I have health insurance through my employer. The insurance company will offer a 5% rebate if you go through certain steps to demonstrate you've met their wellness criteria. You have to see your physician for a basic physical, go to the lab and get glucose and cholesterol screenings, and complete a Total Health Assessment. So I did the Total Health Assessment online today. I was completely honest and it asked about diet, nutrition, weight management, alcohol consumption, exercise levels, stress, medical history, etc.
At the end of the assessment, a health plan is magically produced that is suppose to give advice and guidance catered to you personally. And, oddly enough, it was pretty spot on about me. What caught my attention was the alcohol plan for me (below). I made some comments about my favorite parts.
Alcohol
People drink for many reasons: to relax, have fun, cope with stress, or forget their troubles. (I was having a hard time justifying my desire to drink wine every night. And the first line in this gave me four great reasons that happen to be very true! Awesome.) But drinking also has disadvantages (bummer) that you should be on the lookout for (ok).
Alcohol's Effects on You
Everyone processes alcohol differently. But no matter who you are, alcohol can start to affect you after only a few drinks.
Possible effects of alcohol based on your weight:
Drink 4:Perception, memory, comprehension, and vision impaired (They're not lying. Memory loss... check, comprehension... huh?, vision impairment...easily fixed by keeping one eye closed.)
Drink 3:Legally intoxicated — senses and motor-control impaired (For me the speech goes first and it's pretty noticeable because I'm always talking.)
Drink 2:Beginning of motor-impairment (inability to control your movements) (I'm pretty darn coordinated so I have great coping skills here.)
Drink 1:Reduced attention span and lack of judgment (I already have the attention span of a flea and fairly poor judgment, so this really isn't noticeable.)
Recommended for you: based on your gender and age, no more than 1 drink per day (What's the point?)
Time for a change? (probably)
You seem to be thinking about cutting back on your current drinking. (Aren't we all always thinking about cutting back? At least in the morning anyway.) Maybe you aren't confident in your ability to cut down or stop drinking, but having the motivation to do so is a step in the right direction. (Yay, me!) Let’s learn more about your drinking and then think of effective ways to deal with potential drinking situations.
Your alcohol use
You tend to drink every day. (Well you don't have to say it like that.) And when you do, you usually have 2 drinks. (Sometimes three but they asked for "average". ) Binge drinking is having four or more drinks in about 2 hours or less. (I know what you're thinking, but they said "in 2 hours or less" and I think I can honestly say no to that one.) It puts you at a higher risk for serious injury. You indicated that you never drink that much on any given occasion.(in "2 hours or less") Continuing not to binge drink is a good idea, (Fair enough.) for your health and your safety. (Though I haven't fallen off the couch yet.)
What’s safe?
Although you only have 2 drinks when you do consume alcohol, national guidelines for healthy drinking recommend that women who aren't pregnant have no more than one drink a day. (National guidelines also gave us No Child Left Behind.)
A closer look
We all want good health. Like anything worth having, it takes effort to get it. Thankfully, you don’t have any major health conditions now. But you should know that excessive alcohol consumption could increase your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain types of stroke. (Serious buzz kill) Do you know if alcohol interferes with any medications you might be taking? (Yes I do, thank you very much.)
Creating a game plan
While considering a change in your alcohol use, take these three steps. (Good. An action plan.)
Step 1: Identify roadblocks and temptations. There are many situations and emotions (and children) that lead people to drink more than they should. Let’s take a closer look at what may influence you.
Alcohol may seem like a tempting way to cope with feelings of depression to some people.(Luckily not to me.) But you're confident that when you feel down, you'll resist drinking. (Had the opportunity to test that, unfortunately.) It's good to understand that drinking will not help and could make those feelings worse. (I believe that 100%, no problem.)
You might find it hard to avoid drinking when socializing. (I thought the definition of socializing was talking with drinks in your hand.) Just remember that drinking can make us feel more outgoing, (Ya think?) but it can also lead us to say or do things we might regret later. (Ah, the morning after cringe that comes with, "did I really....?")
Step 2: Experiment with change. Change doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. For the next 2 weeks, experiment with change. (So bossy.) Keep track of how many alcoholic drinks you have each day. (Zero two days ago, 3 last night, none tonight. That's an average of one per night!) Use the motto: "Think before I drink." (As long as it's not "Think while I drink.") Offer to be the designated driver during a night out with friends. (Ok. I will. I'll do that tomorrow night for our ladies night. So there.) See if you can have fun without alcohol, (I know I can, but it's not nearly as relaxing.) and notice how you feel the next day.
Step 3: Enlist social support. Think of someone who's concerned about you and your health. Ask yourself: What can this person do to help me change my drinking? Tell your support person what you come up with, and ask them to help. (That's not a bad idea.)
You can do it
You're giving serious thought to making some changes in your alcohol use. Use these three steps to help you make an informed and responsible decision. Make the commitment for yourself. Invest in your future. (Well, when you say it like that...)
