#SmoothHealth: Effects Of Alcohol & Medication On Your Body

What you put into your body matters. Our bodies are designed to take in things that fuel our energy levels and our physical and emotional health. Putting the right things into them can make us both happier and healthier.

All of this is wonderful, but knowing what to ingest and when can be more difficult than it seems. There’s a lot of misunderstanding and many myths out there, especially in regards to medicines, supplements, and alcohol. Most of us know what healthy eating looks like (even if we don’t always stick to our goals): The right diet for most people is a diet of whole foods that is light on processed junk and heavy on the vegetables. But alcohol, medicines, and supplements are a whole different story.

Alcohol and your body

Alcohol is a tricky thing. In moderation, it’s enjoyable and can even be good for you. Drinking alcohol regularly (again, in moderation) can help reduce your risk of heart-related problems like heart attacks. Alcohol can prevent kidney stones, too. In fact, studies show that people who enjoy an alcoholic drink from time to time tend to exercise more than their teetotaling counterparts.

In excess, however, alcohol can be a real problem. Drinking too much at once can quite literally kill you, and chronic heavy drinking can lead to all sorts of long-term health problems. Alcohol is full of calories, too, and it can really add to your waistline (especially if you’re drinking booze that’s particularly caloric, like beer).

All of this complicated stuff can be summed up in one simple piece of advice: Enjoy drinking in moderation. Savor your booze, and don’t over-indulge. Head to your local liquor store and stock up on nice wines and low-calorie liquors, but skip the trip to the store for a 30-pack of terrible beer. If you’re drinking decent booze and doing so in moderation, then you’re doing things right.

Drugs and medication

Medications aren’t always “natural,” but they are carefully designed to help us combat sickness or treat symptoms of illnesses and injuries. If you’re using medication properly, you’ll be a healthier person.

That means being smart about your over-the-counter drugs. Read labels, don’t exceed recommended doses, use medicine only for its intended purpose, and never mix medications with each other unless you have explicit permission from your doctor.

Prescription medications can make some people uneasy, but you should always listen to your doctor. If you have concerns, raise them and discuss the issues, but never go off on your own and ignore your doctor’s advice. Take your prescription medications as directed; take the proper daily dose with or without food as instructed, and finish out the full prescription if your doctor says to do so (if you quit taking antibiotics as soon as you feel better, you won’t feel better for long).