Did I catch your attention with the title? Good. I was hoping so. I would like to address these things from a perspective of a Wellness Coach who has worked with hundreds of women through the years and seen some addictions that seem harmless in the beginning but could be causing some health issues.

WEED, WINE and WATCHING TV

Why did I put these all in the same category? Because all can become addictive and dangerous for our health. Really? REALLY!

The women and men I have worked with who have some or all of these addictions are really no different than you and I. They are professionals, parents, and usually individuals that have high stress and can’t seem to relax or turn their mind off without it.

Let’s start with the most obvious but least talked about addiction – WEED.

Weed:
The technical name is marijuana, an illegal drug in most states in the US, and although there are various opinions about the legalization of marijuana, daily use of it is not good for our bodies and brains. If you use this drug everyday even a little bit or most days of the week, your body and brain will change.

Side effects of daily use of marijuana: (via research and the Total Wellness Doc’s opinion)

Mental clarity, respiratory issues, loss of libido, anxiety, moodiness, depression, higher incidence of cancer, relationship issues, and sometimes going over the dead end. And men don’t forget the lovely “man boobs” you will get from long term use.

Wine:
I live near the Finger Lakes wine country and I know many enjoy the wine tours and the hard work of this area’s farmers. But just like weed, wine can become a dependency if used everyday. Most people don’t realize that medications, disorders and diseases are all contraindications to not drink wine.

Side effects of daily use of wine: (via research and the Total Wellness Doc’s opinion)

Risk of dependency, over indulging, interruption of sleep (may initially put you to sleep but the quality of sleep is diminished and many will not feel rested in the morning), decreased inhibitions like you could easily say something to someone inappropriately on Facebook while drinking, loss of libido and decreased sexual function, dependency to relax, dependency to reduce pain experienced in feet, back or body from work day.

I also see and believe that women that drink wine everyday age faster especially during menopause. I believe this is due to overtaxing the liver, decrease of hormones and increase of free radicals that increase the aging of the skin and body.

Contraindications of drinking wine:
Sleeping disorders, stomach infections and stomach ulcers, hypertension or other heart problems, memory problems and family history of severe memory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, family history of cancers, dementia or alcoholism etc. Wine is also not recommended if you have a history of psychological illnesses- depression, bipolar syndrome, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder or others. Taken from http://templeofwine.com/content/negative-sides-wine-consumption

What about Red Wine?
Red wine is touted for its health benefits for the heart. This may be true but ingesting alcohol everyday to an already taxed body is not safe. Studies show one drink of red wine may benefit the heart and blood vessels. Two or more drinks can counteract the beneficial effect of one drink and is likely to have an adverse effect on your health. So here is my opinion. I really don’t think anyone with digestive problems, heart disease, chronic illness, cancer, or disease in general should be drinking this everyday. Limit to once a week and 1 glass.

I have always enjoyed my red wine but for the past few years and dramas, I have been increasingly using it as a way of relaxing and numbing myself. I am on antidepressants so I know this is not a good mix. It came to a head a few days ago when I felt very down and drank a whole bottle of wine. I still feel ill and have been off the booze since but know that the craving will return and especially if I have a difficult situation to deal with.

Watching TV:
Now why would I put watching TV in there with addictions of marijuana and wine? Well to be honest, I think this is probably the hardest addiction and least recognized, or maybe because it was or can be one of my addictions.

I interview women and men every month for associate positions with our Natural Remedies company, many who are looking for a part time work at home side business. When accepted into the program, they go through 3 phases of training with the initial training and take a good look at where and how they spend all of the hours of the week. Many are shocked that they spend more time watching TV than they do quality time with their spouse or kids. Don’t get me wrong, we all have a show or two we like to watch every week together with the family, spouse or friends but when 12 hours or more of TV time a week becomes a habit, we have to look at WHY we are watching so much television.

Side effects of too much TV: (research and my opinion)
Depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, weight gain, heart disease, poor relationships, reality disorder, marriage issues, lack of awareness of what is happening in your home, increased incidence of diabetes and the list goes on.

So now that I may have depressed you with all this information, part 2 of Weed, Wine and Watching TV will give you specific steps to help replace these things with more healthy and happy alternatives.

This information is not meant to diagnosis or prescribe, if you feel you have a serious health issue or addiction please seek competent medical advice.

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