To Detox or Not To Detox…

So, how many of you have used Covid-19 as an excuse to drink? When it all started I know that my consumption went up along with a few other members of the household. When you’re surrounded by all this mayhem of course you want to take the edge off, it’s natural but I have to wonder is alcohol actually helping or hindering?

I have decided to pretty much give up alcohol during lockdown. I am using the time as a reset in my approach to that wonderful glass of wine or ice cold gin and tonic. It has become a bad habit of mine to grab a drink when I’ve had a particularly stressful day at work or as a way to start my weekend on a Friday night.

I am now a week in from not drinking and though it has not made a physical change, the mental change is huge. I am more productive, enthusiastic and positive. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss it especially when I’m watching other people around me drinking but the benefits of not drinking are outweighing the negatives.

The changes I have felt got me curious into the actual positives and benefits of alcohol. I’m not going to lie, the research unearthed a lot of mixed messages and it does get a little confusing. I’m going to expand on these messages and the below in a future blog but for now here is a list of just some of the pros and cons to alcohol:

Pros	Cons
Social Lubricant Tastes good Calming (or is it?) Tastes good (yup so good you have to say it twice) Linked to reduction in heart disease (moderate) Benefits to cardiovascular (moderate)	Empty calories and lots of sugar Weight gain Expense Depressant (Have you seen the news?!) Reduces REM sleep Addictive Heavy use causes liver damage   Linked to several cancers (heavy use) Affects teeth and gums

If looking at this list you are leaning towards a break you can take advantage of this lockdown to have an alcohol reset. The common excuses of work functions/dinners (a big one for me), socialising and peer pressure are now invalid. Get out of the habitual thinking that the glass of red is going to take the edge off the day or that G&T is the start of the weekend. Instead of taking off the edge with alcohol try working out or have a bath/shower, start the weekend (never ending at the moment for some) with a movie and popcorn instead of that glass of wine that soon becomes a bottle.

I’m not saying do it forever or even for months, just try using this time to give it a bit of a break and see how it makes you feel. You could have a drink or two max in a week if you don’t want to give it up completely. If like me you genuinely like the taste and feel this is what your mostly going to miss take advantage of the many mocktail recipes and 0% alcohol drinks available. I’m pretty sure in these times the 0% alcohol drinks will still be on the shelf!

Good luck and stay safe and healthy!

Note: In researching for this blog I have found so much information on the topic that I am going to expand on the pros and cons list in To Detox or Not To Detox… part 2.