I’m not a heavy drinker, but like many people these days I’ve become increasingly aware of my need for an alcoholic drink in order to relax, particularly at weekends.
Fortunately, I don’t have a high tolerance level which helps me limit my alcohol intake, so giving up alcohol altogether is more about stopping the pattern that was developing – that drinking was how my partner Ali and I relaxed in an evening or weekend – particularly given that after a couple of glasses of Prosecco or vodkas, I’d fall asleep on the sofa.
So, I decided to give up alcohol for the minimum time needed to break a habit – 21 days. Here’s what I’ve learned.
During my 3 weeks of sobriety, I’ve had some interesting reactions. During nights out with friends, comments have ranged from supportive: “Brilliant, go for it!” to concern that I might spoil the fun: “You knew we had this planned – why are you doing a detox now?” and disbelief about my staying power: ” There’s no way you can go 21 days without drinking!” These remarks have made realise how much I associate socialising with drinking and how drinking alcohol – or not – alters social interactions.
Physical and Mental Impact
Not drinking alcohol hasn’t reduced my weight but I’ve lost inches around the stomach. My eyes look brighter, my face looks less puffy, and I feel fresher, clearer headed and more productive. My abstinence has also made me realise how “edgy” I feel when I’ve had alcohol. Even though this has reduced after three weeks, I think I need to refrain from drinking awhile longer to banish that fidgety feeling.
Alcohol and liver health
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about gut health and its link with our mental health, but I’m a big believer on concentrating on liver health. Your liver is the powerhouse of your body’s functioning.
When working on a clients skin, I spend quite a lot of time on their liver energy. The skin has ‘voice’ as does the liver. An indicator of good liver health is the quality of your eye colour – if your liver is healthy, your eyes look brighter. Not drinking means your liver doesn’t have to process the toxins associated with alcohol, so you give your liver a break which helps rebalance everything.
Will I continue?
Not only do I feel better for giving up Alcohol for 21 days, I’ve saved money. But for me the most significant improvement has been breaking the habit. Feeling more in control of the anxiety around drinking and also being a lot more productive at the weekends!
Non -alcoholic beverages
Restaurants and bars make it even easier to stay dry. On one evening out ,I only had tonic water, on another ginger beer. Lots of places do alcohol-free beers but not many do alcohol-free wines and, if they do, they’re not great. I’ve finally found one I like, Freixenet non-alcoholic sparkling wine.
Alcohol - the facts
The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units per week (6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine), spread over three or more days, and with at least two days off.
Four bottles of wine a month adds up to a yearly consumption of around 27,000kcal, equivalent to eating 48 Big Macs per year.
Around 31 out of every 100 men and 16 out of every 100 women in England drink above low-risk levels.
Independent research conducted by the University of Sussex with over 800 Dry January participants showed that Dry January participants were still drinking less even six months later.
One Response
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