Red Wine: Cheers to Our Health, Ladies

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about clogged arteries and all.  I’m a woman in my forties, and, to be honest, moderately overweight but active.  So I’m planning out my New Year’s resolutions for 2008.  And I have one ritual that I know I will stick to.  I am going to make it a point to drink one glass of red wine with dinner each night, as part of a realistically doable regimen to eat/consume more sensibly and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.  And I’m expecting great results!  Read this article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL76345520071127 

So this explains those thin, laidback French women, doesn’t it? LOL

I have many times found myself right at the wine aisle in our supermarket, but I have been unable to make myself load up a bottle, even a cheap one.  I’ve been putting it off despite the fact that I have been reading about the benefits of one to two glasses of red wine per day for a couple of years now. But I’m finally going to do it…today…no fail.

The only flak that I am sure to get is from my husband who has never wanted to keep alcohol in any form in our home.  There are a lot of people who feel that way.  They just don’t want any form of alcohol in the house.  But I disagree.  Think about it — it could mean the difference between life and death, I’ll say.  Wine in moderation is a good thing and obviously part of a healthy diet much like taking a daily vitamin.

…a new study suggests that women who drink moderate amounts may have less inflammation in their blood vessels…It’s thought that chronic, low-level inflammation — in response to stresses like smoking, high cholesterol and obesity — contributes to the buildup of fatty deposits called plaques in the inner lining of the arteries.

OK, you don’t have to twist my arm. :)  Red wine is an antioxidant, a natural anti-inflammatory.  It’s calming.  And it’s good for the arteries.  Plus, for someone who is a bit high-strung like myself, it may even help with low-level, humming anxiety and stress.

I think that the reason a lot of us don’t drink wine on a regular basis is that we would equate it with keeping beer in the fridge — not the same effect, so don’t even propose it — haha.  Plus, we either think that it clashes with our faith in staying dry, OR, for those of us who grew up in a dry house, it just seems like a pseudo-sophisticated habit.  LOL  I’m over it.  I just want to live longer and healthier.

According to Sacanella, population studies have suggested that people who drink moderate amounts of wine — about a glass or two per day — may lower their risk of dying from heart disease by nearly one-third compared with non-drinkers.

Good enough for me!  So there you have it — my first 2008 New Year’s resolution.

Of course, before making this resolution, a person would, first of all, have to determine that she/he is not prone to overdrinking, and that there is no prior history of alcoholism.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  If it’s a matter of falling off the wagon or disappointing someone — or if you’re a really staunch Southern Baptist (LOL) — there are plenty of other natural sources for antioxidants and anti-inflammatories from which to choose.

But I just happen to think that, for me — a woman in her forties, clearly at risk with her weight and lifestyle for heart disease — red wine is a great supplement.  So I’m starting this habit tonight.  I’m trading in the sweet tea for a single glass of red wine.  Why wait for the New Year?  See if it might work for you, too, and we’ll compare notes later — or now, if you’re already doing this!

Cheers to our health, ladies! 

 

 

~ by Galvanized on November 28, 2007.