Alcoholism runs strongly in my family, so I stay away from the stuff myself.  I've seen what alcoholism does to people and families and it is not worth flirting with that for me.  That said, I do love red wine, sherry and my all time fave, gin and tonic.  *sigh*  Still, I don't miss 'em enough to risk tripping the family gene and, to use Dr. D.'s maaaaahvelous "town hall" metaphor, allowing it to get all vociferous and controlling at the town hall.  Currently, it is sleeping peacefully in a back pew and I want to keep it that way.

I'm a non-secretor and there is apparently a link between nonniehood and alcoholism.  I'll bet all the family members of mine who are or were (and I say "were" because of death, not because anyone who is an alcoholic can ever put that into past tense status in life; you can only be in "recovery", never "recovered") alcoholics also sport the non-secretor gene.

spit test and candida
http://www.dadamo.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-pres/m-1126792451/

Ok, the spit test -- I read it on some candida website several months ago; and there may be other variations, but here's what they said...

Get bottled water (not tap -- not sure why), and let it get room temperature. First thing in the morning, fill a glass with the bottled water and spit into. If you have candida, your spit will soon look pretty gross -- have "legs" (strands hanging down through the water), cloudy, or speckled. If you don't have candida, your spit will look clear.

My husband and I did this, and his almost instantly had all of the grossness, while mine was nearly crystal clear. Same bottle of water; two clean glasses. I figure there has to be something to it, then. Surely there are better and more accurate tests, but I can't complain about the cost of this one!

perhaps... no tests @ all but ... ..only to get into a gentle love-issue with yourselve ... ...yeaaa,,, L. Hay inspired me....

You spit into a glass of tap water, just saliva, of course, let it set for several hours and if it grows what looks like tentacles or octopus legs you have candidas.   Very easy, but looks gross!

I rarely drink.  I did in my teens.  Thinking I should try to drink a glass of red wine at night since it's benifical, just haven't started.

I like my red wine, usually have a glass when we go out for dinner.  I'll open a bottle of wine at home and it will take me a couple of weeks to finish it.

I haven't had any alcohol since I've been on the BTD, but voted for Type A infrequent/frequent.

I go through "dry spells"such as now, where I will go for weeks without having anything to drink.  Just don't have the desire to do so.   That period usually passes when I'm cooking something or doing something and think that a glass of wine would go really good with XXXXX right about now.  I had one of those moments last night for the first time in awhile.

When I do drink, its usually two glasses of red wine.  I've never been a one-glass-of-wine-in-the-evening drinker.  There have been times in the past where I could (and have) easily drank a bottle in one night, and that is usually what triggers my desire to not drink for awhile.

Between on-call duty at my job and some work in my kitchen (updating the shelving), I've been working all weekend.  As my on-call rotation ended in the evening, I was ready to wind down for the evening with a nice glass of merlot, but decided against it.

Instead I went out today and picked up one of my favorite merlots, but put it aside for later in the week.  Once I finish the kitchen and my mind is clear with the satisfaction of a job well done, I plan on enjoying it (in moderation).  

I am curious to see if the changes brought about by the BTD will make me less likely to want two glasses of wine over the course of a meal/evening...or if its better that I look at perhaps avoiding wine all together.  We shall see!

For me, it's usually a little red wine (or occasionally Cosmopolitans) with my friends on a weekly basis.

Have any of you O drinkers noticed yourselves having a very bad reaction to white wine? My body seems to hate it. If I drink *any*, I have a terrible hangover the next day, even after just 2 glasses... and even the buzz itself feels malevolent, in some strange way.

Drinking red wine is something that has persisted for me despite strong understandings (not strong enough I suppose) that it is likely not wise to do much. My dad passed more or less from drinking and he was an O- like me. I'm quite moderate by comparison to his own history and these days quite a bit more moderate than my own history. The small glass of wine gets refilled more than it should most evenings just before and during the meal. Before BTD beer was also part of the routine and enjoyed especially homemade as well. Now red wine and nothing else. Perhaps it helps mask the guilt for all those animals I'm devouring.
This topic should inspire me to watch out. Thanks
iemnli  

Following the BTD fairly strict no beer just red wine  i go out after skating Saturday night ..I am single so I do enjoy a few glasses of red with the ladies.. but I always drink many more water glasses to wine glasses always..that way I don't have the several day hangover that I used to get..

alcohol doesnt do my body any good but one must live a little too

Quoted from silverseale

For me, it's usually a little red wine (or occasionally Cosmopolitans) with my friends on a weekly basis.

Have any of you O drinkers noticed yourselves having a very bad reaction to white wine? My body seems to hate it. If I drink *any*, I have a terrible hangover the next day, even after just 2 glasses... and even the buzz itself feels malevolent, in some strange way.

Yes, I have terrible hangovers when I drink white wine so I don't drink it very often.  Also, when I do have a glass, I'll keep drinking it like it's water.  That's probably why I get a hangover, I'll keep drinking it until it's gone.     

I have red wine as beneficial, but I don't really tolerate it all that well. It was a black dot on my SWAMI before I knew my secretor status, and honestly red wine feels more like a "black dot" to me than a "beneficial." I don't do well on alcohol, period.

We do serve red wine on Friday nights (and also on Jewish holidays, such as the upcoming Rosh Hashonna.) I generally buy the 4-6% alcohol wines and limit myself to one glass per evening (the alcohol equivilent of 1/2 glass "regular" wine.) That's enough to disrupt my sleep a little, and more than that leaves me hung over. I was acting quite tipsy on Passover, when I had the full 4  glasses (so the  alcohol equivilent of 2 glasses.)

No way would I drink wine every single night, or consume 2 glasses in an evening.

Being a gatherer O red is an avoid and white is a black dot.  Funny thing is the white will make me very tired in the morning and the red doesn't make any different at all.  I may drink a glass of wine before bed maybe two or three nights a week but often I won't have any at all for the week.

My red wines are usually dry and the white wines are semi. So maybe that's the reason.

I believe the genotype info is the most precise.  Though wine has some cardiovascular benefits many Os don't tolerate it for whatever reason.  I drink a few glasses per month at most.

I don't tolerate any alcohol well.  I've never been a "drinker", and after bartending for 9+ years, it definitely made me never want to drink again!!!

I am most definitely not a tea totaler, though I should be as I'm an Explorer, and all I get on swami for alcohol is red wine, which is only a neutral at best.  

No alcohol at all for me.  It's a problem in the family and a problem for me.  Seven and a half years sober and proud of it.  

I am avoiding it this week.  I usually have red wine in the evening, and it has been making me feel tired.  Giving it a rest for a while.  

I have a cpl glasses of red wine/ week.
No other alcohol.  Anything other than red wine makes me feel lousy.

I had a whole bottle of red wine last night and as of this morning I think that was a bad idea  
Moderation is not something I do well with in any situation. I'm more of an "all or nothing" personality.  
I do not drink regularly and I certainly don't miss it when I do not drink, but when I do I often drink more than is sensible.
I know it's a different topic than this thread, but does anybody know if tendency to addiction is BT or secretor status related? I don't seem to have the addiction gene. I quit smoking after 20 years (2 packs+ a day for at least the last 10 years) and didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. I can have coffee or not and don't feel any different etc.

If I remember correctly, it's the Os who tend toward addictive habits.

Surprisingly, I can handle a good bit of alcohol before it affects me.  Even with whatever liver issues I'm struggling through, I can still process it quickly.  I can drink many times what DH can (he's a lanky B Nomad) before I get the slightest bit....smiley.

I love dry red wine.  I average three to four glasses a week and sometimes go weeks without any.  

Quoted from Ribbit

I can drink many times what DH can (he's a lanky B Nomad) before I get the slightest bit....smiley.

Yeh smiley ; smiley is nice, if I keep going though, it is frowns all round  

Have never drank a whole bottle though, half a bottle is easy.

I like all types of alcohol and find that a little bit is actually healthful for me it seems.  

It can reduce anxiety, for me it puts me in a great mood, and i feel like i am on cloud nine!

I don't need it and feel great without it, but i enjoy drinking a few beers or sipping on drinks with friends or by myself in the evening sometimes.