Sober curious is more than just a movement. It just might save your life. Here’s how alcohol effects your body.
In December of 2022, I realized that drinking for 25 years minus pregnancies was probably enough booze in my life. Two glasses of wine left me feeling like junk for 2 days, only to attend the next event to start the inefficient cycle all over again. If you’re questioning how alcohol effects your body, too, then you’re in the right place.
From Holly Whitaker’s book Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol, here are 5 reasons why I’m pressing pause on alcohol this year (I’m calling it #BoozeFree23), and why you might want to consider a hangover hiatus, too.
To listen to these five ways booze destroys your health, tap here for the podcast episode.
#1 Alcohol is Linked to 7 Different Cancers
Alcohol is a carcinogenic, meaning it causes cancer. Breast, mouth & throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum. Even light to moderate use. Cancer takes over your life, not just your job.
#2 Alcohol Effects Your Entire Brain
In her book Never Enough: The Neuroscience & Experience of Addiction, renowned behavioral neuroscientist and recovering addict Judith Grisel calls alcohol a “neurological sledgehammer.” And that’s not just for addicts and alcoholics.
It impacts not just one part of the brain, but all of it. Memory, motor function, inhibition, personality, emotional volatility. Not great for that big promotion or new client you’re after.
#3 Alcohol Increases Anxiety
Booze is primarily a depressant, hence why you sip to “calm down.” But to balance that unnatural addition, your body releases cortisol & adrenaline, which fuel anxiety. Meaning booze causes anxiety, not manages it. Stress makes you function out of fear.
#4 Alcohol Disrupts Sleep
Booze prevents you from the average of 7 REM stages during a sleep cycle, giving you 2 instead. Deprivation of REM leads to an increase in anxiety, depressive states, irritability, appetite, and memory loss. Not optional for creativity, problem solving, or relationship building.
#5 Alcohol Causes Premature Aging
Booze leads to loss of collagen & elasticity. It also depletes the minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants that counter free radical damage and support regeneration of new cells. Beyond work, don’t you also want to enjoy a youthful retirement?
Check out this blog post and podcast episode all about how alcohol effects your body and brain.
Alcohol effects your body in so many negative ways.
Take this as a consideration to rethink why, how, and when you drink:
- Is it to escape a feeling?
- To shift into a better mood?
- Is it a solo habit?
- A social norm?
If health & wealth are priorities for you, booze shouldn’t be.
Stay tuned for 6 more reasons why you might to reconsider raising a glass as well.
In the meantime, tap here to listen to the podcast episode, and share withe a friend who needs to hear it.
Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
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