HomeBrewTalk is one of the most important resources available to homebrewers. Topics in the forums range from mash temps to food pairings, from bar builds to equipment for sale. One area that is often void of discussion is how to develop and maintain a healthy drinking lifestyle. Many homebrewers fall hard for this hobby. If you couple that with a love of craft beer, an amazing hobby and passion can quickly lead down the wrong road. I don't want this article to be a "Debbie Downer," nor do I want to seem preachy. This article will mostly relate the facts on what constitutes healthy drinking and "problematic" drink, as well as a few useful websites if anyone is interested. Hopefully, the majority of our community has no need to consider if they have a drinking problem. But the reality is that anywhere from 14-33% of the US population qualifies as "problem drinkers." If you take into consideration a subset of the population like homebrewers and craft beer drinkers, I would imagine that statistically, we homebrewers could fall on the high side of that number. Or as Jimmy Fallon once said:
So....Beer Drinking Is A Hobby?
What is a "Problem Drinker?"
The term "alcoholic" is quickly going by the wayside in the medical world. It's a term with a social stigma and negative connotations. Alcohol abuse is now medically classified as Alcohol use disorder (AUD.) This involves drinking more than the recommended healthy levels, often along with other health or social factors: drinking against doctor's orders, drinking when you know it will damage your relationships or finances, etc.
A quick note: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism categorizes low-risk drinking as 4 or less alcoholic units (1 pint of 5% beer) per night and healthy drinking 2 or less for a male. Exceeding these limits in a session or day is considered unhealthy or "binge" drinking. In both cases, a male should not exceed 14 drinks per week. Several studies show that drinking more than 1 drink a day can lead to long-term health issues, especially in older individuals.
A "problem drinker" falls into a gray area. These individuals often exceed the acceptable amount of healthy consumption but are suffering no major consequences...other than unforeseen health problems down the road. They may abstain for weeks or even months followed by a big "bender." Or they may drink 3-5 pints a night, every night, all year. They often teeter on two-sides, one that is relatively healthy and one that could become a serious problem. Hopefully, you are already considered a healthy drinker. If not, you need to figure out if your level of drinking is simply on the heavy side, problematic, or becoming an addiction.
What is a healthy drinker?
A healthy drinker can be defined through three areas: intent, amount, and lifestyle. First, what is the reason or intent of your drinking? Are you celebrating an important moment in your life, or simply planning on getting drunk for drunk's sake? Two hours into a party, are you the only one that looks like this?
A healthy drinker's intent is to enjoy a beverage that just happens to be one of the greatest nectars on Earth: Beer. The next qualification is the amount an individual consumes. A healthy drinker AT MOST consumes 3-4 drinks (based on a 5% beer or equivalent beverage) per day and no more than 12-14 per week. Again, this is the high end of what is considered a healthy level of consumption. For women this means a maximum of 3 drinks per day and 9 a week. Again, this is the high end of healthy drinking. Finally, a drinker needs to consider their lifestyle. Do you eat healthy, or at least not that unhealthy? Take medication that interacts with alcohol? Do you have hobbies that don't involve alcohol? Do you work out? A healthy drinker lives a healthy lifestyle, or at least works to avoid a lifestyle that only adds to the negative effects of drinking.
Developing and Maintaining a Healthy Drinking Lifestyle:
This article is only here to make you think...to make you consider where stand are in terms of your health. If you are in your twenties and living it up, so be it. I know I did. But, there comes a point where you begin to think about your future and your health. For some people that turning point comes with age, sometimes it happens after you have kids, or sometimes it's an event (traumatic or otherwise) that gets you to think about your future and your health. If you are at that point of contemplation, here are some starting tips:
1. If you don't work out...start! Barring health issues, you need to include some type of exercise if you drink regularly, even if it's considered a healthy level of consumption. I started by creating a simple routine: If I wanted a drink...I had to work for it. This meant 15 sit-ups and 15 pushup to start. I kept a sit-up bar by my beer fridge. Fast forward nearly two years...I've dropped 50 pounds. I've now climbed to 240 sit-ups and 75-100 pushups per beer, and I am in the best shape of my life.
2. Don't go cold turkey. Alcoholics Anonymous has an astronomically high failure rate because it requires an all-or-nothing mentality. Either you don't drink or you're a failure. If you really are passionate about craft beer or brewing, this approach simply won't work. Instead, consider a 3-4 drink day followed by a day off. You'll probably find that it is mentally easier to prepare and succeed at one day off than a lifetime. Your real challenge, if you are a heavy drinker, will be falling asleep. Prepare for your night to go something like this:
Everything Looks Better In The Morning
3. If you can make it one day without drinking, reward yourself with a healthy drink day or even continue to take another day off. If you do have a healthy drinking day after a day off, consider making it a two-day off stretch your next try, then a three, etc. Once you are sure that you are drinking because you like beer and not to get drunk, you can figure out a schedule that works for a 12-14 drink week, or play it by ear.
Just a note: Several moderation programs recommend a 30-day off trial before developing a healthy drinking schedule if you feel like you may be a current problem drinker.
4. Realize that this approach can be very hard for home brewers and craft beer drinkers to stick to indefinitely. What about a beer festival? A bottle share? A bomber of a special 12% imperial stout or Belgian Strong, even over the course of a few hours, is still considered detrimental drinking in terms of the alcoholic units consumed. And I say...so what? If you intend to maintain a healthy lifestyle, yes...you can take a few days here and there and enjoy the amazing wonder of tasty beer. The birth of a child or some major life goal should be rewarded with whatever you please. Be realistic, a few days off from a routine should be just that...a few day off. If you feel like you continually waiver from a set schedule or program, many experts recommend it is time to consider speaking with a substance abuse expert and/or program.
5. Keep in mind one tangible realistic benefit from cutting back...more money!! Seriously, you can spend it on a sporting event, a movie, your significant other, new brewing equipment, or simply save it! Instead of buy several craft 6-packs a week that can cost you $30 or more, buy that anniversary release bomber you wanted to try for $10-15. You get a special treat AND save money. Whether it's buying less or brewing less...the money saved will quickly add up.
In conclusion:
This article presents nothing more than a recommended guideline to healthy and moderate drinking. It's a source of information on what actually qualifies as healthy drinking, with minimal long-term health effects, and what is not. Use this information as you will. This is a topic that hardly reaches sites like these and in general gets very little attention. If nothing else, be mindful of how you live your life and interact with alcohol. Personally, I think beer is the greatest liquid on Earth. But I am not going to ignore the fact that unhealthy consumption leads to major health issues, and in many instances, can be fatal. Here are some links if you want to find out any more about this topic:
Alcohol and medications:
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...e/medicine.htm
Moderation Management:
http://www.moderation.org/
Chances of becoming a healthy drinker if you are currently a problematic drinker:
http://www.moderatedrinking.com/
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse:
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
So....Beer Drinking Is A Hobby?
What is a "Problem Drinker?"
The term "alcoholic" is quickly going by the wayside in the medical world. It's a term with a social stigma and negative connotations. Alcohol abuse is now medically classified as Alcohol use disorder (AUD.) This involves drinking more than the recommended healthy levels, often along with other health or social factors: drinking against doctor's orders, drinking when you know it will damage your relationships or finances, etc.
A quick note: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism categorizes low-risk drinking as 4 or less alcoholic units (1 pint of 5% beer) per night and healthy drinking 2 or less for a male. Exceeding these limits in a session or day is considered unhealthy or "binge" drinking. In both cases, a male should not exceed 14 drinks per week. Several studies show that drinking more than 1 drink a day can lead to long-term health issues, especially in older individuals.
A "problem drinker" falls into a gray area. These individuals often exceed the acceptable amount of healthy consumption but are suffering no major consequences...other than unforeseen health problems down the road. They may abstain for weeks or even months followed by a big "bender." Or they may drink 3-5 pints a night, every night, all year. They often teeter on two-sides, one that is relatively healthy and one that could become a serious problem. Hopefully, you are already considered a healthy drinker. If not, you need to figure out if your level of drinking is simply on the heavy side, problematic, or becoming an addiction.
What is a healthy drinker?
A healthy drinker can be defined through three areas: intent, amount, and lifestyle. First, what is the reason or intent of your drinking? Are you celebrating an important moment in your life, or simply planning on getting drunk for drunk's sake? Two hours into a party, are you the only one that looks like this?
A healthy drinker's intent is to enjoy a beverage that just happens to be one of the greatest nectars on Earth: Beer. The next qualification is the amount an individual consumes. A healthy drinker AT MOST consumes 3-4 drinks (based on a 5% beer or equivalent beverage) per day and no more than 12-14 per week. Again, this is the high end of what is considered a healthy level of consumption. For women this means a maximum of 3 drinks per day and 9 a week. Again, this is the high end of healthy drinking. Finally, a drinker needs to consider their lifestyle. Do you eat healthy, or at least not that unhealthy? Take medication that interacts with alcohol? Do you have hobbies that don't involve alcohol? Do you work out? A healthy drinker lives a healthy lifestyle, or at least works to avoid a lifestyle that only adds to the negative effects of drinking.
Developing and Maintaining a Healthy Drinking Lifestyle:
This article is only here to make you think...to make you consider where stand are in terms of your health. If you are in your twenties and living it up, so be it. I know I did. But, there comes a point where you begin to think about your future and your health. For some people that turning point comes with age, sometimes it happens after you have kids, or sometimes it's an event (traumatic or otherwise) that gets you to think about your future and your health. If you are at that point of contemplation, here are some starting tips:
1. If you don't work out...start! Barring health issues, you need to include some type of exercise if you drink regularly, even if it's considered a healthy level of consumption. I started by creating a simple routine: If I wanted a drink...I had to work for it. This meant 15 sit-ups and 15 pushup to start. I kept a sit-up bar by my beer fridge. Fast forward nearly two years...I've dropped 50 pounds. I've now climbed to 240 sit-ups and 75-100 pushups per beer, and I am in the best shape of my life.
2. Don't go cold turkey. Alcoholics Anonymous has an astronomically high failure rate because it requires an all-or-nothing mentality. Either you don't drink or you're a failure. If you really are passionate about craft beer or brewing, this approach simply won't work. Instead, consider a 3-4 drink day followed by a day off. You'll probably find that it is mentally easier to prepare and succeed at one day off than a lifetime. Your real challenge, if you are a heavy drinker, will be falling asleep. Prepare for your night to go something like this:
Everything Looks Better In The Morning
3. If you can make it one day without drinking, reward yourself with a healthy drink day or even continue to take another day off. If you do have a healthy drinking day after a day off, consider making it a two-day off stretch your next try, then a three, etc. Once you are sure that you are drinking because you like beer and not to get drunk, you can figure out a schedule that works for a 12-14 drink week, or play it by ear.
Just a note: Several moderation programs recommend a 30-day off trial before developing a healthy drinking schedule if you feel like you may be a current problem drinker.
4. Realize that this approach can be very hard for home brewers and craft beer drinkers to stick to indefinitely. What about a beer festival? A bottle share? A bomber of a special 12% imperial stout or Belgian Strong, even over the course of a few hours, is still considered detrimental drinking in terms of the alcoholic units consumed. And I say...so what? If you intend to maintain a healthy lifestyle, yes...you can take a few days here and there and enjoy the amazing wonder of tasty beer. The birth of a child or some major life goal should be rewarded with whatever you please. Be realistic, a few days off from a routine should be just that...a few day off. If you feel like you continually waiver from a set schedule or program, many experts recommend it is time to consider speaking with a substance abuse expert and/or program.
5. Keep in mind one tangible realistic benefit from cutting back...more money!! Seriously, you can spend it on a sporting event, a movie, your significant other, new brewing equipment, or simply save it! Instead of buy several craft 6-packs a week that can cost you $30 or more, buy that anniversary release bomber you wanted to try for $10-15. You get a special treat AND save money. Whether it's buying less or brewing less...the money saved will quickly add up.
In conclusion:
This article presents nothing more than a recommended guideline to healthy and moderate drinking. It's a source of information on what actually qualifies as healthy drinking, with minimal long-term health effects, and what is not. Use this information as you will. This is a topic that hardly reaches sites like these and in general gets very little attention. If nothing else, be mindful of how you live your life and interact with alcohol. Personally, I think beer is the greatest liquid on Earth. But I am not going to ignore the fact that unhealthy consumption leads to major health issues, and in many instances, can be fatal. Here are some links if you want to find out any more about this topic:
Alcohol and medications:
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...e/medicine.htm
Moderation Management:
http://www.moderation.org/
Chances of becoming a healthy drinker if you are currently a problematic drinker:
http://www.moderatedrinking.com/
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse:
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/