Ep 166: An MD's Take on Alcohol with Dr. Cheng Ruan

Apr 5

Have you heard the common claim that “a glass of red wine is good for you”? But what if that’s not actually the full story?

Karolina welcomes board certified internal medicine doctor and the founder of Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Cheng Ruan to Euphoric The Podcast to answer all of your burning questions. You’ll discover the real impacts of alcohol on your body, brain, hormones, and mood, and get informed about incredible FREE tools to support your overall health. From the truth about alcohol to the healing properties of mind-body medicine, Dr. Ruan is here to help you live your best life.

This episode is brought to you by Wild AF. If you’re looking for a deliciously authentic non-alcoholic wine that’s all natural, check out Wild AF Wine today, and give their Sparkling Rosé a try! Most companies add in a lot of sugar or juice which can make the final product taste like kid’s grape juice, but not Wild AF. They take a California Syrah and make a nonalcoholic sparkling rosé from it that is delicious. And because they don’t add in any sugar or juices, it’s actually zero calories and zero sugar, so no guilt included. Use code EuphoricAF30 to get 30% off. Try it today.

IN THIS EPISODE:

How alcohol directly affects your sleep, mood, attention, menopause onset, metabolism, and even your ability to breathe!
Have your cheeks ever turned red after drinking? That’s actually your body having an inflammatory reaction to a toxin called acetaldehyde
Is there actually a good “allowed” amount of alcohol that a person can drink? Dr. Ruan shares useful research from the American Heart Association, and what happens when we also take our brain health into account
Dr. Ruan’s philosophy about mind-body medicine (and why it’s so crucial to your overall health), how to prevent disease, and the power of breathwork
How AI and the abundance of information on the internet is impacting the medical field. In fact, statistics say 55% of health care professionals will leave the healthcare industry by 2025! The question is, why?

REFLECTION QUESTION:

Have you ever had your cheeks turn red after a glass of wine? Have you woken up after a night of drinking with a stuffy nose and exhausted? In the days following a night out, do you notice your anxiety is higher?

Alcohol impacts far more in our bodies and minds than we may like to give it credit for. Take a moment and get honest. What physical ways have you noticed alcohol negatively impacting you? What about mental? Emotional?

Now, how would your experience of life differ if those symptoms weren’t there?

“It's not surprising that there's been plenty of studies showing that alcohol has a lot of detriment, directly and interactively to brain cells. And not surprisingly, it has effects on the liver, right? Effects on the blood vessels and whatnot. That's all nice to know, but we want to look at alcohol as an impact on the entire life, the way that we live. It can have a pretty significant impact, and it doesn't have to be a whole lot to create a significant impact.” - Dr. Cheng Ruan

“The best part about mind-body medicine is tools that we can already use within us. We can be anywhere. You don't have to spend money on breathing. You don’t need to spend money on movements or flow or meditative processes, right? And so it's generally very accessible, but not only is it accessible, it's far superior to starting on what's called “outcome-based medicine”, which we really have to get away from.” - Dr. Cheng Ruan

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Learn more about your health from Dr. Cheng Ruan on his Instagram and Facebook. Check out his LinkedIn page and read his newsletter, Rebuilding Healthcare.

You can also learn about the medical work Dr. Ruan does with his practice, Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Ruan is also president of Physician Transformation Institute, an organization dedicated to ending healthcare professional burnout and mental health issues.

Karolina’s brand new Coaching Certification, The Empowered AF Coach starts May 4th, 2023. Submit your application today and get certified in four different modalities: Alcohol-Free Life Coaching, Mindset Coaching, Success Coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching. Plus, a weekend retreat and 4 months of business training and masterminding to help you attract new clients and scale to six figures.

This episode is brought to you by Wild AF. If you’re looking for a deliciously authentic non-alcoholic wine that’s all natural, check out Wild AF Wine today, and give their Sparkling Rosé a try! Most companies add in a lot of sugar or juice which can make the final product taste like kid’s grape juice, but not Wild AF. They take a California Syrah and make a nonalcoholic sparkling rosé from it that is delicious. And because they don’t add in any sugar or juices, it’s actually zero calories and zero sugar, so no guilt included. Use code EuphoricAF30 to get 30% off. Try it today.

Karolina’s book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and as an audiobook. Be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave your review.

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