I’m not going to lie to you, I kinda have a problem with calling alcohol “Mommy Juice”. I think that the suggestion that we need to drink in order to manage the normal stresses of life and parenting is a problem. I don’t want to be a buzz-kill, but I really think that we need to have an honest conversation about drinking alcohol.
Does the way we talk about alcohol impact the way we think about alcohol? Is alcohol good for you? Should you drink alcohol in order to gain health benefit?
There are some health benefits associated with moderate alcohol consumption. No doubt about it. But, the reality is that there are also some pretty significant risks – and the risks happen after less alcohol that you may think. Those risks too are physical, spiritual and emotional.
In this show, we tackle this issue from both a scientific approach and consideration on how it impacts our relationships and increases our risks for significant health conditions. Let’s really dissect this issue. It may be popular to drink whatever you want to whenever you want, to manage stress, deal with parenting, and celebrate every single thing – but the reality is that not everyone should drink regularly. And there’s risk for everyone when it comes to drinking alcohol.
Disclaimer – I’m not a teetotaler and neither is Dee! We both enjoy our cocktails and wine, but we also feel like it’s really important to balance the potential risks. The recommendations are that women drink no more than 1 drink per day and men drink no more than 2. But do you know what one drink is? In this show, we quantify this for you as we walk through the good, bad, and ugly of alcohol consumption.
Listen to Episode 33: Talking #MommyJuice on #WineWednesday here or subscribe via iTunes,Stitcher, Google Play, and more by searching for Southern Fried Girlfriends Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Swing on over to The Southern Fried Girlfriends Facebook page to chat about this topic, get some other resources, and stay connected!
References, Resources:
- According to the WHO and CDC in the 2016 Social and Cultural Context of Alcohol Use (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4872611/) Worldwide, 3.3 million deaths were attributed to alcohol misuse in 2012 (World Health Organization 2014).
- Excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 88,000 deaths per year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014).
- Alcohol Alert https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa72/aa72.htm
- Differences as we age – decreases in body water, increased sensitivity/lower tolerance, less effective metabolism (women more than men) https://www.oasas.ny.gov/prevention/senior/ARChanges.cfm
- “In 2014, about 61 million Americans were classified as binge alcohol users (5 or more drinks on the same occasion at least once a month) and 16 million as heavy alcohol users (5 or more drinks on the same occasion on 5 or more days in one month). [6]
- Alcohol plays a role in one in three cases of violent crime. [7]
- In 2015, more than 10,000 people died in automobile accidents in which alcohol was involved. [8]
- Alcohol abuse costs about $249 billion a year. [9]”
Find a meeting for support
- Al-anon for family and friends of alcoholics https://al-anon.org
- Alcoholics Anonymous for those with problem drinking https://www.aa.org
