Editors Note: Self Chec is a terrific non-profit organization that has a fabulous web site that offers free “Keeping Healthy” tools to provide you and your loved ones with early disease detection and prevention tips to help beat cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more. Visit their website.

The Stress-head. You’ve done a solid eight hours in the office, up against deadlines, a demanding boss and fussy clients. When you fall in the front door, blood pressure sky high, a relaxing drink may seem like water in the desert to you.

Alcohol may help you relax for an hour or two. But it can increase your stress levels overall. Alcohol is also a depressant, which means that it slows down the brain and the central nervous system.

At first this can make you more relaxed and less wound up, but if you drink too much it can end up making you feel depressed, anxious – and more stressed.

The Dinner Time Guzzler. For you, dinner isn’t complete without a glass of wine or two. It all starts with the preparation.

You love playing chef for family and friends, and a glass of wine while you cook up a storm may seem to be part of the fun. But often that turns into two or three and oops… the bottle’s gone before you even make it to the table.



The Sports Fan. You love football, baseball or some other sport. Your perfect weekend is watching all the big matches on TV. And maybe it’s accompanied by a beer or two or three…

The ‘Relax, It’s the Weekend!’ Drinker. When Friday finally rolls around you can flop down on the sofa and look forward to a couple of days off. It’s time to celebrate, which may mean cracking open a bottle. But if the celebration lasts into Saturday night you’re in trouble, especially if it stretches into Sunday lunch.