Christmas and new year can be an indulgent time for all of us- especially where drinking alcohol is concerned. Many of us may want to start the year on a cleaner and more sober note, and giving up alcohol- even just for a short while, can be a fantastic place to start. You may be surprised at how soon you begin to notice the benefits of going alcohol-free, and they can come into effect as soon as a week after stopping.
One week alcohol-free
Better sleep pattern
The first thing you might notice after you stop drinking is that your sleep pattern will improve. You may find it easier to wake up, have increased energy levels, and enjoy a much more peaceful night’s sleep. Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep due to its disruption of your REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is important for energy recovery and cognitive abilities. Though some people think that drinking alcohol may help them get to sleep quicker, the overall quality of sleep will be affected, often leaving us feeling tired and sluggish.
Improved Hydration
Shockingly, when drinking alcohol, you lose about four times as much water as you drink. This means that the more you drink the more dehydrated your body is becoming, which can lead to painful headaches and nausea-fuelled hangovers, as well as premature aging of the skin. Just within the first week of giving up alcohol, your body will be much better hydrated- stabilising brain function, mood, and concentration, as well as making your skin brighter and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Learn more about Hydration here.
Reduced anxiety
While drinking alcohol, some of our brain’s neurotransmitters become blocked, relaxing the mind and reducing social anxiety. However, this means that our bodies react aggressively to try and correct this imbalance, meaning that we feel higher levels of anxiety and depression the following day. By cutting out drinking our bodies are not being put through these processes, and after a few days can stabilize our moods better, increasing serotonin and helping to regulate our day-to-day mood.
Better for the diet:
Alcohol can contain a high amount of empty calories that contain no nutritional value. Our bodies aim to burn these calories first, meaning other bodily processes, such as burning off fat, have to wait. This means you’re more likely to put on weight when drinking often. What’s more, alcohol slows your metabolism, which makes it harder for your body to process fats and sugars. Stopping drinking alcohol can help to start speeding up your metabolism and help you with your weight loss journey. By cutting out alcohol you’re saving calories, and sticking to a healthy and nutrient-rich diet- such as those offered in The Pure Package Weight Loss program becomes much easier to do.
Learn more about our weight loss programme here.
Alcohol-free alternatives are often much lower calorie than their alcoholic counterparts, which means you can enjoy something that feels naughty without the guilt. Award winning Nine Elms No.18 Ruby Velven non-alcoholic drink is a delicious way to enjoy cocktails without the alcohol. Containing no artificial flavours, sweeteners, or added sugar, and only 12 calories per 75ml serve, Nine Elms No.18 is packed with dark berry flavours and naturally occurring polyphenols to give you a beautifully aromatic and sophisticated drink that pairs beautifully with your Pure Package meals. Pair Nine Elms with Pure Package’s Herb Crust Beef Fillet with Truffled Butterbean Mash Serve, Duck & Butterbean cassoulet or Moroccan Chicken Tagine for a delicious flavour combination. Serve straight over ice or pair with a mixer to create refreshing non-alcohol aperitifs that are low in calories but high in flavour.
Learn more about Nine Elms No.18 Ruby Velven Non-Alcoholic drink here.
You can purchase Nine Elms No.18 Ruby Velven Non-Alcoholic drink on Amazon, Fenwick, and other stockists.
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Two weeks alcohol-free
While the benefits from cutting out alcohol for a week are only improving into week two, even more advantages are coming into action too.
Repaired stomach lining
Alcohol, over time, can be damaging to the stomach lining as it increases the acidity and amount of the acids in the stomach. After two weeks of cutting out alcohol, you may notice a reduction in acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, and other unpleasant digestive symptoms. This can also mean you have greater resilience to rich foods and have a higher resistance to stomach bugs.
Improvements to complexion
Over the two weeks without alcohol, your body’s hydration has continued to improve and you may begin to notice subtle improvements in your complexion. This may include brighter whites of the eyes, firmer and plumper skin, and a decrease in inflammation. What’s more, these improvements will continue over time as you avoid alcohol.
Clarity of mind
While your sleep pattern continues to regulate, you will find yourself having much longer and enriching periods of sleep each night. This will further improve energy, concentration, memory, and mood, and make you more productive in your day-to-day life. What’s more, the added hydration of cutting out alcohol will help to tackle lethargy and keep a clear mind.
One month alcohol-free
Improved liver health
The liver does most of the work breaking down the alcohol that we consume, so it’s not uncommon for excessive drinking or drinking over a prolonged period to cause liver problems. This alcohol consumption increases the fat surrounding the liver, which can cause fatty liver disease. What’s more, the liver is responsible for a number of vital processes in the body, such as helping to fight infection, maintaining hormone balance, and removing contaminants, all of which are compromised when the liver is weakened by the effects of alcohol damage. However, just one month without drinking can lead to a 15% drop in liver fat, allowing the liver to recover, reducing the risk of liver problems.
Reduced blood pressure
Alcohol can raise our blood pressure which can be both temporary and permanent, and long-term alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure- which can cause heart disease. After 3-4 weeks your blood pressure will start to reduce- reducing your risk of heart problems and just improving your overall health. Keeping our blood pressure regulated in the now can be crucial for ensuring a lower risk of health problems in the future.
Improvements in vision
While blurred vision can be a consequence of too much alcohol in a night, often we may also experience bloodshot, dry, twitchy, and puffy eyes days after drinking due to dehydration and changes in blood pressure. Though in the short term these may not seem like large issues, long-term alcohol abuse can permanently damage our optic nerves, which can seriously affect our vision and overall eye health. After a month without drinking, you may notice some of the greater benefits to your eye health, such as brighter and whiter eyes, as well as a lower risk of optical disease and damage- such as glaucoma.
Weight loss
After a month of not drinking and not pumping your body with empty calories, you might find it has been significantly easier to lose weight. Your metabolism should have sped up significantly and, because of a lack of alcohol-fuelled evenings you may have consumed significantly less fast food. What’s more, if you followed a healthy diet, such as that offered in The Pure Package, you may have lost much more weight than if you were trying to follow your own diet. Often, with something decadent such as alcohol removed from the diet, we may try and replace it with other unhealthy foods or drinks in order to fill a gap. Utilizing The Pure Package’s set meals and snacks you will find there is much less space for temptation, and it becomes significantly easier to stick to your goals.
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Consistent sleep patterns
After a month without drinking your sleep pattern should have become regulated and you should be receiving a great quality of sleep. Your sleep will be less disrupted and be high in REM and Deep sleep. As a consequence you may notice your cognitive abilities to have sharpened, your memory improved, you have a much brighter mood, higher levels of energy and alertness, and clearer skin, among many other benefits.
Improved mental health
It is a well-known but often-ignored fact that alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol interferes with the neurotransmitters in our brain that are responsible for our mental health, lowering our serotonin and consequently being a large cause of anxiety and depression. After a month without drinking, we may start to feel the full benefits of our mood stabilising, improving our overall mood and ability to deal with stress.
A month without alcohol can be fantastic for your body, mind, and overall health- not forgetting your wallet! You’ll be sleeping better, feeling happier and significantly less anxious, your liver will be working better, your skin and eyes will be glowing, and you’ll be absorbing your nutrients so much better. Paired with a healthy diet, cutting out the alcohol can be the amazing change you need in your life and can be fantastic in helping you on your weight loss journey.
No and low alcohol drinks such as Nine Elms No.18 Ruby Velven non-alcoholic drink are a fantastic way to enjoy the taste and feel of alcohol without touching a drop, and can be a great long-term and low-calorie solution to living without alcohol. With a unique taste deriving from an intricate marriage between the natural botanical distillates & extracts of twenty different flowers, herbs & spices, and the juice of four types of dark berry, No. 18 is on 25 calories per 125ml serve- perfect for alongside a healthy diet. No.18 boasts of flavours that are herbaceous and warmly spiced with red & black fruit character, mouth-watering tannins, gentle acidity and a gradually unfolding complexity that reveals itself during the course of a meal. Serve straight-up at room temperature, chilled or mixed. Or, for a refreshing non-alcoholic Spritz, combine with tonic, ice and a slice of orange. Enjoy it for yourself here.
At The Pure Package, we understand how difficult it can be to follow a healthy lifestyle- especially if you are also trying to cut out unhealthy things like alcohol. However, It’s important to prioritise your nutrition, as when you eat well you’re better equipped to face the demands of modern life. Our team of nutritionists are dedicated to helping you to achieve your health goals. Whether that’s boosting your immunity, brainpower, nourishing your skin and hair, or achieving your weight-loss goals, why not book a consultation today and discover a tailored meal plan prepared and delivered just for you.