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Getting liquored up just has a way of becoming a normal part of our daily routines.
It all begins, at least for most of the would-be diehards, long before we are legally able to buy booze from some old-timer name Fred, down at our friendly neighborhood package store.
By the time we hit the tender age of 21, we’re sucking down variations of hooch at a pro level. We find ourselves drinking to remember, then we drink to forget, we might even toss back a few to forget all of the things we remembered while trying to forget.
This slobbering, drunken condition goes on for many years – sometimes even decades.
It seems a life of drinking, something that was mostly done in pursuit of good times, has put the best of you into the proverbial crapper, leaving only a miserable, bloated specimen in the wake.
But hells bells, not for nothing, this soggy path of debauchery leading to such a slobbish state is, for many of us, some of the best years of our lives.
It’s just too bad we can’t hit the restart button, get our bodies back in tune and take a more mature approach to booze in our older years.
Well, boys, the good news is with a little dedication and some discipline, there is a way to reboot after leading a lush life. All it really takes is the will power to give up drinking alcohol for a month.
Doing so comes with a wealth of health benefits that, in a lot of ways, can help most heavy drinkers repair the vast damages they have inflicted on their aging bodies throughout the years.
Here are just a handful of the advantages one might expect to see after a four-week sober streak.
That Beer Gut Will Start To Shrink
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You might be surprised just how many calories a real-deal drinker can knock back in the span of an evening.
Considering that even the lightest of domestic piss water still clocks in at over 90 calories, it is relatively easy for a man to consume hundreds of more calories each day than what he probably should.
So, anyone who gives up the drink for a month may start shedding some pounds – even without additional dietary changes or higher rates of exercise.
That shrinking beer gut may also serve as some inspiration to extend the booze hiatus beyond a month. It can feel pretty damn good to watch your body revert back to a more appealing form after lingering in a ghastly state for several years.
I gave up beer at the end of April (replacing it with a few sugar-free vodka cocktails in the evening) and have lost 11-pounds.
Of course, cutting out the booze entirely would contribute to more impressive results. But the thought of going completely buzz-free makes me nervous.
And when I get nervous, I drink.
You see where I’m going here.
Liver Function Comes Back With A Vengeance
Man, we take our livers for granted.
This vital organ works like a well-oiled machine to process all of the crap we pour down our gullets, but we never really stop and consider the damage we might be doing to it.
A beaten up liver can cause a person to experience severe fatigue and issues with digestion. If you are finding yourself on the couch most afternoons, too exhausted to walk down to the local tavern for the first beer of the evening, there is a chance your liver has some wear and tear.
But never fear, this organ is always working to repair itself. In fact, it is the one organ humans have that has the power of regeneration.
Even the most damaged liver (up to the point before cirrhosis sets in) can get back to its original, healthy state when one gives up booze and adopts a healthier diet.
Remember, more than just alcohol can tax the liver. Sodas and sugary drinks in general, not to mention medications are all terrible for liver function.
A month without booze, however, and the liver will be flushed of an abundance of impurities.
This, too, may be enough inspiration to get you to stay off the sauce long term.
8 Tips for Quitting Alcohol in the First Few Days
Mental State Improves, Making You A Better Person
While alcohol certainly has a way of bringing out the “Fun Guy” in a lot of us, it mostly wreaks havoc on our mental health.
Without even knowing it, booze consumption can throw a wrench in our overall mood and render us mentally incapable of handling life when it comes at us full throttle.
Toss in a hangover and our ability to use our head when it is needed the most sort of goes to shit. It’s just difficult to be the best person you can be when your mind is flooded.
Eliminating booze from the equation for a month can restore this critical function in most people. It might make your job a little less grueling on the day-to-day, improve relationships with family and friends or even open you up to new ones.
All in all, having a sharp mind, one that prevents us from being reactionary and emotional in sticky situations, is the key to becoming a better person.
Hey, You Might Even Get Better Looking
People who live and die by the bottle often times look haggard, sometimes dawning the appearance of someone 5-to-10 years older than what they really are.
This is because alcohol, a diuretic, dehydrates them and puts their skin in a state of emergency. These people have a tendency to suffer from poor skin color, increased wrinkles and even weakened muscle tone.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “Hydrate or Die,” well, that just isn’t some fortune cookie wisdom.
Our bodies need to stay adequately hydrated to survive – looking bad is just part of the decline.
Furthermore, dehydration also causes problems with energy levels, which can affect so many facets of our lives.
Give up booze for a month and you may slowly start to feel better all around – not wearing out so easily throughout the day and being in a better mood – and, who knows, you could even receive a compliment about how good you look from that pretty girl in accounting.
We are not suggesting that giving up alcohol is the way to go. But it might not be a bad idea to take a month off to reassess your relationship with the bottle for future reference.
Maybe you’ll come back in four weeks and drink less, or perhaps you’ll quit altogether.
There is also a chance that some of you will cave on this after only a week and emerge on a barstool somewhere even drunker than before.
And there is also a distinct possibility that you might see a couple of us sitting there beside you.
Oh well, there is always next month.
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Mike Adams is a freelance writer for High Times, Cannabis Now, and Forbes. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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