alcohol, Alcohol, ALCOHOL!!

[JennaBoBenna]

------------------------------

[morningbell]

And now...a mini-rant!

Why is everything about alcohol?!

"Drink a glass of red wine a day for great heart health!"

I cringe every time I hear that phrase! In fact, it gets me really upset!

Also, I was reading Better Homes and Gardens and they had a recipe for a berry smoothie with-surprise-alcohol in it! Because "a new study shows that alcohol increases the amount of antioxidants in berries!" How can this be?!

I don't understand why everyone is finding "excuses" to drink alcohol? Is this the same as the dairy/meat industry? How can alcohol, in ANY form be GOOD for you?! :mad:

That's all...until I start ranting about how much I hate "100 calorie packs"!!


(and p.s., am I the only one who didn't have any alcohol on her 21st bday? :D)


Its funny but I used to get upset too. You can't control the world just yourself. I didn't like alcohol on my 21st either so you're not alone, I tried it but didn't like any of it. Now I will have the occasional glass of Frey Organic Natural Red. I used to be super straight edge but things have changed for me, I forgo the caffiene in Green Tea for red wine.... To each his own. Its when people abuse alcohol, thats when I have a problem.


Oh, don't get me started .... If I had a dime for everytime people asked me what I should and shouldn't eat then ignore what I say (b/c the truth hurts:mad:)

[Inca_faerie]

If there's anything good to be had from red wine it's the antioxidants and the fact that it contains resveratrol-a compound that has been proven to increase longevity and heart heath. Raw cacao contains both of these in waaay huger amounts though.

I actually don't think red wine is that bad for you (as long as it's organic) but all other alcohol (whiskey, vodka, etc.) is total crap. I drink maybe 7 glasses of red wine a year, I usually never finish though since just 3 sips makes my legs wobbly.

lolol don't even get me started on how ridonkulous those 100 calories packs are!!:rolleyes: those things are about as filling as oxegen...the last time I had them I went through the whole box in half an hour!!

[Revvell]

I agree. Alcohol in any amount is poison. Why put ANY amount of poison in our bodies? They've got enough to do dealing with the nasty air we breathe, the pesticides and chemicals we eat, no matter, how pure; the stuff we wash our clothes with; the stuff we wash with, etc., THEN, let's consciously add some alcohol. Yeah, that makes sense.

Revvell

[Zaphirah]

non-drinker here. It juss don make no since ta me. :p

[rawstrength]

Drinking alcohol is pure stupidity.
When I go out to dances and parties with my friends I don't drink but I still have an amazing time.
What's funny is that my parents are the main people encouraging me to drink. They think that if I drink a little bit, it will help me fit in better. Ironically, my friends are completely cool with my decision not to drink and accept me as I am.
It's funny how people show their love sometimes . . much love to my parents :) .

[RawHeaven]

Non-drinker here too for the most part because I never liked the smell or taste of alcohol. But the more I learned about nutrition, the more I realized I was merely paying attention to my body. Just a small amount of alcohol causes your poor liver & other organs to work overtime and then some. It considers it poison and begins to try to eradicate it from your system the moment it hits your salivary glands. Not worth it in my opinion.

I wouldn't get too riled up about it...people will choose to continue to drink it and justify & create many reasons to do so (ex: increasing antioxidants in berries???) because they're getting some gratification or enjoyment from it. Even though they may know it's not the healthiest path to take in the majority of cases. And of course, there is alcoholism which I won't share my personal thoughts about because it may possibly open up a controversial thread. I think we have many choices and it boils down to which one you want to make for yourself.

[Eva]

I used to drink wine (a glass) at dinner to relax. It would make me feel "happy."

Now that my body knows when something is not good for me, I go through a quick detox and get a headache within an HOUR or two, rather than the next morning like a hangover. This did not happen with the organic, no sulphite added wine when I FIRST went raw... but it does now. Same with cacao. When I was first 100%, it was no problem at all, but now my body doesn't dig on it.

I like to feel happy and relaxed from meditation, soaking in the sun, soaking in a bubble bath, praying, exploring the world, connecting with other people, feeling love, being creative, etc... not from cacao or coffee or wine or anything else that messes with the seratonin or anything else in my brain. I'd like to make it myself and be my own master chemist, thankya very much!

As for your question JennaBoBenna -- Why is anything about anything? Someone has an agenda. I don't like to listen to the fuss, never does anything for me. I like to just live in my own peaceful little bubble making educated choices and following my own agenda, separate from the "buzz" today that is generally simply a marketing strategy from somebody somewhere, maybe connected to pharmaceuticals even. Maybe not.

[RawKnitster]

Drinking alcohol is pure stupidity.
.

I hope you meant getting drunk or even drinking frequently is pure stupidity.
I have a glass of organic wine on special occasions several times a year....so come on, give me a break.

About "studies" that show anything being good for you, look to see who paid for the study. They always get the results they want. Enough said.

[ViolinCyndee]

I hope you meant getting drunk or even drinking frequently is pure stupidity.
I have a glass of organic wine on special occasions several times a year....so come on, give me a break.

About "studies" that show anything being good for you, look to see who paid for the study. They always get the results they want. Enough said.

I agree with this.. Nothing wrong with a glass of wine with dinner on occasion.

And agree about the 'studies' as well..

[Inca_faerie]

I hope you meant getting drunk or even drinking frequently is pure stupidity.
I have a glass of organic wine on special occasions several times a year....so come on, give me a break.

About "studies" that show anything being good for you, look to see who paid for the study. They always get the results they want. Enough said.

Amen to that!!

[mongodelight]

alcohol? Whats the reason for doing this? Keeping old illusions of joy in your mind or doing these dirty habits makes the transformation cruel for you re soul. You re soul dont want to miss something, if u miss sth u never be happy. The key is to become aware that their is nothing to miss. Its just an illusion.

Their is nothing to miss!!! If u re subconscious realized that the transformation is the easiest thing u ever did. If u dont want to do poisoning substances u can use the principle of Allen Carrs method. He s a genius.

[Stina]

I have more fun not drinking then "back in the day."


Incidentally, the CDC estimates that 13% of the population suffers from alcoholism.

[Eva]

Hmmm...

As with anything else which has substances that break the blood-brain barrier (alcohol, caffeine, theobromine, nicotine, and many more), alcohol can trigger addiction and does stimulate the serotonin levels in the brain. What goes up, must come down.

I believe that it is the abuse of these items (which can be on a small level too) that causes the biggest problems. They ARE toxic. They DO have affects. But how much? It depends on a lot of factors. Our bodies also react negatively to stress, being defensive, feeling attacked! Feeling like we "can't" have something we want.

We're all at different places in our journeys. Maybe some will never be willing to give these things up, and that is a choice we all make.

Just because Alissa has kombucha, beer, sake, cacao, etc. at her restaurant does not make it good or bad to consume. It does, however, show that many raw foodists find those items to be a good/acceptable part of their life. And that she is a smart businesswoman!

This is such a sensitive topic, and there is simply no right answer for everyone. And anyway, the original poster's rant was about how silly it is to see ads or whatever ("articles") recommending drinking wine daily for heart health.

[nadinew3]

Right on JennaBoBenna!!!
Although I do not drink (and also didn't on my 21st), I have nothing against other people drinking, but constant bombardment we face with these types of reports is too much at times.
Coming from a science background I know how much money and time is invested/ wasted on these studies.
And I am totally backing you up on this 100 calorie pack insanity (which is just as awful as the new coke with the added vitamins).

[jenjlo]

I think that red wine caused me to have a pancreatis the other morning. I drank 1 galss of red wine with dinner and by 1:30am I was in severe pain could not do anything!!! My husband took me to ER and my lipase and amlayse levels were elevated causing the pain........no real way to treat just best not to drink at all so I will NEVER be drinking again and I can do it after all I gave up coffee no problem!!!!!

[scottdc]

Alcohol for me, much like the sad diet was a total brainwash in believing that either one was good on normal (for me).
I don't have a problem with others continuing on with their lives and how they live but for me the first step towards raw food was quitting drinking 10 months ago. I was also fortunate enough to have a Captain at work I had the good fortune to work with who introduced me to this raw diet which I investigated thoroughly enough to make the big leap.
Before then though I was a total binger idiot of a drunk who was self medicating in the worst way when enough was enough. I was on the fence for so long with my fear of how to cope in social situations, etc... I came across a book titled "the easy way to stop drinking" which was a total brainwash albeit in the right direction for which allowed me to see that my life would actually be much better without alcohol and thus far has been exponentially. I still keep friends who drink as well as eat meat however, I'm my own person and am secure in my ability to set a good example. I am also able to go to clubs/bars and see live music whereas before reading this book I would have been unable to have the "will" to resist. I tried aa a couple of times over the years but it just wasn't for me and don't discredit them. I just don't really want to spend any more of my life dealing with what was at times a horrible past. I actually feel that good that I believe thoroughly that drinking is 100% behind me.

[lunabear]

I still drink hard cider on occasion, J.K. Scrumpy's raw organic cider. Not that often, maybe once a month. It seems like a "neutral" thing for me, because it has some very healthy stuff in it, but it also has the alcohol. Plus I love my kombucha. :p Am I cheater? Perhaps, but at least I don't go to bars or take shots, LOL.

I am still very much transitioning though, and can easily imagine myself a year or two from now forgoing all alcohol completely. Sometimes a compromise (and staying on track) is better than off-putting idealism.

[MrsJohnnyG]

Yeah, I'm always suspicious when I see a zillion news outlets how something is suddenly good for you. That said, I do drink an occasional glass of organic, no-sulphites-detected red wine, just as I eat other fermented foods occasionally.

That's all...until I start ranting about how much I hate "100 calorie packs"!!
Those make me cringe. The organic broccoli I sometimes buy comes in a huge bag... the label says "4 servings, 25 calories per serving."

I always think, "Gee, I could have this HUUUUUGE bag full of delicious raw broccoli, more than I could eat in one sitting, or I could have a miniature bag with a few dried-up chemical pellets -- which are designed to make you crave moremoremore as soon as you eat them. Hmmm, tough choice....!!!!"

[giantmonster]

I think drinking is a bad habit...People just getting carried away is worst..Overall Drinking just causes trouble many other problems.having a glass of wine is fine but not too much...