Quitting alcohol for optimial health

There is plenty of science to suggest alcohol is a gateway drug to other drugs. A few pints pave the way to a few lines, a few smokes or worse.

But let’s turn this idea on its head. At OneYearNoBeer we have discovered that ‘giving up’ alcohol is actually the gateway to health. Here’s 4 reasons why:

1. Quitting Alcohol Cleans Up Your Diet

Everyone knows there are lots of extra calories in alcohol. We don’t need to tell you that one pint of strong beer is equivalent to a hot dog and fries – imagine eating 10 of those on a night out?

But what about all the hidden costs of alcohol that get missed in the fog of hangovers?

After a boozy night, what happens? We scoff junk food on the way home. Furthermore, when we wake full of hangover we crave more rubbish food, so pizza and burgers reign supreme. This monster calorie fest is enough to destroy the best of healthy eating plans along with your waistline.

The game changer for your waistline, vitality and life

Once the booze is removed, you instantly drop those obvious calories from alcohol. But the real game changer is that you no longer crave the late night kebab and pizza the day after. This is where the big gains are made. By taking alcohol out of the equation, you negate all those hidden extras from kebabs, pizzas, fizzy drinks and general junk.

There is so much confusion about what to eat

Here’s a suggestion: why not align with a tribe? It matters not so much what you eat, but that you care. Those who care about their diet are already on the right path. Too many people are dragged around by primitive desires, making a whole host of poor choices along the way without even thinking.

Here are some of the best around. They all have a different take on the same subject, but ultimately share a similar goal – to help you thrive through a nutritious diet.

• The Body Coach – Cheeky chappy Joe Wick’s will help you get lean in 15
• The No Meat Athlete – A vegan approach that works wonders for athletes
• The Paleo Solution – A diet that works with your genetics

2. Motivation to Exercise

Ask any personal trainer and they will tell you the number one reason people cancel on PT sessions is due to a hangover. Of course the clients don’t say this as it’s too embarrassing, so they use other excuses: I am not feeling well, think I strained a muscle – whatever! They are hungover and can’t be bothered. It’s sad, but true and we have all been there.

The beauty of the alcohol free client is that they are full of life and energy. Their levels of motivation jump along with vitality to train. Suddenly exercise is back on the cards in a big way. For many there is a real opportunity to get a decent streak of exercising under their belt without it being ruined by a stray night on the sauce. Much to the delight of personal trainers all over the land.

Health by stealth

Another key point here is that exercise is not all about the obvious gym session. With hangovers out of the way, there is a chance to build stealth exercise into your life. Could you add exercise into your commute, for example? Why do we obsess about parking right outside our destination? Why not park 2k from the office and walk? Or jump off the bus two stops early and jog the balance. Use the stairs and stand where possible. Keep moving all day and organise walking meetings – you get the idea. You will be amazed at the extra calories this burns whilst improving your mood and blood work.

As the healthy snowball rolls, the energy to exercise is now supported by better nutrition, which leads to even greater motivation to train. The gains from exercise and a better diet shrink waistlines, pump up the pecks and generally have you looking great. People start to notice and suddenly you get compliments, which fuels the motivation to stick with your training program.

3. Your Mental Well-Being Sky Rockets

Alcohol is terrible for your mental health. Hangovers produce anxiety and very often their own onslaught of depressive symptoms. Imagine bringing this mental pain on yourself week after week through your own doing. This emotional hammering kills motivation, zaps energy and drains vitality. And the result? You hide away, eat rubbish food and have zero interest in exercise.

Of course quitting alcohol is not a panacea for those that suffer from anxiety, but it does provide a massive boost to those who suffer these debilitating feelings after a drinking session. With a clear head from zero alcohol the world is brighter, whilst your emotional wellbeing avoids the weekly/daily battering. Having the brightness in your eyes to take on the world sends this upward spiral of wellbeing even higher.

4. Sleep is so Underrated, yet Essential to Health

Sleep is so underrated, yet key to a healthy lifestyle. Let’s not beat around the bush: alcohol destroys sleep. Late nights deprive you of precious hours, but the real damage is caused by poor quality of sleep. Only a small amount of alcohol has been shown to break sleep patterns by not allowing you to reach deep healing sleep. Therefore, your body does not recover sufficiently and you wake feeling tired, lethargic and full of anxiety. Many people make the mistake of using alcohol to send them off to the sandman, but fail to recognise that the quality of this sleep is so poor they are left constantly tired. It’s a false economy.

Those who have used alcohol as a sleeping pill might find things tricky at first, but the members who persevered, reported life changing benefits from this newfound quality of sleep.

In summary, sleep provides fuel for all the wellbeing benefits listed above. Motivation to exercise, eat well and your mental wellbeing are all improved with a decent sleep. This is yet another reason why quitting alcohol is the gateway drug to optimal health.

The Healthy Takeaway

If you want to get really healthy this year, why not take on our 30, 90 or 365 day alcohol free challenge? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain – oneyearnobeer.com