A recent communique from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction states that “no amount of alcohol” consumption is healthy and rather is linked to cancer. However, having taken the time to find and read their report, I have to say that their research is limited and the results conflicting, so my opinion is that this warning is a bit over the top.
There is no doubt that alcohol can and does cause many, many problems, but I find this announcement, based as it is on small sample sizes, is sort of temperance-sounding and reminds me of the announcements years ago about barbecued food (among lots of other things) causing cancer.
Almost anything, if taken too far, can be a health risk. I like a good glass of wine, pairing it with meals and adding it to my cooking. Rightly or wrongly, my very French father (my parents had wine with dinner almost every evening) insisted that we children have a tiny glass (shot glass size) of wine with dinner; I was raised with wine (especially red) as a natural and delicious accompaniment to food.
As a result, I was never much interested in the teenage drunks that many of my friends indulged in; I found that whole idea silly and boring. So I think my father had the right idea. Alcohol wasn’t a mystery and it never became a problem.
I’m not going to change my consumption. I live in wine country and love finding great bottles for our cellar. Planning good food and picking the right complimentary wine to go with it is fun and adds to my enjoyment of the meal.
What do you think?
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people do not seem to be dropping from moderate drinking, so I say damn the torpedoes and steady as she goes Captain!
Agreed, Wayne. The Centre for Substance Abuse is rightly focussed on all the problems and tragedies caused by alcohol and drugs. That is their raison d’être. But when your only tool is a hammer, everything does start looking like a nail. Steady as she goes is right!
As with anything (even pillows), there will always be an amount that can cause harm. As the saying goes, “everything in moderation, including moderation”. There are a lot of prescription meds out there that moderate or cure “symptoms” rather than the disease. I prefer a nice rosé or red, instead. Happy Monday Lynette. Allan
Agreed, Allan. A good point about the meds (and they probably cause cancer, too). I would much rather have a glass of wine and blather away about whatever it is than take some sort of prescription. The Okanagan is really doing well with rosés and pink-tinged whites such as Nichol pinot gris. Here’s a photo: https://www.vivino.com/US/en/nichol-pinot-gris/w/1555034
I think the French would disagree–and the Germans (with their love of beer).
Right? I have lived in both France and Germany (good whites come from Germany and there’s good beer in France, too) and agreed, I don’t think either country would approve of this.
You are well-traveled, Lynette. I spent a few days in both countries! But two months in the USSR–that’s different.
I didn’t spent much time in USSR so I’m not in a position to comment, but a friend who was posted there for six months commented that he enjoyed the experience but didn’t want to repeat it.
They’re always trying to scare us with one health crisis or another. If we were to fear everything they told us was bad for us to eat, we’d starve. Lately they’ve been downplaying meat and suggesting that bugs are healthy. Uh-huh. Right. No one is in charge of our health but us. Each body is unique in its DNA. We can read labels and decide what’s best for each of our uniqueness. And at the risk of my usual controversial big mouth, that goes for medications we inject into our unique makeup as well. No one knows how your body reacts to certain things better than you. Enjoy your wine. 🥂
I had quite a chuckle at your comment, Lori. Feel free to rant away! We’ve been chatting away for years now. 💛 I agree about the scare mongering. I haven’t heard about the bug diet before! Yay. More bugs. Just what we all need.
I have kidney disease that was going out of control when it was discovered a year ago, but they are just slightly below normal now as a result of my efforts around following a renal diet (it’s a pretty strange one, but no bugs!). I am now a 90% vegetarian because that’s what’s best for my kidneys, so I totally agree that our unique makeup is what we have to learn and respect. Wine is still on the menu as well, so I’m happy about that! I would probably cry not to have a good red with a lovely bowl of bolognese! Cheers to you, too. 🍷
That must have been a difficult transition to change your diet, but good for you for doing what needed to be done for your health. My bro had kidney trouble and finally learned it was from the statin he was taking. When he went off of it, they regenerated.
Seriously, eating bugs is a thing the World Economic Forum and UN are pushing. They want to stop livestock altogether eventually. We’re being told it’s better for the planet. I’ve been hearing more and more about it lately, which is why I mentioned it. Here’s what a search pulled up.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bugs+replace+meat+consumption&t=brave&ia=web
Thanks, Lori. 🙂 It was initially pretty wrenching, but M went all out with finding ways around it and if possible he’s an even better cook now than he was before. Glad to hear that your brother’s problem was found and solved. Statins can be really hard on the body; my M has had issues too.
Thanks for the link! I read through a couple of the articles, but I disagree that we need to turn to insects such as they are suggesting. There’s no doubt that we should be eating more veggies and less meat, but insects? Really? If we had to, we could get much of our protein requirements also from veggies, especially from beans and peas, so this insect idea is a type of extremism. Let insects do what they do; I certainly don’t want them on my dinner plate! Moderation is still the key, in my little opinion.
So great that you have a great cook to make tasty creations of your diet. 😋
Last week coffee was good; this week it’s bad. Last week wine was good; this week it’s bad. After a while I stopped paying attention. I agree with you, Lynette. Moderation is the key. I think you are on the right track.
Thanks, Anneli. You’re right. What’s good or bad for you changes every week and can be so contradictory. I love coffee as well and have read wildly opposing “research” on the negatives of positives of drinking it. Yes, I don’t think that paying attention is good for us!
We don’t know what to believe anymore.
Agreed. 🙂
about what you think about the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction’s warning about alcohol.
Thank you
You’re welcome. 🙂
I think you are spot on, and so was your dad. 🙂 Cheers! *clinks glass*
Thank you very much. 🙂 My dad’s parenting ideas were definitely his own. Cheers to you! 🍷
Well argued, Lynette. The would-be temperance gang should have learned from the failure of prohibition in the USA. As with drugs, prohibition has never achieved anything other than raising the profits for gang masters, terrorists and other dealers. Adults should be trusted to insert what they wish into their bodies, and, of course, face any consequences. As long as children are protected, of course.
Thank you very much, Stuart. My home province, British Columbia, has just gotten an exemption to decriminalize possession of illegal drugs for a three-year period to see what effect this has on the death rate as well as public safety. I totally agree that prohibition is never the answer. Better to have it in the open than to try to punish people for using or to give heft to the pushers. Agreed – people should be trusted to make decisions about their own bodies. Where punishment should be severe is around children, yes.
Best way is to legalise the lot, have licenced traders, and make them pay tax and a portion of income to support rehabilitation centres. It would stop so much crime, free up police time, and empty the prisons of offenders so the real criminals can be housed. It would also reduce the amount of prostitution, as so much of that relates to drug use, often forced on the woman.
Agreed. Addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one, and needs to be treated that way. There’s such a tendency to be judgmental about addiction, but it can (and does) happen to anyone in the right circumstances.
Cheers to that! It’s all about balance and moderation, as with most things in life. I enjoy a nice glass (or sometimes glasses) of wine on occasion and I’m not going to change my wine consumption either.
Yes, definitely! 🍷 I know that we humans have a real problem with over-doing things, so moderation can be difficult to maintain for some people, but I agree, it is the answer to most things in life. Cheers!
I appreciate your perspective. Everything in moderation. Wine is a staple for us too. 🙂
Thank you very much and thanks for stopping to comment. As Kagould (above) noted, “everything in moderation, including moderation.” Cheers. 🥂