Category: Physical health

8 reasons to stop drinking

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Personal stories, Physical health

I stopped drinking four and a half years ago and I’ve never looked back. Here are just a few of the reasons why life is better when you stop drinking.

 

1.Stop drinking and your health gets better

When you stop drinking it reduces your chances of developing a plethora of alcohol-related illnesses, from various cancers, to liver disease, to early onset dementia.

 

2.Your looks improve

Alcohol is responsible for puffiness in the face, sunken eyes, premature aging of the skin, and a dull complexion. Stop drinking and you will get healthier looking skin and brighter eyes.

 

3.It’s easier to maintain the weight you want

One bottle of wine has as many as 700 calories, more than a Big Mac! Plus, when you give up wine, you’re more likely to exercise if your weekends aren’t taken over by hangovers.

 

4.You have more time to get stuff done.

If you regularly crack open a bottle of wine after dinner and have a few glasses during the course of the evening, you’ll be down approximately thirty hours every week on time to GET STUFF DONE! That’s time to organize the kids for school the next day, time to blast the housework, or time to read, study or develop a hobby or skill. A boozy lifestyle equals non-productive evenings.

 

5.You can reach long-term goals

I’ve always loved writing and often tried to write a book but never finished more than a few chapters – I’d inevitably hit the wine before I got anywhere close to completion. Now, as a non-drinker (I had my last drink in April 2011), I’ve had four books published and have just started writing my fifth.

 

6.You have more patience

As someone who drank almost every night, and often to excess, I was less than patient as a parent to my eldest daughter. Now the mother of a second little girl, my parenting skills have improved massively and I always know I’m doing my best as a mum.

 

7.You find out who you really are.

Alcohol has such a powerful effect on the body and mind that it’s impossible to find out who you are when you’re regularly getting sloshed. It’s only with living alcohol-free that true self-discovery becomes a possibility. By learning to know yourself better, you have a fighting chance of finding out what you want from life, as well as all that you’re capable of achieving.

 

8.You feel good about your life

When you’re permanently sober, your choices are always your own; alcohol-free living means never waking up again crippled with regret and shame. And that is priceless.

 

Editor’s Note

If you’re worried about possible health impacts, check out our  top tips to reduce alcohol harm  here

 

 

Protecting your skin from alcohol damage

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Physical health

Protecting your skin from alcohol damage

We all know that alcohol is a toxin, and when consumed regularly and to excess it has multiple negative effects upon our bodies – both inside and out. The face frequently reveals the visible evidence of too much booze although the good news is that if you quit drinking alcohol, your facial appearance should begin to improve fairy quickly as a result.

 

Your skin becomes flushed and red

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is very important for ‘excretion’ i.e. getting rid of waste (along with the kidneys, bowel and lungs – we breathe out all sorts of waste, including alcohol).
A noticeable effect upon the face of drinking too much alcohol is that it can become flushed and red. This occurs because alcohol dilates the blood vessels directly beneath the skin. Over time, the capillaries surrounding the nose can burst causing a permanent redness – this can affect not only the nose but also the entire facial area.

 

Your skin becomes dehydrated

Another unhealthy outcome for our skin when we drink too much is dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic substance and thus, when consumed in excess, it causes dryness to the skin – it can feel scaly to the touch and also be prone to fine lines and premature ageing.

 

Your skin looks bloated

Bloating is another frequent complaint associated with drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis – again this is linked to the fact that alcohol is dehydrating; the body retains what water it has in order to combat the diuretic nature of alcohol.
Due to the toxicity of alcohol, it has a highly detrimental effect on the liver, the organ tasked with ridding the body of any poisons (of which alcohol is a major one within the Western world).

 

It makes psoriasis and rosacea worse

As well as the above less than encouraging summary of alcohol and its effects on the skin, drinking too much usually worsens conditions such as psoriasis and rosacea.

 

Protecting your skin from alcohol damage

Stopping drinking alcohol will help to restore more youthful and plump looking skin. Follow these steps to further speed up the skin recovery process:

  •     Eat well – fruit, veggies and drink lots of water
  •     Relax – try yoga and meditation
  •     Wear sunscreen – to avoid further premature ageing of the skin
  •    Pamper –get into the habit of using a gentle cleanser every day and follow  with moisturizer.
  •   Don’t smoke – smoking depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients and causes premature ageing and wrinkles.

 

See how you will look in a few years time

Drinking Mirror app – if you’re feeling brave, peer into the future and see how your face would look in a few years’ time if you were to continue drinking with this drinking mirror

How Exercise Can Fill the Wine-Shaped Hole

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Mental health, Personal stories, Physical health, Practical tips

exercise

 

Exercise Can Fill the Wine-Shaped Hole and Make You Feel Fantastic!

There are so many negatives linked to excessive drinking – increased anxiety, poor quality sleep, weight gain, financial expense, and ill health…the list goes on. When you stop drinking, you instantly claw back hours of free time and exercise is a great way to fill it – not only will it keep you busy but it will also benefit you in so many other ways. Any exercise is good (but please consult your doctor before you begin an exercise programme if you are unfit) although the thing that really does it for me is running. Here are a few reasons why I love this activity – something that has truly helped me in staying happily alcohol-free…

 

Stress Buster

I used to drink heavily to ‘deal with stress’ although, as we all know, alcohol actually increases stress. Running on the other hand, genuinely, truly eradicates stress.

 

Weight Control

I’ve never been good at watching my weight long term. I can do it for a few days, omitting the cakes, ordering black Americano instead of full fat lattes, but it never lasts and eventually I cave in and get stuck into a big bun and a creamy drink to go with it. Running means that I can maintain my weight, even taking into consideration those moments of weakness.

 

Social Event

If you’ve stopped drinking alcohol and no longer wish to go to pubs, running with a small group can be a brilliant way of meeting new friends and getting your ‘fix’ of social interaction.

 

Confidence Booster

Finding out that your body is capable of achieving goals once considered out of reach injects confidence, simple as that. I know that I am fit; I have the ability to commit to something and stick at it. I run in the rain and the snow and the wind and the cold – I feel fearless when I run. Running has probably been the biggest boost to my self-confidence over my lifetime.

 

Mood Enhancer

Exercise causes your body to release endorphins, and endorphins make you feel happy. Running is no exception, and I cannot recall ever going for a jog and returning home feeling emotionally worse than I did when I set off. As I have struggled intermittently with depression, I find the endorphin-boost I experience from running to be essential for my mental wellbeing – and it comes with none of the associated hangovers, bad moods or weight gain that alcohol used to bring.

 

Editor’s note

If you’re looking for suggestions check out the  Get Ireland Active website

Alcohol can cause insomnia

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Mental health, Physical health

 

Sleep is so essential to both our physical and mental health. So much so studies show  shift workers who work  night shifts long term  have an increased risk of health problems. Severe insomnia can also lead to mental health problems, while mild insomnia can contribute to low mood, stress, fatigue and irritability.

So if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, looking at how well you sleep is important.

Many people believe  a drink before bedtime helps them to sleep.  They’re right. Alcohol acts like a sedative that can often help you fall asleep.

Unfortunately though it’s not the right type of sleep. It often prevents you going into the deeper stages of sleep that are so essential to  you waking up full of energy in the morning. One study showed that even drinking alcohol six hours before bedtime has an impact on the quality of sleep.

 

No more sleeping like a baby

As we get older, our sleeping patterns can change and older people tend to wake up more. The deep sleep we often see in  babies starts to disappear and it becomes rare to sleep through the night.

Alcohol increases this waking up effect and research shows it makes getting back to sleep harder. So the insomnia gets worse as you wake up more and find it harder to get back to sleep. Some people start upping their night time tipple to overcome this, but this usually makes  the insomnia worse.

The more alcohol you drink the worse the insomnia gets and studies that people who have a long time physical dependence on alcohol can really  have problems with sleeping.

If you’ve been drinking heavily every night for a long time, and suddenly stop, it can actually  make insomnia much worse. Medical support may  be needed. You might find this link helpful if you have any concerns that you may be physically dependent on alcohol.

 

Jasmine tea is a natural sedative

A good natural alternative to using alcohol as a sleeping pill  is Jasmine tea. This is widely available and is often sold as Jasmine green tea.

Make the tea with boiling water and simmer gently in a saucepan for 15 minutes. You can make enough for three days as it will stay fresh in the fridge. Reheat gently on the hob not in a microwave.

 

Other Tips for helping insomnia include

Do

  • Take exercise you enjoy
  • Make a list of things you need to do the next day
  • Keep a notepad beside your bed. If you do wake up thinking about all you have to do, you can jot it down on a notepad
  • Make sure your bedroom is cool and tidy. Clutter in the bedroom affects your mental state
  • Make sure your bed is comfortable.
  • Use meditation techniques. You can try out headspace.com a well known programme for free.

Don’t

  • Drink caffeine late in the evening
  • Eat a large meal late in the evening
  • Watch violent or disturbing programmes just before you go to bed. Ideally stop watching TV and hour before you go to bed
  • Use electronic devices  just before going to bed

Alcohol Poisoning – not a laughing matter

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Physical health

Judging by Irish google searches, alcohol poisoning is on our minds a lot as it’s one of the top Irish alcohol search terms. Not surprising though when you know alcohol was implicated in 1 in 3 (137) of all poisoning deaths in 2013, more than any other single drug. Alcohol poisoning alone claimed one life each week.

So what is alcohol poisoning?

If you drink a lot of alcohol over a short space of time, such as on a night out, your body does not have time to process all the alcohol and the amount in your bloodstream, known as your blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, can become too high.

When this happens, it can have a serious effect on the mental and physical functions of your body. Alcohol affects the nerves that control automatic actions like breathing, your heartbeat and your gag reflex (which stops you from choking).

Too much alcohol can slow or even shut down these functions, causing you to stop breathing and become unconsciousness.

What to look out for

The signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

  • confusion
  • vomiting
  • seizures (fits)
  • slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
  • pale, bluish skin
  • cold and clammy skin

In severe cases, alcohol poisoning can cause unconsciousness.

Dial 999 if you suspect alcohol poisoning

If in doubt and you suspect alcohol poisoning, you should dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Hospital staff will need to monitor you until all the alcohol has left your body. In severe cases they may also need to pump your stomach, help you to breathe and give you fluids and vitamins via a drip.

Most people recover, especially if they are cared for properly and taken to hospital. However, in some cases, poisoning can lead to accidental death. For example, you can choke on your own vomit.

If in doubt, always go to the nearest accident and emergency department.

Binge drinking can cause alcohol poisoning

You don’t have to be an alcoholic or even go over the recommended weekly low risk drinking limits to  suffer poisoning.

Binge drinking which for women is drinking more than 6 standard drinks in one drinking session can cause alcohol poisoning.

If you would like to find out more about reducing alcohol harm check out our short free  mini course.

10 Reasons Why Life is Better without Booze

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Mental health, Personal stories, Physical health

Here’s Lucy’s  top ten reasons for not drinking.

1. Cutting alcohol out of your life helps build your self-esteem; never doing or saying things that you will later regret is a brilliant way of feeling back in control of your life, thus boosting your self-confidence.

2. .When you drink every night, you lose vast swathes of time – if you have your first glass at 7pm and continue to sip away all night until 11pm, then over a week you’ll have waved goodbye to almost thirty hours of spare time, which could have been put to good use.

3. Alcohol is no friend to your looks – within days of quitting drinking you’ll have brighter eyes, healthier looking skin and will notice a reduction in facial puffiness.

4. One bottle of wine contains between 600 and 700 calories; that’s equivalent to three Cornetto ice creams, or an extra evening meal on top of the dinner you’ve already scoffed! Maintaining weight is much easier for those who don’t drink alcohol.

5. I stopped drinking four and a half years ago, and in that time I estimate that I’ve saved approximately £20,000 (the sum total of money I would have wasted on wine, fags, and taxis – the price of a decent car). Instead, I have been able to buy lots of lovely stuff that I can actually remember and appreciate for days, months or years after making the purchase!

6. Since I was a child I always wanted to be a writer but never managed to get more than a couple of chapters down in my drinking days. Within the first couple of years of being teetotal I had three books published (The Sober Revolution and Your 6 Week Plan, co-written with Sarah Turner, and Glass Half Full), and my fourth was published a year later. I can now demonstrate dedication and commitment, qualities that perennially escaped me as a boozer.

7. Categorically I am a MUCH better parent as a non-drinker – end of story.

8. Depression, anxiety and panic attacks are all a (horrible) distant memory – since eradicating booze from my life I generally feel optimistic and happy, and the mood swings have disappeared for good.

9. Drinking regularly and heavily prevented me from seeing how big the world is, and how much there is to explore within it – as a non-drinker I get to feel the magic of life untainted by booze, and my horizons have stretched massively.
10. Embarking on an alcohol-free life has opened up the door to self-discovery; I have found out more about the person I am in the four and a half years since I quit drinking than I did in any of the previous thirty five years of my life.

Top tips for avoiding the dreaded alcohol hangover

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Physical health, Practical tips

While I don’t encourage heavy drinking, here are some do’s and don’ts for reducing the damage caused.
The classic alcohol hangover symptoms include a pounding headache, nausea, exhaustion, thirst and dizziness. If your hangover is particularly bad, you will be sweaty, your hands will shake and your pulse will race.
Unfortunately, so far there is no 100%  hard evidence on the solutions  for hang overs apart from not drinking but here’s a few do’s and don’ts that might help

 

Do keep hydrated

Alcohol reduces fluids in your body which in turn causes those horrible hang over.
Drink a pint or so of water before you go to sleep and keep a glass of water by the bed to sip if you wake up during the night.
Dioralyte which can be bought over the counter from chemists is specially designed to replace fluids quickly. So take this before you go to bed or even set your mobile phone alarm to go off early in the morning, drink the Dioralyte and go back to bed.

 

Do plan your drinking

Plan in advance how you will manage your drinking.
For example if you are going to a wedding, every 3 rd drink could be water and you could plan to spend time on the dance floor after every 2nd drink- without a drink in your hand!
Keep a bottle of water, a banana or light healthy snack and Dioralyte in your hotel room.

 

Do choose drinks with less alcohol

The number of standard drinks is based on the volume of alcohol in the drink. In wine it can range from 18% to 8% so drink a wine with less alcohol.

 

Don’t

Drink Carbonated (fizzy) drinks as it speeds up alcohol absorption
Use pain killers like paracetamol because it puts more strain on your liver and aspirin can upset your stomach.  Antacids may help your stomach if it’s upset
Eat nibbles which are spicy or salty as they encourage you to drink more.
For more tips on reducing alcohol harm why not listen to our short  audio or take our free lesson

Alcohol can harm even when you don’t drink too much

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Mental health, Physical health, The big picture

 

Thirty odd years ago I went from active sports mad teenager to some body unable to walk across a room due to unbearable pain. Thankfully good health care, heavy duty drugs and private health insurance means I have a good quality of life.

 

My drinking is not checked regularly

So every few months, I get blood tests to make sure the drugs I take have not affected my liver. I even take other drugs to protect my liver, but only once in 30 years have I had a decent alcohol drinking check , where I actually had to confess what I drank! Given my serious liver risks, I would have thought my drinking would be checked regularly.

We all know alcohol affects the liver. Our good friend, addiction counsellor Rolande Anderson tells us , there used to be a GP screening programme for alcohol, but funding cut backs means it no longer exists.

 

Nobody ever tells us about the impact of alcohol

So we never really get informed about alcohol and the impact it has on our health until too late. We think we have to be a raving alcoholic before it can do harm to us. In Ireland the youngest woman diagnosed with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver was just 18 years old.
Alcohol causes and worsens so many illnesses. Over 1,500 beds of our 11,000 hospital beds are occupied by people with an alcohol related illnesses, every single night. Most of these people are not alcoholics.

 

Did you know alcohol can cause high cholesterol ?

For example, did you know alcohol can cause high cholesterol which in turn causes other health problems?
Alcohol also does not work well with a common drug used to treat high cholesterol -atorvastatin
Alcohol can also cause many problem with a wide range of other drugs from warfarin, to antidepressants.

 

You don’t have to drink too much to have an alcohol health problem

So before you tell yourself, I’m ok, I don’t drink much,

  • check out the safety leaflet on any tablets, even over the counter tablets you may be using to see if alcohol should not taken
  • check out our short video highlighting the effects alcohol has and see whether you have any of these side effects. Remember once you start reducing your drinking, you reduce these side effects. Every little helps!