81. DRINKING HAS NOT ONE DEFENSE
Dear Grandma Donna: Can you imagine my surprise last week when I met with some friends from high school, and they each one ordered an alcoholic beverage to drink with the meal? In high school we were all teetotalers, and I continue to be, but my friends have gone a different path. Could you remind me of the harm of drinking alcohol just in case the subject is brought up? Love, Savana
Dear Savana: One of the first reasons to abstain from drinking alcohol is the fact that 6 percent of our population in the U.S. are alcoholic; worse yet, 14 percent are problem drinkers. Behind that statistic are broken homes, neglected and abused children, and accidents that lead to death. Another statistic is the loss of a human being who had great potential who was sacrificed on the throne of alcohol.
Three of my good friends are suffering the heartache of having their sons in prison because they committed crimes under the influence of alcohol. One is especially tragic—his son had a wreck that killed a person. He has spent years in prison and probably will be there for many more. The other two committed minor offenses, but several years of their lives will be wasted in prison because of alcohol.
One of the main reasons to choose not to drink is because it messes with the mind. There was a recent report on the news: “Study finds, ‘’Even Moderate Drinking Might Shrink our Brain.’” One statement made in the report supports your teetotaler lifestyle: “Though there has been a debate over the exact harms of light-to-moderate drinking, more research has suggested that there is no such thing as completely safe alcohol use.”
Alcohol interferes with communication pathways in the brain. This causes loss of control that happens when you are drunk. From age 12 to in the mid-20s the brain undergoes radical changes. Young people should not drink alcohol during these years, because it hinders their ability to problem solve, make sense of complex information and make plans for the future.
There are many other damages done to the body by alcohol. Your social-drinking friends may not experience any of these, but even as each cigarette damages the lungs and ultimately can destroy them; so every drink of alcohol damages parts of the body and can ultimately cause death:
Here are the major damages of alcohol:
Cirrhosis of the liver
High blood pressure (the most prevalent damage to the heart)
Ulcers and gastritis caused by increased amount of acid in the stomach
Pancreatitis caused by toxic substances produced by the pancreas
It can cause weight gain because the calories are pure fat with no nutritive value, making the drinker feel hunger.
Alcohol can destroy good looks with a beer belly, a drinker’s nose and bloodshot eyes, not to mention the bad breath.
One more strong negative for the guys—it reduces the production of testosterone. The desire for physical love is strong, but the ability can ultimately be destroyed.
One final quote from CNN Health: “Alcohol was the leading risk factor for disease and premature death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide in 2016, accounting for nearly one in 10 deaths, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2018.
These many reasons not to drink strengthen our stand. PROMOTE THE TEETOTALER LIFESTYLE FAR AND WIDE! Love, Grandma Donna
VEGAN CHEESE SAUCE
3 c potatoes peeled and chunked
1/3 c carrots sliced
1/2 c blanched and slivered almonds or raw cashews
1/2 c nutritional yeast flakes
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
2-3 t salt
dash turmeric for color
2 c water
Add 1/2 c water to the potatoes and carrots and boil until tender. Blend the almonds or cashews in 1 cup of water until creamy. Add cooked potatoes, carrots, nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and turmeric, and one cup of water to the blender, then blend until smooth. The cheese sauce is delicious on baked potatoes, enchiladas, and almost any dish that uses cheese.