Happy & Healthy
WE DRINK WINE LIKE WATER AND THAT HAS TO END SOMETIME
I woke up Tuesday morning with a massive hangover. Yes, you read that right: Tuesday morning. And the worst part is: in my life, that used to be something strange, now I find it perfectly normal. I no longer care whether it's Friday night or Monday night. If I feel like celebrating something (and that’s quite often actually), we just pour another one. Cozy.
And I'm not the only one. In fact, there’s often a friend or colleague who is in the same hangover boat. Regardless of the day of the week. It was also revealed last year in a study for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In Western countries, highly educated women drink more than less educated women. Often, it’s dangerously much: an average of two glasses a day (yes, that sounds really low. But the people who study these things have studied it, just think about that). The OECD states that women with a higher education who often get well-paid jobs with greater responsibilities drink more because they may be exposed to more stress. And because they have more opportunities to expand their social life and go out with colleagues. Where heavy drinking is the norm. As a cherry on top, the ‘gender gap’ between men and women in terms of alcohol consumption seems to be closing quickly.
”If I look at myself, I say very flippantly: something with a nail and a head. Stress is indeed a small point”
If I look at myself, I say very flippantly: something with a nail and a head. Stress is indeed a small point. How wonderful is it to relax with a glass or two of wine after a crazy day? Moreover, there are also (business) drinks raining down, where the pace is often quite high. I also don’t hold back compared to the drinking man. You know, there really seems to be something to celebrate and drink every day. to celebrate and drink . And if we have nothing to celebrate, well, then we just celebrate that we have nothing to celebrate and enjoy a quiet day at home? Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
What I mean is: this can’t go on like this. Not in my case. I took a very honest look at my intake. Goodness gracious. On Friday night, I drank seven glasses of wine (there was a hundred-course dinner with accompanying wine arrangement, I was standing on my HEAD on the table and wanted to bike home afterwards). On Saturday, I drank three glasses of wine (we had a visit for drinks), on Sunday I managed to drink half a glass of wine (couldn’t manage more) and on Monday I suddenly drank five big glasses of wine with my family. The only positive thing is that I drank a whopping zero glasses on Tuesday, because otherwise I would have thrown up.
That’s why I say now: it has to end sometime with that drinking wine like water. Because it’s just not healthy anymore, and especially (!) not fun anymore. If you drink every day, the fun really wears off a bit. Sometimes I really find myself drinking against my will. From now on, I will drink slower, order water more often in between (someone has to be the first) and I will keep two alcohol-free days per week. Preferably two days in a row, to clean everything out properly. That ultimately makes drinking wine a lot more fun. And the next morning too.
