Almost everyone knows it: You wake up in the morning after a party and decide that now is the time not to drink alcohol for a few weeks. Alcohol-free organizations have made this a reality for us through special months like Dry January, Sober October and November. Because there are excellent alternatives that make it easy not to drink alcohol for 30 days.
If you want to take a break from drinking alcohol or even do without it permanently, this has been shown to have great advantages for your general cardiovascular health. And of course, a hangover-free life means you are much more productive and able to exercise more and more effectively. In addition, a little break also brings long-term benefits that you may not even have on your radar. Here are a few things that might motivate you to take a break from alcohol …
5 positive effects of quitting alcohol
1. Your mental health benefits . Many of us wake up feeling vaguely anxious after a night of drinking a lot. The journalist Theo Brenner-Roach describes it as a “moral hangover” and wrote in an article for The Observer : “Alcohol inhibits decision-making and often leads to undesirable behavior or behavior that one later regrets”. Heavy drinking is often accompanied by feelings of embarrassment or shame, which can negatively affect our mental health. So one of the great benefits of not drinking is avoiding these feelings.
2. You look (and feel) younger. Alcohol is bad for your skin – your body becomes dehydrated, which dries out the skin, makes it less elastic, and accelerates the aging process. In addition, body tissues become inflamed, which is why people blush when they drink too much. So if you give up alcohol, you will notice that you look and feel younger too.
3. You save money . In most of the world’s capitals, a beer costs between four and six euros. Just one or two drinks a week is not a big deal, but if you drink alcohol weekly or even daily it adds up. So going without it will also have a positive effect on your wallet.
4. You build real relationships . Many of us use alcohol as a social lubricant that gives us more confidence to meet new people. But this trust is not real, and this version of yourself may not be authentic either. Although it may take a bit of effort at first, the acquaintances you sober up lead to deeper bonds and last longer.
5. You will likely lose weight . Alcoholic beverages have hidden calories – and lots of them. Especially beer, wine and cider have it all. Avoiding alcohol reduces the calorie intake and visits to kebab shops at 1 a.m. Refraining from alcohol leads to the fact that you feel better in everyday life, stay slimmer and also look healthier.
5 soft drinks for people who don’t drink alcohol
Just because you don’t drink alcohol doesn’t mean you should forego going to a bar with your friends and having fun. But of course you have to be careful. Because drinking sugary drinks such as cola or energy drinks is almost as harmful as alcohol. But don’t worry, there are plenty of alternatives so you don’t have to stick with just one glass of water in the evening.
Here are the most popular soft drinks …
1. Mocktails. Just because you don’t drink alcohol doesn’t mean you can only drink orange juice and lemonade. Why don’t you just order a cocktail – just without alcohol? For example, you can start with a Virgin White Lady (see picture). Simply add elderflower and grapefruit juice to lemon juice, egg white and sugar syrup. The aromas are refined and slightly bitter, so you won’t get bored and you won’t get a hangover from it.
2. Syrup and soda. As a delicious alternative to a soft drink, it also looks good! Simply mix the syrup in your favorite flavor with soda water and garnish as you like.
3. Alcohol-free gin. This non-alcoholic spirit is one of the latest inventions from England. The founder and CEO of Seedlip, Ben Branson, got a particularly unpleasant and far too sweet, pink mocktail in a bar. It was then that Ben recognized the need for “grown-ups” soft drinks. At the same time he discovered a centuries-old book entitled “The Art of Distillation” by John French. Ben decided to use the French method of distilling gin while keeping it alcohol-free. Seedlip tastes pretty much like a regular gin. You can just add tonic and lime or use the non-alcoholic gin to create a mocktail – one that suits a 25 year old.
4. Non-alcoholic wine. Yes, you read that right. You can still enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay without a hangover. There are now a few vendors who produce alcohol-free wine – red and white.
5. Non-alcoholic champagne. You can enjoy the ultimate alcoholic beverage with no after-effects the next day: a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Recommended by Town and Country Magazine, Chateau de Fleur is a fraction of the price of its alcoholic version. Made in California by Weibel Vineyards, this “Champagnette” has notes of apple and peach. Sounds delicious!