Two times a year a six weeks alcohol fast

I have finished it again.

Already about seven years I do two times a year a six weeks alcohol fast.

Many people, even the ‘bartender’ of our Mae Rim weekly local Friday market, already know and respect my periodically break. Several times I get questions about it that’s why I use the opportunity to share my thoughts about it in public in this week’s blog.  

Once, still living at that time in The Netherlands, I was reading in a health magazine an article about the liver. As a funny remark somewhere in the article the author mentioned: “Sometimes it is good to give your liver a holiday.” This sentence resonated with me and I started to practice. Not only as a reason for health, not even to lose weight, but also to regularly check my will power over the attention seekers of my body.

My father used to drink two glasses of red wine on a daily base before going to sleep. He had a whole philosophy to support his, in our family not always appreciated, consumption mostly related to his blood. Truth, he reached the respectable age of ninety-three in good health.

Since youth I consume alcohol, mostly beer. Working in the hospitality branch and even having my own private pub was an invitation to start to drink a bit more but not too much. Starting to work in the south part of The Netherlands and getting more and more involved in all kind of social groups again was an invitation. Having at a certain moment a private driver and all kind of work related events again was offering a lower threshold to consume alcohol. No, never drunk but still.

Now, living here, not all this social groups but a much different (warmer) climate that invites me on a daily base to drink two beers in the evening. I just like it. No other reason. On the other hand I want to keep an eye on it (my will power) not to make any steps to a kind of addiction. And yes, that sentence of that magazine, holiday for the liver.

So no technical reason or real health reason or, some people even think, religious meaning. Nothing to do with Lent or Advent. Just two times a year six weeks totally off.

The first day my body reminds me time for a beer. But if I change by a soda water (yes a big shift) the next day already it is OK.

Sometimes I ask myself after the, thankful still easy six weeks break, why should I start again? Save the money. No I just like it. And I think, like my father showed, actually in this amount it is healthy. So, I go for it and hope to survive his age.

Gangey Gruma (Frans Captijn)

Captijn Insight. Catalyst in developing tranquility & in-sight to get in a sustainable way real connection, purpose, pleasure and flow in life, love, family, business, career and work again.

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