Should you immediately take up drinking alcohol? Probably not. But you should remember to do other things that improve your heart health and decrease your cancer risk, like achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet.

Since becoming a therapist, I inspire my clients (typically not to the severity that my therapist "inspired" me, unless it is necessary) to take a 21-day alcohol detox every year around this time.

Alcohol is the one unregulated, accepted drug we have in our society, and I do believe it's being abused. But since drinking is so socially acceptable, and everyone's doing it -- including high-functioning and motivated movers and shakers -- no one's questioning it.

Like an addiction to drugs or alcohol, food addicts will struggle to simply stop their addictive behavior, even when the behavior leads to weight gain, or damages relationships.