Superb Health

The 90 Day Alcohol Test

 The 90-day alcohol test.
By Nick Lynch S.S.C, C.F.T.

Alcohol has been around for longer than anyone reading this and has been listed as healthy, unhealthy, dangerous, tasty, fun etc. I agree with some of this, alcohol can be healthy and it can be the opposite, it can be tasty and it can taste horrible! There is more to this than taste and fun, in fact the article you are about to read will list a 3 month study done on yours truly, me, and the effects alcohol can have when consumed in “normal” amounts. The study includes 6 weeks of drinking and 6 weeks without drinking. I will list body fat % changes, emotional, physical and mental side affects that I was dealing with week to week. Lets start with the drinking week as it was first.

6 weeks drinking 2-3 days per week.

The last week I drank a beer a day for 7 days in a row, 2 of those days I drank 2 beers. (This is recommended to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease by many doctors, nutritionist and health care providers!)

The consumption by week went as follows:

Wednesday: 1-2 beers

Friday and Saturday: 2-3 (on two occasions I had 4 beers in a night)

Sunday: 1 beer

Starting body fat % around the lower abdominals: 13mm (total body fat 7.5%)

This doesn’t look like to much alcohol in one week does it? Friday and Saturday are a given to have a couple drinks, Wednesday is the middle of the week, a great time to unwind and relieve some stress right? Here are the notes I took during each week of the study.

Week 1:

This week was lots of fun picking out different kinds of craft beers to enjoy. I have felt fine and no difference in my sleep or energy levels. I noticed more cravings at night and in the morning after breakfast, minor but nonetheless I was tempted to eat when I normally am not. Saturday night my heart rate was elevated above normal, as I was feeling pretty drunk from 3 beers. This disturbed my sleep a little but not too much. Body fat% stays at 7.5% and 13mm

Week 2:

I was really excited for the weekend to come around and have some more beers. I had a couple on Wednesday night; they hit me pretty hard as I had worked out that day. Saturday morning I felt really tired when I woke up after having 3 beers Friday night. Sunday morning I did not go to the bathroom after breakfast as I normally do, my movements came much later in the day, weird. I also did not sleep well Saturday night and felt beyond tired Sunday. Bed couldn’t come soon enough that Sunday night. Energy levels are a little lower. Body fat % around my lower abdominals has gone up a little. I am now at 16mm lower abdominal fat and 8.4% total body fat.

Week 3:

Monday I was grumpy from feeling tired this past weekend but manageable. By Tuesday I felt back to normal. I had to take extra time to warm up for my workout on Monday and Tuesday as I felt stiff, dehydrated. So I also drank some extra water. Wednesday I drank 2 beers, awesome and fun except for Thursday I needed my alarm clock, something I do not normally use. By Friday I am ready to go and can’t wait for those beers. I am feeling like these beers will help me deal with this weeks stress and they are a good escape. Hmmmmm, that can’t be good. Saturday morning I was tired again and sluggish throughout the day until the nighttime when it is time for a few more beers. Sunday was not so good. I did not feel energized and excited to do much besides watch TV. I have been watching 3 times as much TV as normal as of late. I feel like watching TV is relaxing as reading is too hard to follow along with. Monday going into week 4 I woke up feeling way behind with my work and therefore not very confidant. Lower abdominal fat is at 19mm and total body fat % is 9.

Week 4:

After catching up with my work, which took a couple days, it is now Wednesday. Time to drink. My day feels like more of a battle than a Wednesday. I have lots of work to do, more than normal, which is strange because I do not actually have more than normal; I am just a bit behind on the week. I had to sleep extra these last couple nights because I was so tired in the evening and even more so in the morning. I also have been noticing more cravings for alcohol! I feel like having a beer on Tuesdays and Thursdays or even Sunday randomly. This usually kicks in when I feel any sort of stress or watching a movie. TV watching has become a normal everyday activity with a minimum of 40 minutes per day being watched! I could just do other stuff but I don’t feel like it. My workouts have been harder to complete as my resting heart rate and body fat levels have both raised a large amount. Friday and Saturday I had 3 beers each night and felt tired all weekend. Staying awake for 16 hours of activity is not as easy; my body needs sleep and water. Lower abdominal fat is at 20mm and total body fat % is 9.6

Week 5:

Same as last week, I had a hard time catching up with my work. Calling people back was hard to do and often times annoying. Sometimes it took me 2-3 days to give someone a call back or email reply. Feeling less social and still tired. I have been craving foods I wouldn’t normally eat and more often. I feel like going out to eat more and cooking less because I seem to not have as much time as I use to. My girlfriend and I have been bickering and arguing more than normal. Before this experiment we hadn’t been in an argument or fight in over 4 weeks, now we have them weekly! I feel very irritable until Wednesday or the weekend comes around. Alarm clock is utilized everyday now and I also have been experiencing more upset stomachs or “gas” than normal. Lower abdominal fat is at 23mm and total body fat % is 9.9

Week 6: (1 beer per day and 2 days with 2 beers in this week)

This was possibly the worst week of my life. Everyday I felt tired, head aches, lack of motivation, disturbed sleep (I woke up 3 of the 7 nights feeling hot and had elevated heart rate), tight muscles, sore lower back, I ate out 4 days this week and spent 6 times as much money as I normally would in a week. My eyes had black circles and bags by the end of the week. I thought a drink a day is supposed to be good for you? At least, that is what I heard and read in numerous places! TV watching is at an all time high of 1.5 hours per day sometimes more. Getting off the couch is hard to do when alcohol numbs your body. My ending lower abdominal fat was at 29mm!!!!!!!! And body fat 12%!!!!!
These are huge increases in body fat, huge decreases in energy levels and motivation. Looking at these numbers my lower abdominal fat went up 16mm, which is more than twice as may millimeters as I started out at. My body fat % went up almost 5%!!!!

Lets take a look at 6 weeks without alcohol. These 6 weeks were done consuming the same diet and keeping up with the same activities/lifestyle. This portion of the study picks up right where we left off with Sunday being my last day of drinking and we now go into Monday and week 1 of the alcohol free week.

Week 1:

This week was rough as I felt very tired and had lots of catching up to do with work, my life and health. I ate well all week and with many hardships avoided all my cravings to eat out, drink a beer and eat Liz lovely cookies. I did enjoy some dark chocolate, which is normal with my meal plan as a nice treat. I watched TV everyday this week and had to pull my self away from it with much difficulty. Lower abdominal fat by the end of the week 27mm and body fat % 11.4

Week 2:

I feel much better this Monday waking up without the alarm clock. I still feel a little tired but much better compared to last week. Cravings for alcohol were minimum until the weekend I did want a beer, crisis avoided! I watched TV 5 days this week and for less time than the previous week. Still I found it hard to get up off the couch once I started watching Lord of The Rings or The Office. My workouts are getting better again; I can stretch a little further. I did not even notice how tight I got in those alcohol weeks. Lower abdominal fat is at 25mm and body fat % 10.8

Week 3:

No alarm clock this week, lots of energy, no cravings for alcohol and in fact I have been feeling so fired up with energy that I often times feel like I need to do more activity. TV this week was watched only on the weekend as my girlfriend and I had lots to do together instead. We went on walks, got tea, joked around and just sat on the couch talking and having long conversations about whatever came to our minds, very nice indeed. I have been reading and studying more, work has been completed no problem and with flying colors. Overall a good week :) Lower abdominal fat is at 20mm!!!! And body fat % 9.3!!

Week 4:

Similar to last week, no arguments with my girlfriend, 1 hour of TV watched and it was on the weekend. Alarm clock was not utilized once and my sleep was very deep/peaceful. Cravings are non-existent except for hearty foods that I normally eat. I have been saving and making more money without meaning too! This has come from not eating out and having more time from my renewed energy to manage my work and personal life. Stress feels easily managed by engaging in activities such as conversation, walks, guitar and music, breathing, meditation and of course almighty sleep! Lower abdominal fat is at 19mm!!!!! And body fat % 9!!!

Week 5:

A great week. No cravings, arguments, minimal stress, 1 hour of TV watched on the weekend. Sleep was great and very restorative. I have been enjoying cooking new foods, playing guitar longer, spending more time with my girlfriend, studying/reading and work. Everyday has been lots of fun and excitement with new challenges. My workouts are through the roof!! I have been able to complete twice the amount of exercises in the same amount of time as I could in week 4 of the alcohol week. Lower abdominal fat is at 17mm and body fat % is at 8!!!!!

Week 6:

Energy levels are way high, work is a blast, workouts are fun and challenging, relationship is fantastic and overall outlook on life is clear. I have not had any cravings this week for any junk food or alcohol. I got lots done with work and my own workouts. My girlfriend and I have not gotten into any arguments in the last 4 weeks, maybe some debates but not arguments. I feel like a fully functional human being who is not weighed down by a desire to mask one’s problems. I can manage my own stress without relying on an outside source and therefore have more energy to help others. Very nice indeed!!! Lower abdominal fat is 14mm and body fat % is 7.3!!! I made it back down to my normal levels. (1 week after this test I checked the lower abdominal fat and found my self down to 12mm, woo hoo)

The conclusion of this study: Alcohol is bad when consumed in the recommended amounts, which is everyday 1-2 drinks. Alcohol is good when used to shed light on a special occasion or if you just feel like having a beer when all work/stress is done. Having a beer or drink and stopping there, is a great way to introduce toxins into your liver and allowing the liver to filter it out. Have a drink when you feel you have earned one or want to celebrate some sort of accomplishment. Don’t make it a routine, as this will create a sort of demand for alcohol like a dog that demands a treat for a trick. You can channel your stress in a healthy way and believe me, there are tons of ways. http://imsuperb.com/News/exercise/stress-reduced Follow that link if you want to learn some good ways to relieve stress. Alcohol is good when controlled and in a good environment it is bad when consumed daily or even weekly if it is on a set day and time. So enjoy a beer or wine in good company, in good time and not often if you wish to truly enjoy these spirits.

Feeling normal/good after 6 weeks without alcohol and enjoying the outdoors.

 Alcohol's effects. Ouch! 

Resources:

Me, Nick Lynch of imsuperb.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol/SC00024