7 Reasons to cut back on Alcohol
Posted on 11 January 2009
Alcohol is an evil thing it makes us feel good for a short amount of time by relaxing the body and mind. Ultimately though it leaves us feeling depressed and run down, don’t get me wrong I am all for a few beers or a glass of wine with dinner but binge drinking is something seriously detrimental…..
1- Keep your organs in check!
“Livers are Important” you can’t live without them hence the name! Drinking puts a huge amount of strain on your liver and pancreas and this damage can take a long time to heal, things like milk thistle can help them detox but ultimately why put them in such a position. Just avoid binge drinking….
2 – Watch Your Waist Shrink
Going out and drinking too much a few times a week will pile on the pounds. Calories from alcohol are basically empty apart from the anti-oxidants contained in a glass of quality red wine. So any excess alcohol calories especially when combined with food will turn straight into fat. Cut the drinking and watch your waist shrinking.
3 – Your Hormones will be Happy!
As we probably all already know testosterone and the rest of your hormones suffer from a serious whack when subjected to too much alcohol. Scott over at Modern FOrager did a great article on this over here....
There is up to a 44% decrease in testosterone after five drinks.
4 – Reclaim the day after
One of the worst things about drinking too much is that the next day becomes a write off. There is nothing worse than vegetating on a couch the whole day feeling lethargic and doing nothing after a hedonistic night of drinking. If you moderate your drinking and hydrate before bed you will wake up the next day feeling refreshed and free of any hangovers.
5 – Be Yourself
When you don’t debilitate yourself with alcohol you will stay yourself avoiding the drunkards path of talking gibberish all night. This will gain the admiration of friends and family who in spite of pushing you for one more drink will actually be very inspired and impressed that you know when to call it quits…. It will also allow you to work on your social skills. There is something surprisingly satisfying about being sober in a bar and making good conversation with good people.
6 – Save the cash
Lets face it drinking is expensive. If you can save the money you would normally spend on a weekend of binge drinking you will find that the next day along with being hangover free you will have a load mor emoney in your pocket to spend on useful stuff. Things like Books, DVD’s, or even a Kettlebell are all things you can buy with the money saved from a drinking session, that will help you progress in the journey of life.
7 – Appreciate the good stuff
Cutting back on your drinking will lead to you appreciating the higher quality stuff. There are some amazing wines and beers out there which have various health benefits; Red Wine is loaded with antioxidants like resvertol which is something we should all be getting in some form or another a few times a week. Why not invest the money you save in a high quality bottle of red wine each week which will serve you for a few dinners. You will find a natural transition as you cut back on your drinking the quality fo the alcohol you do drink will increase. Organic wines are something worth looking into as they are made without pesticdes which are the reason some cheaper wines can have a negative effect on your body.
Why?
Its a simple list, but its coming from someone who used to binge drink 2-3 times a week. I know first hand the stuff has a horrible effect on sleep, hormones, mood, energy and many other things. Since cutting back my drinking and learning to enjoy a glass of wine or a quality beer my life has changed for the better in so many ways. I hope this post will inspire a few people to change their drinking habits for the better in 2009.
Comment by Rob
11 January 2009
Great post: Like most people I like a drink or two, but I find that it make me lethargic and affects my training effectiveness. This got me wondering what are the key defence strategies you can use to lessen the effects.
I blogged about this here:
http://ironman-by-40.com/top-tips-drinking/
I split my strategy into 4 parts:
1. Before you start
2. During the night itself
3. Before you go to bed
4. The morning after
The bottom line is cut back as far as possible.
Comment by Yavor - Relative Strength Advantage
11 January 2009
My comments:
1- Keep your organs in check!
Solid stuff here.
2 – Watch Your Waist Shrink
Yup – abs are good.
3 – Your Hormones will be Happy!
True dat!
4 – Reclaim the day after
Yes! I even wrote an article about this.
5 – Be Yourself
To a certain degree I am with you – especially considering the many times I’ve made a fool of myself while drunk. But most times it’s boring to be sober in a bar.
6 – Save the cash
Yeah, sometimes it’s better to cut the overhead.
7 – Appreciate the good stuff
Yes – life is all about quality. Good wine, good whiskey, etc. Good call!
Comment by Keith Norris
11 January 2009
Just a personal observation here: I seem to be more affected, weight and performance wise, by beer more so than wine (I don’t drink enough hard alcohol for it to figure into the mix). I’ sure the “beer affect” has to do with it being a grain derived brew.
Comment by Diane
11 January 2009
Finally a comprehensive post about the many reasons to avoid alcohol. Thanks for telling it like it is.
Now if you could just help us single people figure out how to have a social life without bars and parties we’d be golden.
Comment by Son of Grok
12 January 2009
My problem is that 1 glass of wine turns into 2 turns into a bottle.
The SoG
Comment by Chris
12 January 2009
@ Keith: I think you have hit the nail on the head in regards the beer, the stuff can definitely have a nasty effect in terms of fat gain “beer belly” anyone….I find that avoiding consuming beer directly with a meal definitely helps in terms of minimizing fat gain. I usually have a beer or two before a meal if im out with friends then some wine with the meal….
@ SOG: Nothing wrong with the occasional binge, just know your limits, drink plenty of water and drop a strong B vitamin before sleeping.