Erin Moraghan
Why I love nixing booze.
Like having energy? Me too. As an entrepreneur, movement-lover, and creative thinker, it’s important to me that my brain and body have all the vibrancy they need to live the lifestyle that’s important to me. The reality is: when the cocktails flow, we’re not at the top of our game. This is why I rarely have more than two drinks, and why I frequently take 30 dry days to reset.
30 days booze-free is a good idea.
- Health. Here’s a shocker – drinking is a leading cancer risk. We put so much work into eating and living well that cutting back and occasionally eliminating the booze is a no-brainer.
- Hangovers. Life without dehydration, headaches, 6 am cravings for strong coffee and a bacon double cheeseburgers? We don’t know anyone who wishes they had more hangovers in their life.
- Hangxiety. Putting our feet up with a cocktail at the end of the day may feel like the perfect way to quell anxiety, but the opposite is true. Inhibitions are lower so you may wake up with texters’ remorse but there’s also a lot of science to back up the hangover jitters. While the body works to metabolize your drinks, blood sugar drops, which can lead to feelings of nervousness. Sounds like a vicious circle, huh?
- Clear skin. Alcohol dehydrates us, leaving our skin looking gaunt and dry. It also causes inflammation in the body overall, which can show up on our skin as red blotchiness.
- What? Oh right, memory. Booze messes with memory to the max. Just think of all you’ll save on sticky notes.
- Useless calories. A single glass of wine has about the same calories as a slice of cake. A beer? Think pizza slice. We’d think twice before eating an entire cake, so why not look at the whole bottle with the same awareness?
- Workout sabotage. Alcohol seriously messes with sleep quality. Early morning workouts (and life in general) feel stronger and better when we’ve had a solid night of rest thanks to a booze-free evening. Energy level stays more consistent all day long.
- Results. Alcohol interferes with protein synthesis (your body’s process to build muscle), causes dehydration (hydration also imperative for muscle development), and lowers testosterone, an important hormone we all need (yes, even the ladies) in developing strength. Why put all that effort in for nothing?
Tough stuff.
We know alcohol is a personal and sometimes tough subject for a lot of people. I love sharing a beautiful bottle of wine with my bestie, or having an evening drink around the fire. Life gets stressful and sometimes having a drink feels like a nice way to simply slow down and have a great conversation with the person you’re next to. That’s ok…this is just about removing it temporarily to see how we feel.
The reality is that – much like a pepperoni slice – a drink is a splurge. Unless you’re already a non-drinker, here’s a challenge to take a week booze-free, just to notice the difference and feel better empowered to choose with more awareness going forward. Feel amazing? Take it to 30 days to feel a profound impact. Creating the life and healthy body we want takes serious commitment, and this part gets easier once you feel the incredible shifts.
Recovery Renegades.
Wrapping up this post with a little *hell yes* in your direction. Tackling addiction and numbing behaviours is one of the bravest paths a human can take. You’re not alone. Each one of us self-soothes with one substance or another, whether it’s food, social media, substances, or toxic relationships. Taking a solid look at these behaviours and choosing to create change – a day at a time – takes true renegade spirit.