Living a booze free life isn't for everyone, but it is a simple fact that those that do are more likely to reap a host of different health-related rewards for their commitment to sobriety.
A variety of things happen to your body over time when you give up drinking, with organised events like Dry January and Sober October having a positive effects on your body.
Charity Drinkaware has have compiled information on a variety different changes you can expect to see in your body across both the long and short term, from superficial changes to appearance to staving off life threatening issues.
What are the short term changes you can expect to see when you stop drinking?
You'll stop getting hangovers
This might sound obvious. No drink, no hangover. But think about what a stinking hangover really feels like: relentless nausea, anxiety, fatigue, headaches, shakes and perhaps even vomiting.
Now imagine not feeling any of these things. This is about as shirt term as it comes but its also a way to get a sense of near-instant gratification.
Your mental health will improve
Drinking heavily and regularly can have impacts on how your brain functions. The chemicals in your brain that are vital for good mental health are interfered with when you drink heavily.
That first drink may feel like a moment of respite and relief, but in the long run it is more likely to contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression: By cutting it out, your'e also more likely to lower your stress levels too.
Better sleep, more energy
Cutting booze out completely is a surefire way to help regulate your sleeping pattern and bump up your energy levels.
Drinking disrupts your sleep cycle: while a drink before bed can help you fall into a deep slumber, it's likely to lead you into increased rates of Rapid Eye Movement or 'REM' sleep.
This kind of tossing and turning less restful and can leave you feeling tired the next day.
If you cut down the booze you're also likely to cut down the REM, meaning more good hours in the bank, an easier wake up in the morning and a better feeling throughout the day.
Your skin will look better
Booze dehydrates your body every time you drink. It can give a 'dull' impression to your skin and eyes, likely making you look more tired than you already are. If you cut it down both your skin and eyes should brighten back up after nought time.
You could loose weight
Drinkaware says: "A pint of lager can contain the same amount of calories as a slice of pizza, or a large glass of wine the same an ice cream sundae."
Booze is full of 'empty calories' that cause wight gain without providing any nutritional benefits to your body in other ways.
If yo cut down on the drinks you'll also be cutting down on the calories, improvising your overall ratios between calories burned and calories ingested.
Drinking alcohol can also reduce your body's fat burning process when it's looking for an energy supply, meaning that when you stop this process will become more effective and you will begin to burn fat in a more normal way.
If you loose weight after cutting back on the beverages there's a good chance you can also keep the weight off if you don't start drinking too much afterwards.
What are the long term benefits of giving up alcohol?
Seven different kinds of cancer are linked to alcohol consumption, including breast and mouth, so by cutting back you decrease the risk of developing them.
By drinking less you cut back on the potential risks, including:
- Liver cirrhosis
- Stroke
- Mouth cancer
- Breast cancer
- Heart disease and high blood pressure
- Sexual dysfunction
