A Winter Health Kick: Go Dry For July

July 3, 2015
Posted by: Spotscreen
Category: Articles

99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall… The Never Ending Song.

We live in a country where nearly every social or community event includes some degree of alcohol consumption. Over the course of the year Western Australians are drinking 12 L of pure alcohol; equivalent to 43.6 bottles of vodka (700ml, 40% Alc.)

1 in 13 West Australians drink daily, with 1 in 5 drinking at high risk levels (better known as binge drinking) at least weekly.

“A few years ago I decided to do Dry July, not to support a charity or fundraise but to see if I could last a month without drinking alcohol. I was a social drinker but I was starting to drink every night. I would come home from work, pour myself a glass of wine, cook dinner and tend to the activities of daily living, my husband and three children. Sometimes my weekday drinking ended up at three to four glasses of wine or champagne and often on the weekend I might drink a whole bottle during the course of the afternoon/evening.

I never missed a day of work from a hangover, but did sometimes feel seedy on a Sunday!”

A Not So Happy Hour

The free flowing hour that is often short-lived – a loss of balance, a drier-than-dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, sweats, tremor and most importantly the remorse which all reside in the dreaded hangover. Oh, Did I mention it can last up to 24 hours.

Hangovers aside, alcohol has toxic effects on the body. Overtime even low to moderate consumption of alcohol can lead to inflammation of the stomach lining and pancreas, cirrhosis of the liver, arrhythmia, Increased risk of common cancers; breast and colon, and not to mention weight gain. Your libido is also in jeopardy with a reduction in male sex hormone resulting in decreasing sperm production.

Alcohol also depletes our body of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly thiamine, zinc and magnesium essential for proper never function. A lack of thiamine in the body leads to a disturbance in mental function and unnecessary stress.

“All our entertaining included alcohol and all our friends drank. We would always take some beers or a bottle of wine when visiting friends. I never drank and drove. I did once have a time when my youngest daughter was at a sleep over at a friend’s house and he had to bring her home as I had had too much to drink and would have blown over the limit.
Over time I began to realise that I was putting on weight, spending too much money on alcohol and was not able to drive late at night in an emergency.”

No More Bottles Of Beer On The Wall, No More Bottles Of Beer.

“SO, Dry July came and I faced many challenges. My best friend is an alcoholic and she was always at my place in the evenings drinking and I felt left out with my chamomile tea and Ginger beer. I associated a number of activities with alcohol, such as cooking and stirring the spaghetti Bolognaise! I missed having a glass of wine in my hand when I was talking on the phone or looking at the computer. There were a number of social activities that I went to that month, a 40th birthday party, a work dinner and dinner at friends’ houses. I managed to get through those activities without much pain and started to realise that I didn’t need wine or champagne to be me, I didn’t need it to be funny and I certainly didn’t need it to make friends!”

Sober. No Longer The Social Outcast.

Many social events involve, or most prominently revolve around alcohol. This can make it hard to stay on track however, remember that sitting in a bar or restaurant drinking in not the be-all or end-all of human existence.

A fruitful social life should schedule in some non-alcoholic fun and skipping the alcohol might just allow you to better execute those moves on the dance floor without the unflattering staggered to follow. Mix it up, take up a class or learn a new language, go out for a coffee or tea, see a movie, go for a walk or visit a play or museum.

Experiment with new foods and tasty non-alcoholic drinks which are equally as attractive, whilst tastier and booming with nutritious goodness! Finally, do not feel like you have to explain yourself for not drinking, you may just be surprised by how many people will admire you for your choice.

This month host a dinner and master your own Mocktail! Here are some mouth-watering recipes to get you on your way.

“At the end of July I weighed myself and had lost 5 kg without even trying, my work colleagues commented that I looked well.”

Alcohol is the real problem behind many peoples weight gain, contributing 29 kilojoules per gram, second to fat at 37 kilojoules. Excess kilojoules are stored as fat contributing to weight gain.

Alcohol is not really considered a food and has low nutritional value despite its base ingredients being grapes or malted grain; during the manufacturing process thiamine is destroyed and lost when yeast is clarified and sediment removed. Potassium and Iron is present but little is nutritional.

Alongside its energy dense and nutrient poor properties alcohol also stimulates the appetite whilst loosening inhibitions leading to abnormal eating patterns or overindulging.

“Over August, I had a couple of times that I drank but certainly not to the extent that I had in the past. Mostly I drank with my alcoholic friend to keep her company and I also drank with my husband. I came to realise that my husband was an alcoholic too. He didn’t work and didn’t go one day without drinking and smoking, this was affecting our relationship.”

Healthy Habits To Last A Lifetime

“In September I quit drinking completely. There were a number of reasons; I looked up how much money we spent on alcohol and it was staggering. I felt really good. I had lost another kilo.”

Utilising ‘Dead Money’

Recall the last time you said no to a weekend away or had to ration you’re groceries just to save a dollar or two. The Average Australian spends approximately $31 a week on alcohol or $1,612 over the course of the year. It is however uncommon to spend up to $150 a week on alcohol over one or two nights, this equates to $7,800 each year. Could this ‘Dead Money’ not be better spent paying off credit card debts, the home, car loan or funding your next holiday?

“My daughters were growing up and I didn’t want my children to think that alcohol was necessary every day plus I needed to be completely alcohol free to pick them up at parties and also when teaching them to drive. I have had to drive three times to emergency late at night and had to drive to pick up my daughters friends who were stranded in the city. I felt I wasn’t giving them the best impression.”

Alcohol is involved in around half of all serious car accidents. It takes the body about one hour to eliminate the alcohol from a single glass of wine or spirit, and about 12 hours to eliminate half a bottle of spirits. Time is the only variable that will clear your blood alcohol. It is a myth that drinking coffee or fruit juice, cold showers, vomiting or exercise will reduce your blood alcohol reading. Therefore, after a heavy nights drinking you might just be driving to work over the limit.

As a parent or care taker you play an important role in the development of young people’s values, attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol. By establishing boundaries and healthy drinking habits for yourself you are setting a good example for those that surround and depend on you equally.

“I did not want to enable my friend’s alcoholism and my husband’s alcoholism by drinking with them.”

The Working Glass Man

It’s no secret that Australia has a well-established drinking culture. Multiple studies associate work related drinking and hangovers to problems in the workplace, leading to lowered productivity and morale. Irritability, lack of concentration and fatigue; these side effects of alcohol consumption can affect fitness at work, work attendance, performance and relationships with co-workers and result in higher incidence of workplace injuries.

Skip the post work booze up and opt for alternative activities; team building days or sports- related pursuits which promote collaborative thinking without the consequences.

“Over the past 2 years I have lost 15 kg and I have never felt better. I have saved $000, and my kids love the fact that I don’t drink.”

Why Wind Down When You Can Rev It Up

10 Western Australians die each week from alcohol related causes. If we reduce our consumption we can not only save lives but free up hospital services.

Put down the beer googles and allow positive change into your life. Without the burden of alcohol addiction you will be surprised to see an improved sense of overall health and wellbeing:

Increased energy levels
Clarity and concentration
Reduced blood cholesterol, glucose and liver fat
Improved sleeping patterns and less snoring
Weight loss
Clearer skin
Healthier bank balance and finances
Sense of achievement for helping yourself and others
Fresh approach to alcohol consumption

We thank Elizabeth for sharing her Dry July story, after taking on the challenge in July 2013 with great success.

This Month make the pledge to give up alcohol for 31 days by taking part in Dry July. Make a difference, challenge yourself, encourage positive change, clear your head and establish a healthier you. Helping more than just your wallet and waistline, your efforts and the sponsorship you raise directly benefits the lives of those living with cancer.

Registration is free and open to individuals, teams and workplaces.

For more details and to make your pledge visit dryjuly.com.

Author: Spotscreen

Spotscreen is Australia’s leading onsite skin cancer screening and corporate health provider, focussing on providing the highest quality of specialised onsite health programs for your workplace and local community.