Ii find it hard to believe that only alcoholics are concerned about how much they drink. I have practiced and studied yoga for over 30 years. Yoga cultivates a keen awareness of how things we consume affect us. the cultivation of subtle awareness amplifies the smallest change in the body. For instance, soon after starting yoga, I quit smoking cigarettes. At that time, I smoked one to three cigarettes a day. Hardly an addiction, but I noticed smoking interfered with my ability to breath during yoga. I wanted to breath deeply. Later I gave up red meat, not because I wanted to be a vegetarian, but because I felt that my digestive system bogged down, and was overworked by my meat consumption. I have, on multiple occasions, given up caffeine, mainly because it makes me anxious, and I do not like to feel jittery. I am drinking coffee now with little or no effect. I do not drink more than one cup of full-caffeine and one with half-caffeine. per day. I choose to moderate.
I have long questioned my drinking, because I believe it is my responsibility to maintain health and well-being. I owe it to myself, my family and to the planet. I also believe moderation is a practice that cultivates discipline and self-awareness. I want to be the person who deals with life without self-medicating. Such behavior, over-consumption of alcohol and other mind-altering substances, only temporarily represses the consequences of events that will, at some point, have to be dealt with.
I also contend that even the moderate, non-alcoholic drinker has, on occasion, over consumed or, as we say in the South, “has been over-served.” Never disregard the ability of the mind to play tricks with you. When in doubt about any habit you have, anything you do on a daily basis, ask questions, stop the behavior for a time and see how you feel. Over consumption in any form over a long period should be stopped. Take sugar. Sugar is poisoning us. It is responsible for the dramatic uptick in diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and obesity. How much is too much sugar. Be responsible for your own behavior. Take care of your side of the street. When you find yourself judging the behavior of another, turn your finger back in your own direction. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Gandhi
Here is some more information about Moderate Drinking.
What is Moderate Drinking or Alcohol Consumption?
by David J. Hanson, Ph. D.
What is sensible or moderate drinking? It depends on whom you ask. The U.S. government defines moderate drinking as consuming no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. And even that has changed. Until recently, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s definition permitted men to drink up to four drinks on a day and still be considered moderate drinkers. 1
A drink in the U.S. is a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor (either straight or in a mixed drink). Each contains the same amount of alcohol — six-tenths of an ounce and they are all the same to a Breathalyzer. 2
Moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers do. In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer’s disease and the common cold. Sensible drinking also appears to be beneficial in reducing or preventing diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, stress and depression, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson’s disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), angina pectoris, duodenal ulcer, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, gallstones, liver disease and poor physical condition in elderly. 4
Standard Drinks
Standard Drinks graphically illustrates information on the equivalence of standard drinks of beer, wine and distilled spirits or liquor. Its accuracy has been established by medical and other health professionals.
The risk of dying in any given year is 25 percent lower for those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol.
Below is an excerpt from Recover Options: http://www.recoveryoptions.us/resources/moderate-drinking
WHEN DOES MODERATE DRINKING BECOME PROBLEM DRINKING?
The answer to this question depends not only on how much alcohol a person consumes, but also on how drinking affects their behavior; i.e., what actually happens when they drink. For example, drinking too much causes some individuals to become irritable, argumentative, and angry, while others become quiet, withdrawn, and depressed. Also, some people develop medical problems related to drinking at much lower levels of alcohol consumption than do others.
For healthy adults, drinking more than the maximum single-day or weekly moderation limits defined above is considered “at-risk” or “heavy” drinking. About 1 in 4 people who drink above these limits qualify for a diagnosis of Alcohol Abuse or Alcohol Dependence, and the rest are generally at increased risk for developing alcohol-related problems.
When evaluating a person’s drinking pattern, it is important to take into account not only how much alcohol that person consumes on a given drinking day, but also how often he or she has a “heavy drinking” day—that is, more than 4 drinks in a day for men or more than 3 drinks in a day for women. The more alcohol consumed in a typical drinking day and the more frequently that heavy drinking days occur over time, the greater the chances of experiencing significant alcohol-related problems.
PROBLEM DRINKING (ALCOHOL ABUSE)
Problem Drinking (also known as Harmful or Hazardous Drinking) is defined as alcohol consumption that exceeds the moderate limits as specified above and causes significant problems for the drinker and/or others, even if these problems are not dramatic or severe. For example, drinking that causes hangovers and/or creates conflict with others are potential signs of problem drinking or alcohol abuse.
Problem drinkers generally do not experience an overwhelming compulsion to drink, do not drink excessively on a daily basis, are not physically dependent on alcohol, and do not neglect responsibilities at home or work due to drinking. For a list of early warning signs of Problem Drinking (Alcohol Abuse), click here.
ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE (ALCOHOLISM)
This is a much more serious condition. Alcoholic drinkers are typically unable to control their drinking once they start (i.e., they have no “off” switch for drinking) and often continue to drink, despite suffering severe and sometimes life-damaging or irreversible consequences. Many experience cravings, urges, and an overwhelming compulsion to drink.
Some alcoholics experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop drinking, but others do not. Withdrawal symptoms may include, for example, agitation, extreme anxiety, insomnia, shaking, headaches, and vomiting. Some alcoholics drink every day, but many have an episodic binge pattern in which they drink heavily for one or more days in a row, then stop for days or weeks at a time before starting another binge.
Writing into the Light 