Some Great Tips To Cut Down On Alcohol
Are you concerned about your levels of drinking and want to cut down on alcohol?
Maybe you are not quite ready to consider a total alcohol-free lifestyle, but you but you are looking for tips to cut down on alcohol?
Alcohol is all around us, in bars and restaurants, in our social and personal lives and it can often be overwhelming. Alcohol is an addictive drug and one that can be oh so easily abused. You have come to a time in your life that you now wish to slow down with your drinking. Your motivation could be that of saving some money, feeling more healthy or simply bored with drinking. Whatever the reason, there are tried-and-tested methods to put in place to help you achieve your goals.
What are the benefits of cutting down on alcohol?
We all know that there will be benefits of reducing the amount of booze that you consume…but exactly what are the benefits? Why would it be worth the effort to try and cut down on drinking so much? Let’s take a look.
Short term benefits of cutting back
Drinking less alcohol has a profound effect on your health, and some of them are almost immediate. You can see good effect within less than 24 hours of alcohol reduction. Obviously, the longer you limit your alcohol intake, then more your body will thank you for it…but here are some of the quick wins that you will notice when you decide to lower the amount that you drink. Heavy drinkers will notice the benefits far quickly, and more so!
Lower blood sugar.
Sugar damages the part of our skin that keeps us looking healthy – Collagen. By removing alcohol from your system you will give your skin the chance to regenerate and improve. High levels of sugar is also associated with health implications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tooth decay, heart disease and a whole host of other nasty things.
The bottom line with this one is that reduced sugar is a good thing for your overall health – and following these tips to cut down on alcohol will help you do that.
No more hangovers.
This benefit really does not need a great deal of explaining, does it? That feeling of being groggy and cloudy in the morning after a night on the booze will be no more. You will function better and approach daily life tasks with a more positive approach.
Imagine not having to worry about what you will and will not be able to do, due to the amount of drink you have knocked back! Those early mornings just become more beautiful, it is like being given a few extra hours per day. Yours that you can spend doing whatever you wish other than wishing you did not have that extra drink last night.
Since becoming sober, one of my favourite parts of the day is now the morning – let it be yours too 🙂
Cut Down On Alcohol And Experience More Energy.
All of that great sleep, lack of hangovers and generally looking after your body will hit you like an endorphin brick, and in a better way than you could have imagined.
If you are used to drinking to quite a high level, by slowing down the poison running through your body, you will get instant energy buzzes. Your body will be soaking up all of that food that you are putting into your body, but instead, your body working to break down the alcohol, it will be reaping the rewards of all of the nutrients and vitamins it is getting.
This will equate to energy – enjoy the feelings 🙂
Long-term benefits of cutting reducing how much you drink
Better long term physical health
Alcohol steals your body of so much, sleep and rest, healthy nutrients, motivation and ability to exercise – the list goes on. When you reduce your alcohol intake, your body thanks you for it. You will notice improvements all round. Any muscle soreness and general lethargy will decrease and your health will increase in droves.
Cut down on alcohol and you will also cut down on your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Long term risks of alcohol does not often show up until later years in life, and reducing the booze now can reduce the risk of liver problems and cancer.
Increased overall mood state
Quite often people drink alcohol to reduce stress or help them relax, but in reality the drink does the polar opposite. By cutting down drinking you will keep your central nervous system healthy and allow your body’s own natural anti-depressants to work effectively.
Low mood can be reduced as you continue to reduce your alcohol intake and couple that with good sleep, good rest and good food – you will feel better than you ever have before.
Follow these tips to Cut Down and Have a Healthier Appearance
Alcohol dehydrates your skin and makes you look more tired. Lack of good sleep does that to you also 🙂 Alcohol steals your body of the ability to metabolize your foods, and your body just does not rejuvenate how it should. By cutting down how much alcohol you are consuming, you are going to feel and LOOK BETTER.
Give it a try – people will comment on how well you look, and that is something that I personally never tire of hearing.
Weight loss.
Alcohol slows down body metabolism. After we drink, our body naturally breaks down alcohol first, and then the ‘normal’ calories that we eat. We are usually taking in more unhealthy foods when drinking – so we have a double-whammy. First our body deals with the alcohol, and then it has to process all of the fats and sugars that we have taken in whilst drinking.
Improved sleep.
Alcohol disrupts REM – the deep sleep that we all desire and the part that recovers our body. By cutting down on alcohol we can take advantage of our body’s natural healing properties and get a better’ nights sleep.
I Want to cut down on alcohol. But where do I start?
As we say, it is addictive, and stopping something addictive is, by nature, difficult.
So, what sort of things can we try to cut back on drinking alcohol? What techniques or methods can we try? Well, quite a few actually.
Here are several ideas that might suit your own lifestyle, some things that could help you slow down with the booze.
Tips to cut down on alcohol
Space out your drinks
Spacing your drinks is a great way to cut down on the actual amount of alcohol you consume. Consider a soft drink in between each alcoholic drink. This is a good method of reducing how much you drink, and also keeping yourself hydrated. A glass of water between each drink can make a massive difference on the way you feel in the morning, and also will literally cut your alcohol consumption in half.
Measure your drinks
Being aware of your drink measurements can be easily overlooked, especially if you drink at home. One trick that works well is to use smaller glasses when pouring that drink. By saying ‘oh but I only have a couple of glasses of wine per night. Masterclass states that there are 5 ‘standard’ glasses of wine in a 750ml bottle of wine…but do we all drink from a standard glass? And do we all pour standard servings?
Having an awareness of our drink sizes can dramatically impact on the amount of booze we drink. Think about this one.
Have a lower strength drink
Cut down on your drinking by swapping out your higher strength drink choices for lower ones. Choose a lower ABV % – check the label. You will still get the same mental enjoyment of drinking your favourite tipple, but actually be having less alcohol.
Make a plan and set a limit
If you know that you will be drinking, plan how much you are going to drink for the night – and stick to it! So, maybe say to yourself that I am only going to have X amount of drinks throughout the night. This will also help with our next tip to help you cut down on alcohol.
Pace yourself with your drinks
When drinking, there is often a perceived need to ‘neck’ your drink to get to the next one. Ask yourself why? If you are enjoying your drink then simply do that. Don’t put yourself under any unnecessary pressure or rush to get to the next drink. By being conscious of this and following tips to cut down on alcohol your alcohol intake will naturally lessen.
Have one drink per hour – use the clock as a guide
This particular technique works well for some. If you find that you are drinking and struggle with control/speed, use a clock as a guide. So, if you finish your drink particularly quick then you make yourself wait until the hand strikes the 12 (or whatever works for you) before you reach for another beer. I have a good friend who swears by this method and helps him keep his drinking levels under control. Try it, it might just be the trick you have been looking for.
Cut back on alcohol one day at a time
If the thought of drinking less fills you with fear, then try slowly reducing the amount of drinks you have. This doesn’t have to be a quick withdrawal, do it at a pace that suits you. One less drink, then once you are comfortable, drink one less. Before you realise, you have cut down alcohol intake in half! Again, this is a method that I have personally seen people use to great effect.
Avoid rounds
Drinking in rounds is a common set-up when going out with your family or friends. You get the first in – there are 6 of you all together, so you are having 6 drinks MINIMUM. Then it is your round, and away you go again.
Before you know it you are 3 rounds and 18 drinks in. Dangerous levels of drinking, but we have all done it. The easiest way to avoid this level of drinking is to straight-up avoid rounds. Even drinking with just one drinking partner will increase the chance of you consuming more and more alcohol. It also increases the speed at which you drink, necking your booze to keep up with others around you.
If you are wanting to cut back on alcohol, then do not get involved in the rounds culture when you are out. Set your own limits and your own pace.
To Conclude
We have spelt out some great tips to cut down on alcohol, and they 100% work. It is just a matter of finding out which methods will work for you.
There are so many reasons to wish to cut down alcohol and often it is personal to you. So let it be just that, your own reason. Do not get sucked into a drunken night when you are trying to cut down, just go with what is right for you and stick with it.
You will thank yourself the next morning.
