Enjoying wine in moderation
I haven’t written about wine in a long time which is a sad fact since this blog is entitled ‘Corks and Forks’. A question that sometimes comes to mind is how much is too much? Do you ever ask yourself that? I doubt I’m the only one. Oh, you can search the internet and it’ll tell you things like two drinks a day for women is within reasonable limits but ask yourself, really, two glasses of wine every day for life is considered healthy? I like wine but I’m not going to drink two glasses every day of the year for the next 40 years or so and really believe I’m not doing some kind of damage to my body. That is so naïve.
At the very least wine is nothing more than belly fat in a bottle and I’m a huge health freak. Conversely, I love wine so what’s a gal to do? Redefine ‘moderation’ because there’ll never be a shortage of people telling you what you want to hear. Is it at all interesting that one of the first things people who are diagnosed with cancer do is stop drinking alcohol or severely limit their intake (that and coffee, btw). I have a close friend who’s dealt with this and it has to do with our liver. Did you know that our liver is “the only human internal organ capable of natural regeneration of lost tissue; as little as 25% of a liver can regenerate into a whole liver”?
I spent some time with a personal trainer months ago who advised drinking no more than three times a week and making one month each year an alcohol-free month to give the liver a rest and allow it to function at peak performance. Think about it, “more than 500 vital functions have been identified with the liver” making this organ the very definition of a work horse. It deserves a break every now and again. Advise from another website states “Limit your alcohol consumption to one or two drinks, but never on a daily basis.”
Hey, it’s not my intention to be a Debbie Downer. I write a blog that celebrates wine. If someone told me I couldn’t have my weekly fix of a bold Cabernet Sauvignon or a peppery Zinfandel or a jammy Pinot Noir, I would be heart broken and that person would not want to stand too close to me when delivering the news, to be sure. I just wanted to stir up some beliefs in a world that tries to tell us to do whatever makes us feel good. Sometimes, less is more. So enjoy a glass of Syrah with your tuna steak and consider the possibility that one glass could be the healthier definition of moderation.
Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.