5 Things That Will Happen When You Quit Drinking For 1 Month
Whether you are a heavy drinker or an occasional one, you might have thought about quitting alcohol at least once in your life. After all, you keep hearing how bad alcohol is for your body, and it might have encouraged you to take your health more seriously. Well, if you have decided to stop drinking, congratulations! Your body would be really grateful.
To make sure you continue to abstain, though, you need to keep the motivation burning. One way to do that might be to study what quitting drinking does to your body. That way, you will have a better understanding of the positive effects of giving up alcohol, and you'll be more likely to stay true to your decision. So, let's take a look.
1 | You Will Lose Weight
It is amazing how much modern society talks about obesity and the need to regulate our calorie intake. And yet, the same society doesn't pay any heed to the insane amount of calories we all consume when we drink alcohol. In fact, drinking almost never comes up while discussing this topic! Maybe a lack of awareness is the prime reason. Maybe people don't even know that alcoholic beverages have tons of calories packed into them. Or maybe it's convenient to simply ignore it!
Well, the fact remains. When you stop drinking, you greatly reduce the number of calories consumed. In a study, it was shown that on days when men drink moderately, they consume 433 more calories than usual. If this is too much to believe, consider this: a single margarita can pack around 200-300 calories depending on the type. That's quite a lot if you ask me! And all these calories eventually find their way to your waistline (among other places).
There is another important thing to consider. It is more than likely that when you are drinking, you are doing it with friends, family, or colleagues. Also, it is almost a given that you won't just be drinking. Most people like to have snacks, desserts, or other types of fast food while they are drinking alcohol. This only aggravates the problem. So, it is only obvious that when you stop drinking altogether, you will slowly start losing weight. This might take a little while, but you will certainly notice the difference.
2 | Your Liver Will Start To Heal
One of the most common adverse effects of consuming too much alcohol is liver damage. In fact, most people are already aware of this because of how commonly this issue occurs. Medical science says that alcohol can be quite toxic for your liver. When the liver processes this substance, it can damage its enzymes. This can lead to cell damage and death. The higher the consumption of alcohol, the greater the damage can be. Of course, it differs from person to person and not everybody is affected the same.
However, if you continue overdoing it, no matter who you are, you can develop cirrhosis. This is a chronic condition that can ultimately lead to liver failure or liver cancer. But fret not, if you quit drinking, you might reverse some of the damage before your liver fails. The only condition is that you have to do this early on. Otherwise, irreversible damage may take place.
For the rest of the cases where the damage is mild, your liver will start healing when you stop drinking. Like our skin, the liver is self-healing (an incredible thing if you think about it). And so, a few days to a few weeks from when you stop drinking, your liver starts the restorative process. A healthy liver can then lead to so many other positive changes.
3 | Your Skin Starts Looking Better
When you are drinking all the time, it's not only your liver that you have to worry about. The largest organ in your body, your skin, also takes a hit due to all your alcohol consumption. Doctors say that drinking too much can lead to a number of skin problems. These include getting dark circles, puffy eyes, rosacea, and more. Of course, the type of skin problem and its severity depend on the amount of alcohol you consume and its frequency.
There is another effect that is quite common among drinkers. Since alcohol is a diuretic, it causes you to urinate more. This ultimately leads to dehydration. Anybody who drinks regularly has experienced this for sure. Not only is this bad for your body and mind, but it is also bad for your skin. It leaves your skin feeling dry and dull. If you are a heavy drinker and indulge in drinking regularly, you are bound to constantly have a bad appearance.
Therefore, when you cut out alcohol from your life, your skin starts improving. That's the great thing about the human body. It starts healing the moment you stop screwing with it. Of course, the same applies to your skin. Within a couple of weeks of not drinking, you will see that your skin looks totally different. It will look fresh, lively, supple, and moisturized. If you can take care of your skin in other ways too, the effects will be even better.
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4 | Your Cancer Risk Decreases Significantly
One of the most serious health scares that a person can get is that of developing cancer. Despite all our advancements, most types of cancers still remain incurable. Though their symptoms and effects can be managed to a certain extent, and many patients do end up beating cancer, it is still a serious disease that claims millions of lives every year. Out of the many causes of developing this disease, overconsumption of alcohol remains one of the common ones.
There is substantial evidence that alcohol consumption leads to several types of cancer. It is associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast (in women), colon, and rectum. A study from 2009 shows that about 3.5% of cancer deaths in the US can be attributed to alcohol consumption. The number must have only risen since then. This is something you should keep in mind, especially if you are a heavy drinker.
It is only logical to say that if you stay away from alcohol, you will also stay away from the risks that come with it. No alcohol means no cell damage. So, we can infer that quitting drinking will significantly decrease your risk of developing cancer. If you complement this with activities and habits like exercising, eating a proper diet, meditation, proper sleep, and so on, you can expect to live a much healthier life.
5 | Your Immune System Will Be Strengthened
Your immune system is your body's natural defense against germs and diseases. It is because of this system that we can even live normal lives. That's because, at any given moment, there are billions of foreign particles entering our bodies (by way of our nostrils, mouth, skin, etc). The immune system is intelligent enough to detect any harmful germs or substances and deal with them. When it fails to do so, however, we fall sick.
Alcohol can have disastrous impacts on your immune system. It not only impairs the body's ability to fight off germs but also makes the recovery process much slower. On top of all this, it causes organ damage (discussed above). Also, the higher your consumption of alcohol, the greater the threat it poses to your immunity. Suffice it to say, this is a recipe for a life of disease and suffering.
Naturally, when you stop drinking, your immunity won't get compromised any further. Any damage that has already been done, can be reversed in many ways over time. You will end up becoming much stronger and less prone to falling sick.
TO Wrap Up
Drinking alcohol can feel like a pleasurable activity, especially with friends, colleagues, and other loved ones. It has been a part of human history for so long and is integral to so many cultures around the world. However, you can't ignore all the terrible effects and the dangers it poses to your health. If you are a heavy drinker, you should be well aware of the damage alcohol can do to your body. Even if you are a light drinker, you should try and avoid it as much as possible.
If you are able to stop altogether, that would be best. From the moment you stop drinking, you will start observing positive changes happen in your physical health. There are so many of these changes that happen that give you a sense of well-being. So, it's a good idea to act smart, quit alcohol, and start consuming things that actually contribute toward better health.
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References:
1) https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/161/4/368/92775
4) https://www.healthline.com/health/does-alcohol-dehydrate-you
3) https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/how-quickly-the-liver-can-repair-itself
4) https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/alcohol-related-liver-disease-complications-and-treatment
5) https://www.nutritionaction.com/daily/calories-in-food/which-alcohol/
6) https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/ss/slideshow-alcohol-skin