Drinking alcohol has become one of the most popular and accepted social activities around the world. It’s very likely that you, dear reader, like to drink from time to time as well. And while drinking red wine may be beneficial to your heart health following certain parameters, it’s also good to know exactly what alcohol does to your body and what benefits it will bring if you give your body a rest from the constant alcohol intake we usually have.
Alcohol consumption influences all your organs, from your brain to your liver and stomach. Continuous alcohol intake can even influence your immune system and make it weaker, thus making it easier for you to get sick. Of course, partying hard for a few weekends does not mean you will get a nasty flu (and a hangover) the day after, however, you will increase your chances.
The first thing that it’s important to review is the amount of alcohol you are drinking; of course, the intake of larger quantities of alcohol will result in more dangers to your health and lifestyle, in addition to the risk of going into one of the many types of alcoholism and getting involved in a more serious disease.
Take a moment to reflect and review if your drinking is going constantly overboard, and if so, the 6 benefits of quitting alcohol mentioned below will definitely interest you.
You Will Lose Some Weight
There are some mix theories on whether alcohol consumption will make you gain weight or not. It’s safe to say though that alcohol is not something to drink when doing a diet; just to give you an idea: A glass of wine (5-ounces) has an average of 150 calories, a glass of beer (12 ounces) about 100 calories, so basically, if you are not dieting, drinking will only add to your weight gaining risk.
Moreover, you tend to eat around 30% more food whenever they are drinking alcohol, basically, you’re being bombarded in all directions. But, if you are trying to lose some weight, quitting alcohol will allow you to achieve your goals faster; most types of alcohol have large amounts of sugar or they become sugars when they are processed. If you need to reduce your weight then you can try some health product.
Your Brain Will Thank you
Yes, we’ve all heard that alcohol is a hard hit on your liver, which is the organ that is most at risk because of it… Yes, and no. The liver can sustain incredibly hard damages after years of heavy drinking, such as liver disease, cirrhosis and/or scarring, but it is not the only important organ that will be damaged.
The brain also receives a significant amount of harm because of alcohol, even more, the NIAAA (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) mentions in a study that “A person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain deficits that persist well after he or she achieves sobriety”
Have you experienced a blackout after a particularly wild party? Yes, it is common even for moderate drinking, whereas binge drinking or alcohol abuse can end up in total memory loss lapsus.
On the bright side, quitting alcohol will help your brain to produce new brain cells, as booze slows down (and even stops) the growth of new cells. Also, alcoholics or alcohol abusers can regain to some extent the brain function that had been lost after one year of sobriety. So cheer up, there is hope.
You Will Feel Better
Do you think that alcohol makes you an outgoing person? That it just makes everything be better and more enjoyable? Well, think again. In truth, alcohol is a depressant, hence why the day after drinking you feel down (not counting the hangover). As we mentioned above, alcohol affects the brain to a point where it can lead to depression and brain damage.
The disorders and consequences brought by alcohol consumption can include sleep disorders, mood swings, anxiety, and depression. When you quit drinking, in just a few weeks you will allow your body to restore itself, sleep better, have more energy, clearer skin, better immune system and even improved memory!
You Will Have More Money
Drinking well (a good wine, vodka or even scotch), is definitely an expensive habit. You don’t normally think about how much you spend on a night out (even counting taxes and tips), or how much you spend to keep at home. If you take a moment to actually do the math on the regular expenses you have on alcohol, I will assure you it will be one of the best benefits of your alcohol break.
You Will Be More Efficient
Not only you will be healthier and be in a better mood, you will also be more efficient in your life. Quitting alcohol will allow you to make better decisions as alcohol is linked to impaired judgment, it will also increase your concentration levels up to 18% this is because alcohol dehydrates your body and that affects directly your ability to concentrate and also to remember things.
Quitting alcohol will allow you to concentrate better, make better decisions and retain more information doing everything. At work, it will increase your productivity daily, add the fact that you won’t have to be tackling nasty hangovers and it will just make you a better worker overall! It does sound pretty great.
You Will Face What Causes Your Stress
Among many other things, we use alcohol as an outlet for all the problems we face every day; when we drink we try to forget what is happening and leave behind any stress or anxiety we feel. In reality, the only thing alcohol does is distracting you from actually solving these problems.
When you stop drinking alcohol you are forced to face your problems, you are able to review the causes and actually solve whatever issues you may have that are causing both stress and anxiety. It will also allow you to sleep better and rest properly.
Do you like the benefits of quitting alcohol for a month (or maybe longer)? Do you have any other benefits of quitting or any tips to stop drinking?
Infographic provided by treatment center in Arizona, Fountain Hills Recovery