We have some good friends who like a drink, but they call Monday-Thursday their AFD or alcohol free days. I thought this was a great idea and something we now work on. There are a number of alcohol free beverages that you can use as a substitute to replace that relaxing feeling of having a nice red wine or beer with the evening meal . Pomegranate juice is one we often use, not the cheap one you find in the supermarket made from concentrate, but you can find some very good ones sold at green grocers.

Why not enjoy a pomegranate juice or something similar with the evening meal 3-5 nights per week and if needed, teach yourself to take comfort in things other than health destroying stimulants such as alcohol, cigarettes and processed, fatty foods. Click pomegranate-juice-magazine-scan-low-res to see an excellent article on Pomegranate from the Life Extention magnzine.

As this article from a pro wine site shows, even the French are beginning to question the regular consumption of alcohol. I have long been suspicious of the media’s bias in the health benefits assigned to red wine. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a glass of red just as much as anyone, but there are plenty of other ways to consume the antioxidants and Resveratrol contained in red wine without having to take in the alcohol. I think the media placates our guilt as we eagerly buy into the latest report stating the health benefits of red wine. It helps us justify our consumption in that at least it’s good for us, but most of us would think again if we were honest with ourselves. But then there is the much maligned alcopops and beer and the heavier spirits which are by far the bigger concern and to make matters worse I don’t even think their manufacturers have a case to put forward regarding any of their inherent health benefits.  

Just look at some of the facts when it comes to alcohol 
Government Fact Sheet
Government Fact Sheet2

The old adage of moderation is the best advice when it comes to alcohol and there is much sense in carrying the discipline of abstinence for certain days of the week and even certain times of the year such as Lent in the lead up to Easter.

Anyway, it’s Sunday afternoon and I think I had better get off this computer and go down stairs as I’m certain that there’s a lovely red wine waiting for me.