Three Years and a Day

It’s been three years and a day since I’ve had a drink and I feel great. 

I’m healthy and thriving and tuned in to my family and nature.

I sleep better. I wake up fresh. I’m less reactive or cranky. 

I’m a better role model to my children and a better partner to my wife. 

My quality of life has improved a lot and I’ll probably live longer.

I am brimming creatively and embarking on a new venture as I write this.

I am leaner than I’ve been in 25 years and stronger. 

The easy thing to write next would be about how humbled I am but that would be untrue. 

People always say they’re humbled when they’re highlighting accomplishments. I’m not sure I get it. I feel blessed maybe but not humbled.

On the contrary, I am proud. I’m proud about what I’ve done and where I’m headed.

I was a kindaholic.

I never crashed my car or destroyed my liver or lost a job or my family, but I definitely drank too much and the negative effects were beginning to compound with age.

Maybe this next part will get some unsubscribes. So be it…

Alcohol is much worse than people acknowledge. It’s terrible for our health whether we have lost things directly or not.

Over the short-term, it affects sleep, mood, attention, coordination, energy and more.

It is a toxin and over the long-term drinkers face increased risks of heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, psychopathology, obesity, and death.

Not to mention the havoc it wreaks on relationships and our ability to cope with stress.

If you drink too much, deep down you might be aware and if you are aware I encourage you to do what you can to quit.

If you don’t know where to start see below or you can hit me up on Twitter or reply to this newsletter and I will try to provide some direction if I can.

Drinking is not cool just because we see advertisements with cool people like Snoop Dogg hawking beers on the beach and it doesn’t make you beautiful just because Kaley Cuoco makes it seem that way.

Drinking is not cool or beautiful. These people are getting paid to make it appear glamorous. They are getting paid a lot.

They’re performers and that’s just marketing.

Related Links

The SAMHSA Substance Abuse Hotline Information is free and available 24/7/365.

From Huberman’s tweet, it looks like less than you’d think is worse than you thought. 

And keep a lookout for his upcoming podcast giving alcohol his thorough evidence-based and engaging review/interview treatment. Should be a doozy. 

Concise rundown on short and long-term effects of alcohol.

Snoop Dogg and Joanna Newsom’s husband sell beer.

Kelly Cuoco sells vodka.

Rise of the Kindaholics

August Walkabout Update

The August Walkabout is in full effect and we are getting great feedback from people who are getting out into nature and walking.

This is exactly the intent. We want to encourage everyone. Walking feels great and it’s healthy for us on multiple levels.

The Meat Mafia and I are doing Live Twitter Spaces every Monday this month around 6 PM ET just to promote the goodness of walking and we’ll tweet the link out on Monday afternoons. Last Monday, the great Dr. Tro joined us!

I’ve been getting out early because it’s been hot in the northeast, although I see that by the end of the week it should be more temperate. Yes!

Here’s a pic I took this morning of my dog Daisy and the Hudson Valley on the Old Mill Trail from Kakiat Park.