I've had so many clients that are nailing their exercise and workouts, they meal prep and make sure they're hitting their macronutrients but their downfall is alcohol - and I totally understand.
If you're an adult in your twenties or thirties then alcohol seems to be everywhere. Did someone get married? Let's get the champagne out. Bad day at work? Let's go grab a drink.
This blog post isn't encouraging you to go completely sober but is educating you on the health benefits and considerations on when and why to reduce your intake. The article covers:
The health benefits of reducing your alcohol intake
Alternative ideas to keep sociable which don't involve alcohol
What to do when your social circle is not supporting you
Advice and guidelines to follow to help you limit your alcohol intake
What's the health benefits of reducing alcohol intake?
Better choice on alcohol, better skin
Gotten too drunk on a night out and you've totally forgot to do your cleanse tone and moisturiser regime befor heading to bed and woke up with last night's make up on? if you're investing in skin care and you're still not seeing any change then maybe have a look at your food and drink diary.
Alcohol causes dehydration which can cause skin to appear dry dull and create dark circles under the eyes which could reverse all of your hard work trying to get reverse any skin problems.
No hangovers
I mean this alone should probably be one of the best benefits of reducing your alcohol, is no nasty hangover the following morning after drinking. Alcohol dehydrates your body and I bet you weren't asking the bartender for glasses of water in between those Cosmopolitans were you? Dehydration can cause headaches/sickness which is why your head may feel a lot heavier the following morning after a night out.
Better sleep and more energy
If you've been drinking out later in the evening then you've headed back to bed then you might struggle to get a good night's sleep and struggling to get into a sleeping pattern. This will make you lethargic the following day making you less motivated to go to the gym and even if you do go to the gym your workout won't be the best. If you're eyes is on smashing that deadlift PB than pass on the Pimms!
No anxiety, or hangxiety
Ever dreaded showing your face at work after one too many drinks at the office Christmas party? Yup, we've all been there. I've had so many friends go through this anxiety phase after a night out. Some of the worst decisions you can make are when you're drunk so if you want to reduce feeling scared or anxious about your actions the following day then I would suggest reducing your alcohol intake.
Reduces the risk of liver problems
Stripping back on alcohol will also be beneficial for your liver. Your liver is the organ that breaks down alcohol so the more you drink and excessiveness of your drinking can put you at risk of liver damage.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Sipping on alcohol more frequently can increase blood pressure temporarily and permanently depending on how much you're drinking. If you are at risk of high blood pressure of already have high blood pressure then you should really be skipping out on the drinks. By managing your blood pressure levels you are helping prevent long term health problems and contributing to a healthy heart.
Alternatives to drinking to socialise
Go to yoga or a fitness class together
Instead of heading to the local pub on a Friday night why not head to a fitness studio? You can still get all the great music and LED lighting like what you'd get from a nightclub but no hangover and you're actually getting your exercise in! Sounds like a winner to me!
If you and your friends are looking for something a little bit more relaxing to wind down then explore classes that work with mind and body connection like yoga or mediation - this will stop you reaching for the bottle of wine and the yoga blocks instead!
Dog walking
Give your fur babies some extra love and take them out for a nice long stroll to help get your daily step count up, You can meet a lot of like-minded people when you're taking your pooch out for a walk and can find yourself in a community of fellow dog walkers making it sociable for you and your dog with no alcohol required!
Host a games night
Nothing says sociable like a good old debate on who's still in jail on a game of Monopoly! Grab yourself a pack of cards or your favourite board games and have the girls round for a round of Cluedo or two - you will be so invested in the game that you won't even be needing a glass of wine.
Start a Beach/Canal Clean Ups
Grab a handful of your friends one Friday night and pick out those pesky bits of plastic which ends up going in our oceans. You can get involved and make your own little clean-up project by using social media to recruit new members. You don't need anything fancy for this either, just a pair of rubbish bags and a bucket/sack to help hold your recycled plastics together.
Have a cook off
If you and your friends are wondering what to do for your upcoming birthday why not suggest a cook-off? One friend can concentrate and perfecting the starters, one of you can concoct a tase mains and the other can look after a delicious desert. You can make it fun by adding scores to each dish and see who would be the winner. You can also make it fun by having themed nights!
Volunteering
Do you look to go for drinks to cure boredom? Why not volunteer for a local charity to help put some of your spare time to better use. It's a great way of getting out of the house, making new friends and helping charities all without thinking about alcohol.
What do when your friends aren't supporting you
Not everyone will be supportive of your decisions to skip out alcohol at all times. You might have a friend who is going through a bad break-up and they want you to come and drink a bottle of wine with them. You might have a colleague who has brought in a bottle of champagne to celebrate a promotion. These will be a test of not only your will power but how supportive their response will be.
I've had multiple times friends call me 'boring' or 'unsociable' if I've wanted to go for lemonade instead of Prosecco - and I've got some tips and advice on how to deal with that:
ignore those comments: no one should be commenting on your decision of whether or not you want to drink, but if they do just simply smile and turn the conversation to something else. They'll be drunk soon anyways.
Order a mocktail or a non-alcoholic beverage: if it's the thought of not having a drink in your hand then you can opt for a non-alcoholic beer, cider or virgin cocktails so you're still having a glass of something in your hand, but it's not got the alcohol in it. You may even find it tastes better!
Practice saying no: If your will power isn't in a great place then practice saying no to people. As a society we feel so obliged to say yes to everything - even to things we now we don't want to do! Practice saying a firm no to drinks instead of 'maybe I'll have one later' or 'I'll have a small measure'.
Be strategic with your social events: Have a look at your social calendar over the next few weeks. Is there anything you can postpone to another date or if you have a girls night in with lots of gin and tonics on the menu would your fiends be accommodating to you and go for a fitness class instead?
Be explicit on why you're not drinking: try not to sugar coat your words when you respond to friends on why you're not drinking alcohol. It could be that you're wanting to get back into a better sleeping pattern or that you just want to wake up without anxiety, your friends should be understanding of your decisions.
Hopefully your friends are supporting - it shouldn't really care or bother them whether you're drinking or not. If they're constantly grinding you down and trying to get you to have an alcoholic beverage then perhaps you should take a break from the friendship and focus on yourself. Sometimes making the first step to becoming a healthier version of yourself can be quite challenging, but you certainly won't regret it.
Further information, help and advice
Educate yourself on your alcohol intake and the recommended guidelines
Alcohol is measured in units. This measures the amount of pure alcohol in a beverage. One unit is 8g of alcohol which is the amount of alcohol an adult can process in an hour. (NHS)
Men and women are advised by the NHS not exceed 14 units a week and that units should be spread across the week rather than having all 14 units in one day. Make yourself familiar with how many units are in your favourite wines and spirits, as this will make you more cautious on your intake.
Further reading if you're thinking about ditching alcohol for good
The best thing about your decision to give up alcohol all together is that you're not alone. There's some amazing books and influencers out on social media that are embracing the sober life. I've jotted down some great resources for you to take a look at.
As always you can share any tips and advice with me @thecurvecoach - I would love to hear about your sorties around managing your alcohol intake and any advice you would like to share with others!
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