Learn why alcohol makes different people sleepy, aggressive, giddy or down right stupid. Alcohol reaction is more about personal biochemistry, medical conditions and environment and less about a lack of morals, will or spirituality. By stabilizing your biochemistry, you can enjoy moderate alcohol or lose the craving.
Doug Setter has allowed me a little time today to chat about his book ‘Simple Secrets to Handle Your Alcohol Better: Student’s Edition’ takes readers through the ins and outs of the effects of alcohol on the human body. Doug, thanks for joining me today. In many countries throughout the world there are a large number of people who are challenged by alcohol. What motivated you to investigate and write about this topic?
Losing my own alcohol craving and watching my sister die from it.
Wow, those are very powerful events in your life. How did these circumstances unfold in your life?
I started drinking in my final year of high school to numb out the boredom and the bullying. Later, as a Morse code operator in the military, drinking heavily was the norm. By studying nutrition, exercising and practising yoga, I physically lost interest in alcohol and changed careers. This meant going up against tremendous peer and supervisor pressure.
As you had already studied nutrition was it an essential for you to do further research to make sure that you had a solid argument for any peer pressure or other rebuttals that may have arisen as part of writing this book?
Yes. Mostly from Life Extension by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw and Seven Weeks to Sobriety by Dr. Joan Mathews-Larson. After “experts” were time and again shooting down my ideas, I finally started seeing my research coming together, which was rewarding.
If you had to sum it up in a single sentence or two, what do you think are the most important messages that readers should take away from this book?
Lose the guilt trip about drinking. Protect yourself and take measures to lose the craving.
Now that you have explored the depths of alcohol and alcohol cravings, have you turned your mind to your next book project? And if so can you tell us a little bit about it?
It’s called Hourglass Figure Sculpting for the 21st Century Woman. It is the diet, fitness and beauty methods of the early 20th century actresses and models, like the 200-pound beauty queen, Lillian Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and Playboy models and Miss America winners (from 1950 to early 1970’s).
That’s an interesting jump. How do new ideas unfold for you? For example with your new book on the figure sculpting did you start with the end?
The end is hard. I usually start in the middle or with one incident or piece of research. Did you know that James Dickey wrote “Deliverance” after he saw a man scaling a cliff?
No, I hadn’t heard that.
How that expanded into that classic assault scene, who knows. When I started Hourglass Sculpting, I stumbled across the mathematical formula for female attractiveness base on the research by Dr. Devendra Singh.
I’ve heard about that formula. What pushed you from just reading or researching about something like the mathematical formula of female attractiveness into writing a full book?
Can’t help it. There are so many things that I want to research and explain to the world.
And when you have a topic, what keeps you on track so that you can reach your end goal of explaining it to the world? For instance, how do you approach the writing process?
I write in the morning or right after work. I will deny myself food, exercise or socializing until I have produced at least a page or 15 minutes.
Denying yourself is a strong route and feels like it is very disciplined. Do you come from a disciplined background?
I work for the military as an administrator. But, I draw on my experiences as a personal trainer, crime reporter, university student and soldier to get ideas and plan my work.
Does disciplined planning help you get through writer’s block or do you use other techniques?
I set up reward systems. It helps me write faster if I know that there is a good movie coming up or a social event. I often pay myself about a dollar an hour or a page as incentive.
I haven’t heard any other authors talk about paying themselves to write, but I have to admit that it does sound like it could be any effective writing technique. Do you have any tips for authors, who are still setting up their own incentive systems?
Slow and steady wins the race. Write five days a week. Same time each day. Have an overall plan for the book. Break it down into 10 or 12 chapters. Do not pay for huge promotional packages. Study marketing. But, do not hand over thousands of dollars to some know-it-all. Be wary of easy publishing.
I think I hear some more of the disciplined planning coming through in those recommendations, and I’m sure other readers will profit from these tips. Now, we’ve been very good and chatted in a diligent and disciplined manner about your book. I think it’s time for a little sojourn, which I would like to take in my big bucket of crazy and random quick fire questions that I have recently refilled with new questions. So let’s start with: What is your zodiac sign?
Taurus
Do you have any philosophies that you live by?
What goes around comes around. Crazy good things can happen. Let them happen. Don’t take anything for granted. Win the internal battle every day. Expect to hit walls. Be better each day.
I like the one where you win the internal battle everyday. It makes it sound more manageable, rather than tacking the internal battle on a long-term front. Next, I would like to know if you are a valuable asset on a quiz team?
Depends on the subject.
If they made a movie from your book who would you choose to play the main characters?
Collin Farrell could play me. Emily Blunt could play my sister.
Nice choices. What is your favourite quote?
“Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and some people crooked.”
That’s a good one :). Speaking of water, what is your favourite ocean?
Pacific.
Are you introvert or extrovert?
A bit of both.
If you invented a monster what would it look like and what would you call it?
It would shape shift. I would call it “soul-taker.”
Oooooh. That sounds like it could have a spooky element to it. I’m not sure I’d want to meet it in person. Have you ever danced in the rain?
Yep.
If you ruled your own country, who would you get to write the national anthem?
Eric Lloyd Webber.
Are you left or right handed?
Right handed.
How are the colours in rainbows made?
Refraction of light from the rain in the atmosphere.
Good to see that you know how it works. What is your favourite song or music to work by?
Eric Lloyd Webber and Shirley Bassey.
If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
Flying snake.
I don’t think I’d want to meet that one either. But I think it would look really cool. What color socks are you wearing?
Gray
What is your favourite flavor of ice cream?
Chocolate mint.
What’s the most unusual name you’ve ever come across?
Dick Oderis Groen
It does sound a bit odd, but I like the rhythm. And finally to round us out for today, what is your favourite word?
Finished.
Doug, I appreciate that you took a little time out of your day today to chat about your book and I hope that we’ve enticed readers to challenge their own ideas about alcohol cravings and addiction to improve their lives.
Want to find out more about Doug? Connect here!