Party Smarter, Not Harder: Knowing the Facts About Alcohol and You
Just about everyone loves to be social with their peer group. In modern Western society, this usually includes alcohol. But what you don’t know about alcohol, even if you only occasionally indulge, is playing a large role in sapping your natural vitality and beauty. That’s because alcohol is actually a poison with many side effects beyond the reaction of inebriation. While it’s usually unrealistic these days to take a vow of unadulterated life-long sobriety, knowing the facts about the effects of alcohol on your body and some ways to combat them other than going cold turkey can go a long way.
Your body is a complex network of interrelated systems that work together in everything, so what impacts one, impacts all of them. When you ingest alcohol, a host of chemical reactions occur that result in the tipsy feeling. But that’s only the beginning. Alcohol is classed as a depressant drug, which, for some, can make them more prone to negative emotional responses. The way to avoid this is pretty straightforward. If you know you’re a maudlin or angry drinker, don’t drink. Not only does it make you no fun to be around, it can also be a step closer to a substance abuse issue. That’s bad news, no matter how much you think you can handle yourself.
Alcohol is also a diuretic, which leads to a whole host of issues. To begin with, it makes your kidneys and liver work harder to expel toxins from your system. Load that on top of the fact that simple contact with alcohol dehydrates the tissues of your alimentary canal from beginning to end, and you’re looking like one hot mess in no time. The reason is double-edged. First, your skin is part of your body’s purification system, and alcohol is one of the nastier toxins your body expels via sweat. Second, being dehydrated screws everything up–making your skin prone to dryness and wrinkling. You will also experience bloating, which paired with time and reduced elasticity can lead to stretch marks you wouldn’t otherwise form. It’s also the reason we get hangovers. That pain is much like the one you would experience while lost in the desert and dying of thirst. And, by the way,since your brain is made of fat and water, that headache is actually your brain shrinking.
Alcohol also robs your body of vital phytonutrients like vitamin A and zinc, which makes your hair and skin dull and saggy. It’s a vasodilator, which leads to red cheeks, nose, and eyes. It’s comprised of empty calories, which are stored as fat while simultaneously dropping your blood glucose and making you ravenous. What can you do to combat these issues? Drink copious amounts of water before, during, and after. Eat nutrient dense foods before and after. Moisturize generously before you retire after a social event. Finally, don’t stint the cardio. Sweating will help you recover your body’s equilibrium more swiftly. And of course, practice moderation. That’s your best bet, so party smarter.
This post was put together using advice found on the Cosmos Clinic blog. If you would to find out more, watch their YouTube channel, visit them on Google+ or followed them on Twitter @Cosmos_Clinic.
Category: Alcohol
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This is so interesting. I too have been taking it for years and years. I want to stop taking it but i’m worried that my body is so used to it that it’s going to affect me and give me mood swings etc – almost like I have to wean myself off it.