The 1 ‘Transformative’ Lifestyle Change a Heart Doctor Made for His Own Health
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The 1 ‘Transformative’ Lifestyle Change a Heart Doctor Made for His Own Health
Dr. Jeremy London removed all alcohol from his life several years ago. He calls it one of the most transformative decisions he’s made as an adult. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend skipping alcohol altogether or drinking it in moderation. No level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, the World Health Organization warns.”I think that alcohol is going to be the new cigarette smoking,” London told TODAY.com about six things he avoids for his heart health. “Sampling sobriety can serve as a self-diagnosis of how important alcohol is in your life,” experts say.”You are still making a choice to put a toxic substance into your body,” London said.
Those are also factors you can control.
But if you adopt unhealthy habits, “you’re putting yourself at risk that you’re going to end up on my operating room table,” Dr. Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon, previously told TODAY.com about six things he avoids for his heart health.
He’s eliminated one of those habits from his own life.
Cardiologist Tip of the Day: Avoid Alcohol
London removed all alcohol from his life several years ago.
He calls it one of the most transformative decisions he’s made as an adult.
“Alcohol is toxic to every cell in your body,” London said. “I think that alcohol is going to be the new cigarette smoking.”
One drink every once is a while isn’t deadly, he noted.
But the doctor completely stopped drinking because he realized that as much time as he spent on watching what he eats, exercising and getting enough sleep, it didn’t make sense that he was “actively poisoning my body,” London explained on TikTok.
Why It Matters
No level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, the World Health Organization warns.
Earlier this year, former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called alcohol “a well-established, preventable cause of cancer” responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S.
Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. It’s also a risk factor for an irregular heart beat.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend skipping alcohol altogether or drinking it in moderation, defined as two drinks maximum a day for men, one drink or less a day for women.
London chooses to avoid all alcohol.
“Whether it’s one drink a week or one drink a night, you are still making a choice to put a toxic substance into your body,” he said.
How to Get Started
Try a week or a month without alcohol. You don’t have to wait until Dry January to stop drinking, but the concept is the same. You may feel better and decide to keep going.
Sampling sobriety can serve as a self-diagnosis of how important alcohol is in your life, experts say.
“Can you go a week or can you go a month without any alcohol? And if you can’t, why not? What is it that’s driving your need for alcohol?” Sharon Wilsnack, an expert on drinking behavior in women, previously told TODAY.com.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
Source: https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/heart-doctor-alcohol-warning-rcna221914