10 Dec 15 Reasons to Love an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
But there’s not much guidance on how to quit drinking safely, particularly for people who don’t seek treatment because they think their drinking isn’t severe enough to warrant “detox” or “rehab” programs. There are also social aspects of going alcohol-free that you may not be expecting. So whether this is the first or 50th time you’re quitting drinking, here are five important things to keep in mind. There are several ways alcohol can affect your physical fitness. Many alcoholic drinks are high in ‘empty calories’, which can quickly lead to weight gain. Plus, alcohol impairs your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients from foods.
Watch for withdrawal symptoms, even if you don’t think you’re a heavy drinker.
No substances, no side effects—just a natural, reliable way to relax. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, alcohol should be consumed in moderation — up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Dr. Dasgupta said for is dmt addicting social and moderate drinkers, participating in a month break won’t make much difference to their bodies. However, for people who exceed recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, he said staying away from alcohol for a month can reap changes.
They want to be able to have the freedom to switch back and forth and be able to extend their nights. So even if, I liken it to the success of Oatly, for example, or Impossible Burger, where people who, people who still want oat milk might also still drink dairy. She’s the co-founder of The Volstead, the first zero proof bar in Philadelphia, which opened in 2022.
Better Mental Health
Emily, can I just ask you quickly about the language that we use around this movement or the increase in people choosing not to drink anymore? Because you heard Kelly in that clip, say, I’ve been sober for about four and a half years. I don’t know if she had an alcohol dependency challenge before that, but we also more casually hear the phrase, sober curious, et cetera, in terms of choosing not to drink. So it will have that complexity and that mouthfeel and the botanicals, but they stop the process before the alcohol actually comes into play.
- On the other hand, if you drink in moderation, alcohol doesn’t affect LDL and instead increases good cholesterol (HDL).
- But I stopped drinking fully in October of 2022 and it was for a variety of reasons.
- I went with zero proof, but framing in the positive, ’cause even non alcoholic has that no.
- As an extrovert, I was terrified of what losing alcohol would do to my social life.
- Another benefit of quitting alcohol is a big boost in productivity.
Can cutting out alcohol bring about health benefits?
They need to be working on a side hustle, that there’s an increasing sense of anxiety for the future and a need to get ahead and perhaps to be your kind of best self, if you like. Emily, as you said, there are a number of surveys and studies out there that sort of indicate the same trends. There’s one from the University of Michigan here in the what is drinkers nose United States that found that the share of college age adults abstaining from alcohol has grown to 28% over the past couple of decades. And she says the relationships she’s built in those communities are much stronger. According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans who consume alcohol has remained steady over the past two decades.
While alcohol can make us fall asleep faster, it decreases our quality of REM sleep, and causes us to wake up more frequently throughout the night. Now, I stick to an alcohol-free nighttime routine and wake up fully rested. I have found meditation to quiet my busy mind and, with practice, I am no longer afraid to be still with my thoughts. This has gone a long way towards improved sleep. Alcohol is known to weaken your overall immune system. My body was spending all its time trying to rid itself of alcohol that there was little left over to fight other infections, bugs, colds, flu, and more.
The real challenge is integrating them into your daily life. That’s where creating a clear vision comes in—visualizing exactly when and how you’ll apply these relaxation tools. By intentionally picturing these new habits in action, you train your brain to respond to stress with healthier behaviors. Mental rehearsal helps you pre-program your mind, so when stress arises, you naturally turn to these techniques instead of old habits. Excess alcohol consumption may cause weight gain, which means that cutting out alcohol could lead to weight loss for some people. If you need a break from alcohol, going alcohol-free for a month or more can bring about many physical and mental health benefits.
Alcohol gives you a very brief, artificial high, followed by a long and painful low. You know how awful it is when you feel hungover, depressed and anxious; you spend all day beating yourself up. When you stop drinking, it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted. Research shows that mental rehearsal is an effective way to build new habits. Regularly visualizing how these practices fit into your routine how to flush alcohol out of your system helps your brain anticipate challenges and overcome them.
How can you deal with those things differently in the future? If you find that you’re struggling with cravings and slips, there are medications that can help. With self-help books, social support, and/or therapy, you can also learn different ways to manage the urges with various coping skills.
Here in the United States, one particular option has grown dramatically in its availability and legality. For example, there’s been some articles written in the U.S. where young people are saying, I’ve given up drinking. Because A, it’s legal and I can get it and it provides some of the sense of a momentary pause or relaxation or what have you that alcohol once did, but they believe that it’s a better way to achieve that.