The Benefits Of Giving Up Alcohol For A Year

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In most western cultures today, drinking alcohol is not only something that’s deemed pretty acceptable, but in many places is also celebrated and even treated as a badge of honor. Of course, there’s certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a few beers with friends or a nice glass of wine with a good meal, but the fact is that alcohol does have health implications on the body and mind, so it’s important to always make sure that it’s not being consumed in excess, and that it’s not being consumed for the wrong reasons since this can also lead to dependency issues.

Alcohol not only causes physical health problems when too much of it is consumed on a regular basis, but since it’s a depressant and mind-altering substance, it can greatly increase the risk of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Whilst we’re certainly not suggesting that you should go and join a sober living community if you overdo it on a night out once in a while, but the level of awareness around the impact of alcohol is now growing, and each year we’re seeing more and more people taking on challenges such as Dry January to raise money for good causes and also to reap the benefits of living alcohol free.

So, in this post, we’re going to share with you some of the real known health benefits of giving up alcohol for at least a year, and not just for one month.

Weight Loss

Many types of alcohol is packed full of sugar and carbs, so it makes sense that when you drink a lot of alcohol such as beer that you’re going to gain weight from this - the term “beer belly” didn’t just come from nowhere, so if you’re looking for a healthy way to lose some pounds, then giving up alcohol or at least cutting back is a great place to start, and is typically one of the first changes reported by those who choose to give up.

Increased Energy

We don’t need to tell you that a hangover is not a pleasant experience to go through, and even if you’re not hungover very badly, you know that sometimes even after having a few beers, you feel sleepy, and will often feel quite groggy the next day. However, when you give up alcohol, your body is in a more natural state and isn’t working so hard to feel normal, so you’re going to find yourself with a lot more energy and this will continue to increase the longer you abstain from alcohol.

Better Skin

Alcohol, especially if used in excess, can have a pretty bad impact on the skin, and one of the main reported changes from those who have given up is that they start noticing their skin becomes clearer, less prone to outbreaks, and gains almost a supple look pretty much right away, so if you’re noticing problems with your skin, then this is one thing to consider trying to see if it makes a difference.