It’s bad enough that responsible people put the lives of others at risk when they drink and drive, but here’s what alcohol drinkers put their bodies through.
Alcohol dehydrates your body generally, including the skin – your body’s largest organ. This happens every time you drink. Drinking too much is also thought to deprive the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients. Over time, drinking heavily can have other, more permanent, detrimental effects on your skin. Rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can eventually lead to facial disfigurement, is linked to alcohol.
Of course, health issues aside, there are also other risks associated with drinking alcohol. For example, if you live in a state where underage Possession of Alcohol is punishable by a criminal conviction, the repercussions of jail time or a large fine could have a severe effect on your career prospects.
So, what are the health benefits of avoiding alcohol?
Beat the Bloat
Alcohol can also cause your face to look bloated and puffy. You might find it bloats your stomach, too. And then there’s the cellulite; many believe the toxins in alcohol contribute to its build up.
How can you beat your beer belly?
Spots and Smells
Sorry, there’s more. Hung-over people don’t smell too good either; the liver processes most of the alcohol you drink, but some of it leaves the body straight through your breath, sweat and urine.
If you didn’t manage to take your make-up off, you’ll be more prone to spots, too; never mind your bloodshot eyes.
Why not cut down on alcohol and help preserve those good looks?
How Alcohol Affects Your Sleep Patterns
Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish. This is because drinking disrupts your sleep cycle.
When you drink alcohol before bed you may fall into deep sleep quicker. This is why some people find drinking alcohol helps them drop off to sleep. But as the night goes on you spend less time in this deep sleep and more time than usual in the less restful, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep.
This can leave you feeling tired the next day no matter how long you stay in bed.
But having alcohol-free days can help. You should be sleeping better and find it easier to wake up in the morning.
Drinking Can Equal a Disturbed Night’s Sleep
When you drink more than usual, you may have to get up in the night to go to the toilet. And it’s not just the liquid you’ve drank that you’ll be getting rid of. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it encourages the body to lose extra fluid through sweat too, making you dehydrated.
Drinking can also make you snore loudly. It relaxes the muscles in your body, which means the tissue in your throat, mouth and nose can stop air flowing smoothly and is more likely to vibrate.
So, all in all, alcohol can equal a fitful night’s sleep.
PebbleCreek AA groups meet Tuesday and Sunday evening and Friday morning; 602-621-3783.