilliant thinking that! Rotten grain now becomes an appreciating asset and marketable product. President Washington saw the logic, funded the projects, and by all accounts blessed the reasonable distribution and use of the stuff. A hundred years later and still today, he might well have been arrested for lack of a liquor license, tax evasion, conspiracy for this or that, interstate traffiking, and then some. How did we come from Founding Fathers alcoholic values to true crime? It's all about the all-encompassing, omniscient, greedy, never satisfied federal government demanding yet more power and money. Jefferson and Washington did better and knew better. So may we someday soon.

The Apostle Paul spoke of "taking a little wine for your stomach's sake". Most preachers dismiss this reference with a statement that their municipal, public water was contaminated and almost undrinkable. That is still true for much of the Christian world and even in major cities we still find times when calls for boiling water are sent out. Am I to fully trust old pipes in a hot southern climate as being always safe when we know the summer produces many more stomach ailments in the population? I do use a Pur Complete water pitcher and faucet system. But if a drink or two of wine occasionally will cleanse, decontaminate, and secure the mouth, throat, and stomach from harmful microorganisms, then so much a better. Fermentation is a natural process given to us from God and securing a healthy digestive system is just one of our Creator's gifts to us.

 1   To vomit or not

Some people always want to vomit as if a bit bolemic. It is not such a bad idea if you get away will it socially.

The risks of purging one's self can be numerous. You may lose the vitamins and good chemicals from your recent meal, things you'll need to overcome the effects of drinking. If you have prescription medicines of life-saving importance, missing a dose due to alcohol can be a very hazardous thing. Not many women will admit this but not a few have found themselves with the advantage of birth control pills due to alcohol consumption shortly after the swallowing.

 1   The day after meal

This b

1. EASY BROTH WITH NOODLES - this popular remedy takes various forms. Some use beef bullion cubes and have a nice little teas. Others crack out the Ramen noodles and a simple but salty sauce. Others swear by a good chicken soup, canned or preferably from ma's cooking last night. In New Orleans there is a tradition of a Yaka Mein, a mix of noodles or spaghetti, beef or pork, boiled eggs, and a nice soothing meat broth.
2. GINGER ALE OR TEA - the sparkling ale is popular but the carbonation, sugar, and sometimes addition of caffeine (not all brands) is a problem for me. A good ginger tea (the strong herbal brands which make the liquid thick, white, and cloud) is known to sooth the stomach. I may follow the ginger tea with a peppermint tea which also has nice gastric curing properties. Real strong ginger tea (using the true root, again the white, cloudy tea) has at least two chemicals that fight viruses, not a bad thing when your system is already immune-challenged by alcohol.
3. COFFEE - I say no but much of the world swears by it. If you need to caffeine, I'd go with a green or black tea which is less hard on the stomach. Remember that coffee is also a diuretic so it makes your alcohol-induced dehydration even worse. Perhaps a lot of cream in the coffee is easier on the stomach.
4.  

CHAPTER 13.

Moderation vs. Abstinence

Moderate drinking or moderation in alcohol use is a much misunderstood concept. It is not the same as social drinking which may or may not be limited or moderate and is often problematic. Just because one doesn't drink as a recluse or at home, doesn't mean the juice is not being abused. It can help to drink in only certain places and times but moderation is more about amount, intervals, and easily doing without. 

As a general rule, true moderate drinkers 1) do not drink every day nor want to, 2) never have more than 1-3 drinks in any given day, and 3) often go many days without needing or wanting a drink. 

Most of the studies which show come benefits for drinking in terms of heart diseases, cancers, stones, and general well-being, require one to be very moderate, usually no more than 1-2 drinks a day. Some studies begin to show risk at just 2 drinks a day and nearly all warn of 3-4 per day. One study show that one half to one drink a day lowered women's risk of hip fracture by 20% over those completely abstinent. Those who consumed 2 or more drinks actually reversed the benefit and ended up with 39% more fractures - though doubtless clumsiness brought on by the alcohol might have had an effect outside the basic chemistry. How is this possible. Some people believe very low alcohol use increases estrogen circulation in older women and thus they are less likely to have hip fractures brought on by hormonal causes.

There are many groups which help with moderation and some are very well established and successful. Here's just a couple I've read about and heard about - for your consideration:

• www.drinklinkmoderation.com - Founded in 1988, Donna Cornett believes in sensibly and appropriately drinking. Various programs are offered including some kits with reading and helpful herbs.
• www.moderation.org - Moderation Management is a very large organization with a helpful and complex website. They create a safe, confidential meeting space based on the desire to help and respect others. Members abstrain on meeting days, never drink at meetings or with other members - and I'm not sure I'd like that approach entirely. They ask people to stop for a period of 30 days when they're ready and then re-evaluate their life, goals, and motivations. Only then can moderate, safe, limited drinking be resumed. They emphasize small steps and analyze why people drink and what parts of that are harmful and can be controlled or eliminated.
• 
  

CHAPTER 14. 

Get a Set of Rules and Keep Them

Let's ta

Here's a set I worked out on my own, adding some over the years and removing others. You can borrow some of these and add others as you need:

My drinking must NEVER:

1. Cause physical harm to myself or others (their car, their life, and my liver in particular)
2. Result in damage to important human relationships with my friends and family
3. Make me unprepared to meet my family obligations (ie. be too drunk to drive your kid to the hospital)
4. Make me late for work
5. Result in financial stress or spending so much I'm not prepared for emergencies
6. Be a disadvantage to my employer in terms of me not being alert, efficient, and ready
7. Bring me into contact with undesirable people and new temptations 
8. Cause me to earn disrespect or dishonor in the community
9. Force me to lie or get in situations when telling the truth is awkward
10. Harm my career and wealth advancement 
11. Put me at added risk for disease 
12. Make moral compromises I'll regret later
13. Become something I cannot voluntarily stop at any time for any reason
14. Distract me from normal life activities and favorite hobbies
15. Be used to ignor problems or seriously procrastinate

Let's ta

CHAPTER 15.

Alternatives to 12-step and Quit Now Programs

This

CHAPTER x.  Cut back rather than quit

As I've mentioned before, those of you in the serious, life-endangering, truly chronic alcoholic category cutting back a bit is not a good option. You may need to stop.

Just like food, shopping, sex, and anything else fun and addictive, I'm inclined from my life experience to believe most of us addicts only lick our addiction by conquering it. You don't conquer and master something but avoiding it and abstaining. Extremes in life are seldom the solution. I'm a Type A personality and even if you're not I hope the idea of master alcohol is more appealing and challenging than simply giving it all up.

The positives about alcohol tells us that our Creator (or if you prefer the non-intelligent, creative forces of nature) is a gift to us and a potential NET POSITIVE in our lives. Food is not bad but glutiny and over-indulging is.

Here are some ways I used to cut back and these are proven by many folks:

1. GET A NEW HOBBY, especially at the time you drink most -  some people find the urge to check out bars after work or when bored on Saturdays. Take up a new hobby whether it be stamps, some sport, study of an art, reading, or whatever at the time you're most often to drink in excess. There's a thousand good passions out there to replace what we are using alcohol to fill and many of them do what alcohol does - ie. reduce stress, improve our heart, increase social contacts, etc.

2. DRINK MORE H2O - I found that I sometimes craved a beer or three only because I was dehydrated after work and just plain hot. A couple of really cool, clear purified glasses of water gave me a different perspective on my need to drink. I mike have a small wine in the evening but I did not have a craving to down 6 cold, luscious beers instead.

3. START DRINKING LATER, - You can combine this with 1. with a hobby to keep you occupied early in the evening and on weekends. I used to start drinking at 7pm when I first got home. I decided to work on my writing from 8-10 pm each night and only allowed "me cups" in the last 10pm hour - which does improve writing on occasion. I had less time to consume before going to bed and consumed less with ease.

The altnerate theory is to drink early and thus maximize your amount of curative sleep. This is only good if you have a specified limit or drinking goal such as 3 beers or 2 glasses or wine - end of story.

1. KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS, -

1. AVOIDING DRINKING FRIENDS AND BAD SITUATIONS, es

1. HAVING A BUDDY SYSTEM, - find a friend (even your mate it comes to what - just kiddin) who wants to cut down on the alcohol consumption. Develop a schedule of doing other things and not drinking a day or two a week and ease off on the ethanol passions. The Twelve Step programs thrive and die on the strength of one's buddy. So does a system of cuttin' down.

1. SAVE $$$ FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT, - I decided one day I needed $300 for a business investment. My disposible income and investments had nothing more to give. Bled dry. Three hundred. I decided that was a goal I could get to by cutting back on silly things, of which alcohol was one. My little whiteboard was checked off whenever I brought my lunch to work, gave up a bottle of wine, delayed some gratification, or did without something ordinary and usual but perhaps wasteful. Those bottles of port added up and so did the 6-pack instead of the 12--pack.  I found that by cutting my alcohol budget by as little as 10% and faithfully allocating that money for a specific, important goal was meaningful to me. It works, it really does.

1. CULTIVATED INTEREST IN OTHER BEVERAGES, - some of the charm of alcohol is the whole connoisseur culture around wine tasting and collecting. Ditto now for beer. Double dittos for Whiskey. Don't fool yourself. It's all about obtaining our attention, appealing to our sense of sophistication, the allure of elite culture, cultivating our brain time, and ultimately our money. Even if very noteworthy alcohol is within our budget there is always a higher place, a more elite position, a larger budget to aspire for. Mixed drinks too charm people and some of us spend time learning their complex formulae and mastering their many subtle variations and nomenclature.

Guess what my friends? We can apply our intellect, a smaller amount of money, and desire to try new thing to non-alcoholic drinks of equal sophistication to the hard stuff. That some time to study drink recipes that feature healthy, non-alcoholic components. There are drinks made from rare, precious fruits and even with the exclusive charms of heirloom vegetables. We can join a Fruit of the Month club or a local university's service in testing their new fruit and vegetable varieties. Juicing a day or two or three a week can be a fun hobby and a good way for Mr. Liver to get some time off. Find a good rare fruit blend or a fruit-veggie blend of amazing charm and enjoy sometimes with alcohol and other times without.

1. SLEEPING AWAY THE TEMPTATION, - this may be controversial and I hope can be a short-term solution for some of us. I decided that drinking late and much was not a good way to honor my employer in terms of my restfulness and alertness. I was my own employer with a book business on weekends (you're reading it) and I was also cheating myself. I decided that one or two nights a week I'd use a safe sleeping pill to get to me sleep earlier and avoid consuming alcohol long and late into the night. A few times drying this I actually woke up in a pool of beer or wine and slept through it, having poured my ready cup on myself. Sad but true. A few times I took a bit of generic sleeping pill as soon as I'd finished my dinner. I had no time to consume what I might have otherwise done, especially if on a carbo-rush from a couple of beers. This is only a short term solution but I trades one numbing force for another.

Moderation is key here. Don't drop out and dose up every night. That's asking for new addictions.

1. ABSTRAIN LONGER AND LONGER - , Try going one day a week without a drink. Next month have a goal for two days a week. Then in the next month or two go three days off one week. One can drink regular in the interim weeks but knowing you can go 1, 2, or 3 days fully dry gives one control, esteem, and a geniune feeling of control. If you say "I can stop drinking for days at a time" then prove it to yourself and those around on a regular basis. Your liver will thank you.

I got to a point when I said I will drink Tuesday and Friday nights, not indulging or binging, but having 4-5 beer or a nice bottle of wine for myself alone. I learned to look forward to those days and thrived in abstraining and having control of my life, true control, real command, on those other days. You pick the number of abstainance days each week and enjoy those other days! Look forward to the days off and the days full on.

1. GET A NEW HOBBY, es

CHAPTER 16.

Reducing the Craving for Ethanol: 

Substitutes, Alternatives, and Controls

Let's ta

• Kudzu (Pueraria montana, formerly P. lobata) - this rampant Japanese vine in the legume family is known to many American southerners for it invaded the land after it's introducton by well-meaning agriculturists who thought it would make good aniaml food. It did and does a bit. Besides BEING consumed it wanted to CONSUME vast landscapes including woodlands and wildflowers. It has been used in China for centuries and since 600 A.D. or so it has been used to reduce alcohol cravings. Studies in China, some augmented by McLean Hospital (a Harvard affiliate), has show the cravings were cut roughly in half. In one experiment, the average beer craving per session was 1.8 versus 3.8 in the placebo group. The active chemical is thought to be peurarin but this is not confirmed by non-plant trials of that chemical. In essence, it may have value in getting one to be moderate instead of wanting that second, third, or fourth beer. The application of this weed (which is in ample supply) has been hurt by two things. One may need to take 2 pills up to 3 times a day. The second is that nearly all products are the market were too weak, some having less than 1% of the active chemistry. One brand called PF Full Spectrum Kudzu claims to be standardized to 40% isoflavones and may be a good choice. The range of 30-40% isoflavones is thought to be necessary. How does it work? Some think it may increase bloodflow of alcohol to the brain, making the brain more quickly alert to high intact, shutting down the natural response to need or want more. Another curious thing is that the Japanese also use kudzu to increase women's breast size and some evidence suggests there are small effects in that department. Reducing drink crazing and increasing breasts? This stuff might have a large campus market someday!
• Water - don't laugh. It works and frankly I was surprised. Many times I get home from work and want to suck down 4 or 6 brews, relax and get to bed. I tried drinking two or three full glasses of VERY cold water from a PUR Ultmate system when getting home. I found myself not only full but needing just 1-2 beers to satisfy me. Why? I was probably 1) dehydrated, 2) just wanting a cold liquid anything, and 3) in need of something to fill my belly until dinner was ready. Water fit the bill and those two beers were just right. Since prehydration is a good part of planning for a drinking session of strong alcohol, it never hurts to fill the stomach, give a bit of cold refreshment, and keep that H20 level up. 
• Kava - this herb which promotes relaxation and even sleep was once proposed as an alcohol substitute. Some people still use it. Unfortunately, it is not a clear substitute for an alcohol buzz and many other things can be used to relax one - if alcohol is primarily needs to prepare one for sleep.
• Cannabis sativa - I was not surprised to find two groups on the internet who claimed to help alcoholics trade their legal liquids for the illegal puff of smoke. For me, if I used one of the two, I pretty much craved the other as well as twelve bags of Doritos and even more mood-altering things. 
• Valium and sedatives - 
• GHP - this potentially dangerous chemical has been mostly discredited as an alcohol substitute. I list it here mainly for historical reasons and do not recommend it.
• Sleeping pills and aids.Trading an alcohol problem for a pill problem is not a bright idea. The main over the counter sleep aid is called diphenhydramine and while occasional use is not generally helpful, it has issues. It's an antihistamine so it can negsatively affect the memory - which no student or professional can tolerate. Seniors, already with memory issues, should avoid diphenhydramine in the opinion of many medical experts. I found the use of natural sleep aids to help cut back on alcohol use. I took a medically-sound blend of melatonin (your brain's natural sleepmaker), Valerian (a safe herb), and L-tryptophan (another human chemical) as a way to go to sleep quickly and early. The extra time I spent in bed and sleeping had two effects. I could skip drinking that night and also had a very good day at work the next day - being thoroughly rested and having had lots of healing REM sleep. One of the main reasons alcohol hinders our sleep is that it lowers the brain's natural melatonin levels that day.
  
• Coca Cola - the original stuff with actual coca leaf (a cocaine relative) and real Cola was originally proclaimed as a substitute for the nasty vice that so many temperence groups were ranting about. Turned out it was highly addicting in that form and was anything but a sedative! The modern stuff is so full of caustic acid, harmful corn syrup, and caffeine it is not on anyone's list for replacing soft drinks for hard ones. In fact, Coke and other cola products are popular additives to liquor (ie. rum and Coke), keeping one jacked up on caffeine and sugar so the mind is more aware of the ethanol. I do not regard any sugar and caffeine beverage to be a good alcohol substitute for any reason.
  

CHAPTER 17..

Safer and Healthier Mixed Drinks 

Let's ta

1. Fresh organic fruit plus good vodka - perhaps the most healthy form of drinking is freshly blended organic fruit with a clean, well-distilled vodka. The organic fruit will be full of natural sugars (the best kind in moderation), free on pesticide and herbicide residue, and loaded with all sorts of good vitamins, minerals, and life-giving enzymes. Canned and bottled fruit is pasteurized so you lose the live enzymes and many of the vitamins. Avoid canned, bottled, and "drink mix" versions of fruit like the plague. Premium to mid-price vodka will be free of contaminents and other things which can cause hangovers. Clean, pure fruit and clean, pure vodka can be blended in a million recipes. I would not want to drink these every day but replacing wine, hard liquor, and beer once in a whole is a good thing. By the way, most bar and restaurant fruit smoothies have little fruit, lots of added sugar, and some nasty artificial additives which only your liver more. Make your own stuff so you know it's the real stuff.

2. Light beer or not -

3. Stronger, premium beer - stronger beer is more healthy? Yes if you watch your BAC levels. A class or two of strong (9-13%) ale such as Belgian Trippels or an aged barleywine will replace many cans and bottles of weaker beer. When a little beer gives the same buzz, your sugar intake goes way down, improving the sugar/insulin issues many drinkers develop before long. Carbohydrate reduction is the key here.

4. Artificially sweetened drinks - some folks swear by eliminating the sugar of mixed drinks by using tea, fruit drink base, or other ingredients sweetened with Splenda® (sucrulose) or EQUAL® and Nutrasweet® (aspartame). I have always avoided these because anything artificial that has to go through the liver to be processed, adds a burdon on that organ. Besides, there are more than 30 medical symptions people report with these and other sweeteners, some of them severe for certain individuals. Aspartame produces traces of formaldehyde in the body; that being the stuff that embalms dead bodies and keeps jars of museum fish and frog specimens preserved. Talking about pickling your liver! I avoid all these laboratory sweeteners and use natural sweeteners like Stevia which do not tax the liver even more.

5. Wine - because wine has turned many of the sugars in the grape into alcohol, it can better for the diet or while on a diet. 5 ounces of white wine gives just 100 calories - compared to 400-450 calories for many hard liquors. Some beers are about the 100 calorie level per 5 ounces but not all of them.

CHAPTER 18..

Drink for Good Purposes

Let's ta

CHAPTER 19.

Religious views and The Temple Thing

He are some notes from a religious perspective that many help some of us with these views or backgrounds.

Islam

"During the Period of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), Arabs were very fond of wine and drinking parties. This love of wine is reflected in their language, which has nearly one hundred names for it, and in their poetry, which celebrates the praises of wine, goblets, drinking parties, and so on. "

I was given these verses by a friend who stated the Koran most definately condemns alcohol consumption:

"O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan's handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed." (Al Ma'idah 90).

"There shall be no sin unto those who believe and do good works for what they may have consumed. So be mindful of your duty and do good works; and again: be mindful of your duty, and believe; and once again: be mindful of your duty, and do right. Allah loveth the good." (Al Ma' idah 93).

It is clear from some passages that the Koran condemns praying while drunk. Does this specific proclamation imply there is a use for intoxicants in other contexts and during other activities? One might think so.

“We give you the fruit of the palm and the vine from which you derive intoxicants and wholesome food” (sura 16:69). This Koranic verse is said to approve wine consumption though some fundamentalist scholars translate the words in different ways. What is not in doubt is that pre-Koranic Islamic history is full of positive references to wine in art and literature. 

There is some historical evidence that Islamic wine in early times was very weak and what religious leaders condemned was overindulgence of it or use of stronger forms. The "water in wine" story of Christ was a style of wine according to archeologists that perhaps had a 5% ABV value and doubtless much Middle Eastern wine was similarly weak and thin. Others have said the early bans only applied to strong wines and other beverages such as beer (or beer-bread) and fermented milk were always allowed.

As is true in the Christian community, some Islamic experts consider early use of fermented breads, stews, and fruit drinks to be necessary for those times without proper refrigeration, spicing, and preservatives. Today, they believe we have no need to this use of ethanol in our foods and drinks.

"They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say: In both is great harm and utility for men; but the harm of them is greater than their usefulness." (Al-Baqarah 219).

The popular wine grape Shiraz may in fact come from the Iranian city of that name, suggesting a strong wine-growing industry there since ancient times in Islamic Persian. Others attribute this name to a mistake for Syrah (and alternative name today) and link the wine to Syracuse, Italy. We can certainly verify that Iran and Persia did produce much wine with or without the Shiraz connection.

A question that sometimes arises is what about Jesus and others in the Hebrew and Christian Bible who clearly used and consumed wine - Jesus even made some for his friends! Moses and Solomon are two "holy men" that one might think the Islamic community would condemn instead of honor.

There is also the issue that alcohol is forbidden in public in many Islamic countries but beverage importers will confirm millions of dollars of stuff is shipped and paid for in those lands! That places no doubt or dishonor of those muslims who follow the strict law but clearly many followers of the religion do otherwise.

Islam shares much with Christianity in warning not so much about ethanol on it's own but it's effects in terms of foolish decisions, slothfullness, and vulnerability to sexual sin.

There is much written these days about the 72 virgins which martyrs supposedly get in the Muslim version of Heaven. (No one seems to write about the 72 mothers-in-law that must surely come with this reward!). The Koran speaks also off vineyards as a reward and unless one love fresh grapes, there is some implication that heaven may include wine?!? One account (perhaps discredited) says this eternal joy includes also 28 prepubescent boys for having as well. Some suggest that the Great Prophet used this promise to lure the wealthy, deviant leaders of his day into wanting a truly Islamic Heaven and thus keeping the laws until then. One Saudi scholar says the 72 virgins do not refer to innocent human females but the great delicacy of "white raisins"; a phrase which may somehow be translated as pure virgins.

Of this heaven are said these things:

"Here is a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised. In it are...rivers of wine..." (Koran 47:15)

Koran 37:40-48
But the true servants of God shall be well provided for,...they shall be served with goblet filled at a gushing fountain, white and delicious to those who drink it. It will neither dull their senses nor befuddle them.

Koran 56:7-40
They shall recline on jewelled couches face to face, and there shalt wait on them immortal youths with bowls and ewers and a cup of purest wine:

Koran 83:23-26
The righteous will surely dwell in bliss. Reclining upon soft couches they will gaze around them: and in their faces you shall mark the glow of joy. They shall be given a pure wine to drink, securely sealed, whose very dregs are musk...

A very thoughtful account of this issue by Abul Kasem appears here on the web. There is some very potent information here and I hope all of you will take time to read it.
http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/kasem/wine_drinking.htm

Christianity

The Christian Bible no where condemns the use of alcohol. The Bible condemns drunkeness and depravity. Drunkeness is to drinking what glutony is eating. One is the extreme, greedy, harmful form, the other a normal part of like.

Jesus turned water into wine. Yes it was real wine and not grape juice. Some researchers argue that popular wine in Christ's time was of short fermentation, not the powerful stuff we see today. Rather than 10-20% alcohol content some believe it had just 4-7% alcohol, allowing festive consumption. Firstly, let us note the banquet attendees remarked on the quality our Lord's vintage meaning it was flavorful and/or strong. We cannot be sure in terms of its chemistry other than that the Lord had more than some appreciation of
oenology. Indeed as Creator of the genetic diversity and chemical complexity in Vitis it is not
unthinkable that Chateau Jesu was the finest ever tasted. He might have easily thought them a lesson had he done otherwise. Secondly, even if we accept the lower alcohol theory one is left with a product similar in effect to wine coolers and ordinary beer.

Jesus also used the Parable of the New and Old Wineskins in his message. The Lord's Supper from the original one to modern time is often undertaken with real, alcoholic wine as a symbol of Christ's blood.

Some scholars and even some muslims who feel Christians have taken too much liberty with drink, claim that Jesus and others used unfermented grape juice and not real wine. There is no solid evidence for his revision of history. Indeed an unfermented drink would never be considered for a celebration like a wedding or group meal.

John the Baptist was singled out for his unusual lifestyle of isolation in the desert, and "eating no bread and drinking no wine". He was not typical and singled out as being such.

WHY ARE CATHOLIC PRIESTS CELEBATE AND DRINK WINE WHILE LEVITICAL PRIESTS HAD WIVES BUT USED NO WINE?

Hatch: Luther and Calvin considered this just one of many proofs that Roman Catholic priesthood was a false, artificial one with no connection to the ancient, Hebrew priesthood. It is not our purpose to discuss the failings of modern priests but in many court cases abuse of alcohol contributed to sexual acts, some of them with children. It has been written that the Levitical prohibition is evidence that alcohol is a far more dangerous thing than sex. Others suggest a married priest was far less likely to be tempted by adultery than to abuse alcohol. In other words, it is perhaps easier to break a vow concerning alcohol than one of marital fidelity.

Riddle:

IS ALCOHOL USE A RISK TO TRUE CHRISTIANS? DOES IT MAKE US VULNERABLE TO SIN?

The Apostle Paul spoke of taking a "little wine for the stomach's sake". Generally this is explained on the basis of their public water being contaminated and making one prone to illness. Wine, like bottled water, was the best alternative some say.  That may be true occasionally but archeology tells us the Romans provided the very finest water available on the planet and that illness was very limited. This popular argument holds very little water. I'm inclined to think the wine had a good result on the stomach in terms of providing physical relaxation and a mild anticeptic effect. Many fermented grape products have been shown to have antimicrobial properties in terms of
both Vitis chemistry and ethanol content.

Hatch: The key to understanding the research is to realize that only moderate
alcohol consumption (one or two drinks per day) is beneficial. There are
studies which show moderate use decreases the risk of heart disease,
lowers cholesterol, and lowers stress. More than three drinks a day is
likely to be harmful.

WHAT PRACICAL GUIDELINES SHOULD CHRISTIANS USE?

Hatch: Moderation at all times. When in doubt don't imbibe. Used as many designated, alcohol
free drivers as you will need. As a Christian and good
citizen I would not even drink so much as a drop if I must drive even to the corner
store. God has provided natural
remedies for negative effects of moderate, social drinking. These include thiamine/B-1 (nerve
damage), milk thistle (liver damage), sleeplessness (melatonin), and purified water (dehydration).
Yet moderate Christian drinkers will have little of these concerns. Frankly I am more worried
about people damaging the temple by driving up to the fastfood drive-in a couple of times
a week.

Riddle:

HOW DOES ALCOHOL USE AFFECT CHILDREN AND SPOUSES IN THE CHRISTIAN HOME?

I think children learn more about solid Christian living from observing disciplined,
principled use of alcohol than total prohibition. A child who enters a college (even a Christian one) without exposure to principles of logical moderation is quick likely to experiment and abuse alcohol. I know - it happened to me. I had no idea of what was too much or dangerous or foolish. I had no clue what forms of alcohol were most potent or even the signs one was approaching a reasonable limit. Out of ignorance was born a craving for dangerous and embarrassing experimentation. Some might argue that a prodigal experience is not entirely bad but I wasted a good deal of time, money, and reputation in the
process.

The forbidden thing will be very appealing and they have no basis for understanding an
appropriate, reasonable way of living in their new social surrounding. If one wishes to
abstain that is good but every young person needs to experience what are their valid limits.
If anything I would cultivate an appreciation in teens for being connoisseurs of good wine,
gourmet beer, and fine liquors. When one appreciate quality over quanity then moderation
comes very naturally.

Some cite the fact that alcohol is harmful to the human fetus as a good case no woman of
child-bearing age should consume alcohol. With our early, modern means of detecting pregnancy (to say nothing of the old clues) there is no reason a women would ever harm her fetus with sustained consumption. Indeed we know from millions of examples that alcohol use at the time
of conception gives no harmful effect!

No Christian father or mother should drink when it could even endanger a child. The harms of
alcohol such as violence, unkind speach, or abuse will not be a problem when beverages are consumed very
moderately. We must confuse the traits of drunks with a refined, temperate practice.

Christians have the reputation for having no fun. While alcohol is not essential to fun it is certainly a gift of God for our pleasure. Psalms 104:15 speaks of the Lord providing "wine that maketh glad the heart of man". John Calvin, founder of protestant conservatism, of all people cites this verse in his justification for moderate use of wine. Sometimes we as Christians think of many godly blessings as being the domain of the worldly since they have perfected their abuse; alcohol and sex residing at the top of many lists. These things in their spiritual, pure purpose BELONG TO US AS CHRISTIANS and not to the world and Satan with their corruptions of the good thing. We as believers need to reclaim our God-giving rights and blessings to enjoy his bounties. While I generally respect any Christian fellowship for abstaining from alcohol use, I respect more the one that uses this great gift of God in it's proper role. Total bans are at times cowardly and born of ignorance of both scripture and science. The relaxation and pleasure that alcohol provides is most precious and lovely in the context of warm Christian fellowship. I think Christians might learn something from our Jewish brothers and sisters on how to make celebratory use of alcohol as a part of our worship and family gatherings.

Judaism

Tied to the Christian views of drinking via the Torah or Old Testament, the big issue is drunkeness vs. ritual or moderate uses of drink. There is even a long tradition of moderate alcohol use on the Sabbath (Saturday) and formal holidays. This may accompany both the giving of blessing and reading of scripture. Traditionally however the Passover has been a time of abstinence from fermented beverages. The original passage in Exodus forbides leavened bread but not alcohol. Some authorities note that Passover requires a ban on grain, hence beer with barley, wheat, or rye is off limited. Soda too made with corn syrup is off the list for some.

Curiously, history tells us that the Jews in slavery in Egypt under the Pharoahs are known to have made the favorite beer of the time. Dough was mixed with dates, honey, spices, and water. The saturated liquid was soon drained off and fermented in clay jars, being a liquid bread or early style of beer. Such a grain-based drink (likely leavened with natural yeast from nature) would have been taboo during Passover.

Purim too is a time for festive drinking for some and other more Orthodox parties guard so much against intoxication they avoid all drink.

The topic is not simple so consult your Rabbi or a teacher of Hebrew Law to be sure all the bases are covered in your preferred practice.

There are many brands of Kosher wine out there and these confirm the value that alcohol is held in some communities. While it is not everyone's cup of grape, most US grocery stores carry Manishewitz wine, which is about 9-11% ABV. The use of Concord grapes to make kosher wine traces to the early Jewish immigrants in New York where that grape was widely grown. Israel, Napa Valley, and Bordeaux regions all make koshers wines. It should be noted that kosher wines which use corn syrup as an additive cannot be consumed by the orthodox during Passover as corn is a grain.

There are kosher beers, two which are popular at called Fat Tire and Blue Moon. Much of the popular Samuel Adams line is kosher too.

A portion of the Talmud does prohibit drinking during the use of musical instruments and for ceremonies like weddings. This is not a widespread practice today.

Some have claimed that wine should be taboo as the grape was considered the real "apple" that Eve ate in the Garden of Eden. Most experts consider this to be untrue and according to old legends, the whole tree-woman-snake-devil interaction might well have involved the Pomegranate.

CHAPTER x.

A 50-week plan or not

Copy the ideas from this section and work on them one at a time, making notes on your plan at each step.

_____ - When coming home from work or a busy day, drink 1-2 glasses of water instead of having a beer or more. Thirst is sometime the issue with crazing a drink.

____ - I'm keeping my mineral and vitamin intact high and effectively so. This does not mean those crappy, worthles 100% RDA bottles which barely keep you for deficiencies. You need to be energetic, free of cancer and other diseases, and that takes higher vitamin levels. If you drink even a little your B vitamins and others generally need to be very high. Consult your doctor or a trained health advisor before changing your diet.

___ - Don't go cold turkey and sober right away unless your doctor requires it and gives you a specific, detailed, medically sound plan. Some studies show that sudden sobriety can cause clear and possibly dangerous increases in blood pressure. If we've used alcohol to "calm our nerves" and settle down our stress for years (decades even), taking away this proven formula and perhaps even replacing with stress-inducing caffeine drinks (not recommended!) is bound to make things worse in the short run.

_____ - Enjoy merging healthy fruit, grains, and vegetables with your new limited drinking. Everyone can find a dozen great smoothes that can have as little Vodka or other liquor you want. Avoid bottled, sugar drink mixes which are cleverly marketed, pretty soda in fact. Get your sugar from natural grain and fruit. Go with fresh stuff blended up the same minute you consume it. There are a thousand fine websites out their on healtier alcoholic drinks. Go forth and explore.

____ - try at least one form of non-diet stress reduction such a meditation, prayer, low stress exercise, walking, and bio-feedback. Try as many as you need to find one or three effective plans. These activities not only cut back on evening or weekend drinking time but may cause your physiology to want less of a buzz or mellowness.

_____ - Ask your doctor or healthcare advisor about adding NAC and liver cleansing supplements to your diet to minimize harm of the drinking you want.

____ - Get at least one objective person evaluate what you want and need to do regarding alcohol. Start with a spouse, partner, or close friend. Move up a wider circle of friends and family and go professional if you still need more. Most corporations (even tiny ones) have free services from the HR side to help with this kind of counseling.

____ - Find a new hobby and so a new set of hours and friends to engage with. Lots of us have solitary drinking issues and so getting out and doing new things might be half of our battle. Human interaction and stimulation has a way of driving lone-drinking out of our regular program. New hobbies can be expensive so pick one you can afford and use the money you're not spending on pricey booze to reinforce your love of and status in the hobby. I make myself give up $10 a week (at first) to fund the new hobby of weight lifting and before long consumed less port and had a primo set of barbells.

____ - Blame no one but yourself. We all have had complex childhoods and trauma of one kind of another. Deal with potent issues with professionals as you need but take your alcohol issues on as your own responsibility. Even if your dad put vodka in your baby bottles or drank you to asleep in your crib with Nyquil, you as an adult are still responsible for every drop of ethanol you chose to consume.

____ - At first, try to go 1 day a week without drinking. Most everyone but the fully addicted person can do this. I decided that Sunday night was the best night to pick because it made Monday's a lot easier in terms of work and just getting up.

____ - Pray to your God, higher power, yourself, or Prius as you desire. Twelve step programs don't work for everyone but getting help from above is never a bad thing. Considering that The Great Creator (whatever name your call her or him) completely invented the whole fermentation into ethanol thing, your Maker is pretty much able and ready to help you with the motivations, chemistry, and psychology of the addiction.

____ - reward yourself for not drinking. I used to put the money saved from not buying alcohol that day in a jar. That jar let me buy some clothes or gadgets I had wanted.

_____ - when going out pick the Designated Driver but also ask him or her to keep you down to a specific pre-set drink level. Make sure that person is skilled in calculating the alcohol load of every drink consumed in your group.

_____ - have a nice lower alcohol drink after workl. Make it yourself with fruit and just a small splash of alcohol. Follow it with water to keep you full.

_____ - don't fill up your stomach with cheap junk food like bar snacks just to keep the food:alcohol balance high. Those snacks are loaded in sugar, salt, and all sorts of chemicals which create higher blood pressure and cause sugar/insulin issues. Processed snacks and foods (even if they appear to be healthy appetizers from restaurant) are full of odd chemicals which cause your liver to work harder - and your liver already has a full-time job with the alcohol you pick to consume.

_____ - Skip drinking these days this week:

_____ - Develop an interest in other beverages such as special tea, elite coffees, fruit smoothes (without alcohol),

_____ - Let others know you're limiting your drinking and trying to cut back to a healthier level but not giving it up completely. Make sure they understand the difference between being politically-correct sober, necessarily sober for health reasons, and your approach to have control over the beast so it does not master you. They will look out for you and help you with this approach when meeting up next time.

_____ - Keep no alcohol at home. Then buy exactly a specific amount of alcohol on a fixed, austere budget. Stick to it. Cut the budget a few dollars each week.

_____ - Meet friends or co-workers at a coffee house or any place not offering alcoholic drinks.

____ - have your familiar daily or after-work drink but cut it down a bit with seltzer, more ice,

____ -

____ - if you mastered 1 day a week without drinking, now move on to two days a week.

____ -

____ - try to go every other day without a drink or decide on an even more strong strategy.

.

Planned Drinking: the intelligent, careful approach

This

CHAPTER x.  Plan your drinking - you do that for everything else important in your life

As with many of life's great pleasures, the sound gifts of God, very often LESS IS MORE. That's to say, the occasional and special event indulgence is more special, highly anticipated, and thrilling because it is a bit more rare.

One college website I visited admitted that students would be drinking and gave them tips on how to make this better. Most of those agreed with my own findings for adults on assuring a safe, pleasant, and healthy night. Use this checklist whenever you can:

___ Plan for a safe driver whether its a classic designated driver or cab driver. Don't guess that a friend or family member will be available. Assure this is advance.

___ Plan for safe transportion. That's different than a driver. I remember ending up with a designated driver who couldn't drive the stick shift, manual transmission car we all rode in! Guess what happened? The least drunk person had to drive in our way of thinking and did. If you plan on a cab or subway be sure your schedule and theirs will agree. And don't miss the last ferry boat either!

___ Plan for 3 health meals that drinking day and the day after. Generally, it's good to have a meal before drinking because we'll be less tempted to fill our stomachs with mass quantities. This meal might be heavy in bread products which can absorb the first sips and slow down the effect at first. I've been known to bring a healthy protein bar with me in my pocket when going out. Another great idea is to go for a establishment with healthier foods - plan the food first, the drinks second.

___ Plan for your security. There's nothing like a pack of drunk people (especially potentially vulnerable groups like all younger women or out-of-shape adults) that says "rob me now" to thieves. And yes, these days such people case bars and nightclubs just looking for people to rob and roll. And I don't mean ask some drunk in your group to pack his 9mm! Be sure the designated driver is going to park AND pick you up in a safe spot and now how to get you all back safely bu the safest routes. Asking a group of drunk people the easy or safe way to their house is real trouble. 

___ Plan against hangover effects. Decide what to mix or not knowing what we know about congeners and such. Always prehydrate with water and plan to have water after the evening. I've even set out a water pitcher and some Pepto by my bed before going out. That way it's ready and easy to grab when I falling a bit tipsy into the sack. Take that coating of stomach or anti-gas medicine before going out to coat your stomach and to prevent upset later on.

Chapter x. The occasional wild night - plan to win

1. Designated driver(s) - st

1. Load up on the good stuff - hours before or preferaby the night before, take a full potency, comprehensive vitamin set. If you don't have these on hand, go to the grocery or drugstore and buy a stress-type vitamin formula and take double the usual dose. These formula will give your body a few dozen chems to counteract the partying and keep your systems generally strong. Consider a dose of NAC (N-acteyl cysteine) to get your body ready to suppress that live-killing acetaldyhyde.

1. Prehydrate - unless beer or another water-based drink is your exclusive numbing agent of the evening, drink 1-2 glasses of water before your night of drinking.

1. Designated driver(s) - st

1. Designated driver(s) - st

1. Mid-hydrate -

1. Designated driver(s) - st

1. Designated driver(s) - st

1. Pre-sleep routine - take a dose of stomach aid such as a pink Pepto-type formula, .........to calm the acid, gas, and such you've accululated this night. If you're the least bit thristy, your body may be telling you to drink some water. Drink 1-2 tall glasses but don't force yourself.