By Jerry Dorsman
First I should point out that this book is targeted at helping you quit drinking entirely, but I think there are lessons for those of us who want to moderate too.
Premise is that a lot of people don't like AA approach and want alternatives. Figures are provided. He goes over advantages and disadvantages of AA and advises people to go to 5 meetings to see if it is for them or not. One of the downsides is that many meetings don't take an approach that is nutritionally sound, (coffee and sugary cookies served, for example). Even though a lot is known about nutrition and alcoholism now, AA still sticks with its old approach by and large.
Lot of importance placed on proper nutrition in this book. "Alcoholic foods and sugary foods are among the most highly addictive you can find." And he writes: "Almost all alcoholic drinkers suffer from malnutrition."
He seems to believe that alcoholics have a problem metabolizing alcohol, which results in an exaggerrated sedative effect. I know there are a few studies on this, but I am skeptical that he can leap to this conclusion.
This book really offers a lot of practical advice. It explains where cravings come from and how alcohol affects the body. Cells start craving the alcohol because that is what they are used to. Same things happen with types of food. Interestingly, he draws a parallel between problem drinking and overeating, calling them problems with excess appetite. He outlines optimal nutrition, which includes all the basics (limited refined sugar, whole grains, limited caffeine) but goes a step further than I am prepared to go in his advocacy of vegan/macrobiotic diets.
He reviews the factors going into a decision about rehab.. He notes that some rehab facilities are more holistic and some don't require AA steps (list of US centers is provided at the end of the book).
The book includes charts that help you define why you want to quit drinking and identify the excuses that keep you drinking. There is also a good list of books for further reading.
One of the most useful sections for me was the one on habits. He offers lists of types of daily habits and asks you to choose one from each list to change for three weeks. This helps you see it is possible to get out of these routines.
I think this book is in keeping with MWO principles and recommend it.
First I should point out that this book is targeted at helping you quit drinking entirely, but I think there are lessons for those of us who want to moderate too.
Premise is that a lot of people don't like AA approach and want alternatives. Figures are provided. He goes over advantages and disadvantages of AA and advises people to go to 5 meetings to see if it is for them or not. One of the downsides is that many meetings don't take an approach that is nutritionally sound, (coffee and sugary cookies served, for example). Even though a lot is known about nutrition and alcoholism now, AA still sticks with its old approach by and large.
Lot of importance placed on proper nutrition in this book. "Alcoholic foods and sugary foods are among the most highly addictive you can find." And he writes: "Almost all alcoholic drinkers suffer from malnutrition."
He seems to believe that alcoholics have a problem metabolizing alcohol, which results in an exaggerrated sedative effect. I know there are a few studies on this, but I am skeptical that he can leap to this conclusion.
This book really offers a lot of practical advice. It explains where cravings come from and how alcohol affects the body. Cells start craving the alcohol because that is what they are used to. Same things happen with types of food. Interestingly, he draws a parallel between problem drinking and overeating, calling them problems with excess appetite. He outlines optimal nutrition, which includes all the basics (limited refined sugar, whole grains, limited caffeine) but goes a step further than I am prepared to go in his advocacy of vegan/macrobiotic diets.
He reviews the factors going into a decision about rehab.. He notes that some rehab facilities are more holistic and some don't require AA steps (list of US centers is provided at the end of the book).
The book includes charts that help you define why you want to quit drinking and identify the excuses that keep you drinking. There is also a good list of books for further reading.
One of the most useful sections for me was the one on habits. He offers lists of types of daily habits and asks you to choose one from each list to change for three weeks. This helps you see it is possible to get out of these routines.
I think this book is in keeping with MWO principles and recommend it.