Are you ready for Go Sober for October?
Going sober for October was one of the best things I have done. Raising money for Macmillan Cancer was inspired by my grandfather who I lost to cancer. He had been cared for so well in his later years by their nurses.
It’s not too late to sign up! All you have to do is not drink alcohol for 30 days in October and get people to sponsor you.
Being a superhero means you get to help others by abstaining from alcohol. Look at some of the ways in which your money can help.
Here are 5 reasons why being sober this month is good for you.
1. Love your body
Alcohol robs the body of nutrients, so a month off will mean your body will start to benefit from the goodness you put into it.
If you have been boozing for some time – summer parties, bottles of wine at home – your body may be lacking in essentials such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin C and of course the B vitamins group. It’s time to rejuvenate your body.
2. Ditch those calories
Calories from alcohol are ’empty calories’ they have no nutritional value.
According to the Prosecco Club, the average glass of prosecco has 80 calories, with a glass of red wine totalling 220. Time to ditch those calories.
Just a word of warning: when you first drop drinking your body will crave sugar. Usually, alcohol prevents glucose from being released, which means low sugar levels, which is why you crave certain foods. When I gave up drinking for Go Sober for October, I ate sweets to alleviate these cravings. Going sober needs careful planning if you are used to drinking regularly.
3. Finally a decent night’s sleep
Have you ever woken up early in the morning after a heavy night drinking, and not being able to go back to sleep? Alcohol as we all know interferes with our sleep. Blood sugar levels drop suddenly, hence waking up in the middle of the night. Entering into a deep sleep, means we miss that essential part of the sleep pattern REM (rapid eye movement).
Alcohol is also a diuretic, hence the alcohol sweats and dehydration. Drink lots of water too this month to re-hydrate your body.
4. Alcohol is a depressant
Despite the fact that alcohol makes us all feel confident, sexy and absolutely fabulous, the downside of alcohol is that it is a depressant. Just think of the anxiety, the tears, the low mood.
The other downsides to drinking are the arguments with friends and partners. Drunk texting. Not being able to remember the night before.
If you have an existing mental health issue, then alcohol will usually exacerbate any problems you might have. People usually reach out for alcohol to relieve their symptoms (self-medicating), but it will, in turn, affect your moods, stability, ability to function and impair your ability to do your job.
I was quite shocked to discover some of my friends wouldn’t meet up with me whilst I was doing sober October. Friends came over for dinner and brought copious amounts of wine, telling me they wouldn’t tell anyone if I drank (I didn’t). Drinking diet cokes in pubs gave me headaches, orange was sickly, so I stuck to water. I also found drunk people boring and very touchy feely. Get your friends to support you.
5. You’ll save money!
Of course, the best bit for all of us broke girls is that you will save money! It’s amazing how much we spend on alcohol in the city. A glass of wine tends to cost anything between £5-9 in London. This adds up over a month, even when you simply have a cheeky glass every now and then. Even if you have been drinking more at home. So why not put that money into an account and spend it on something else at the end of the month instead to celebrate a month sober?!
N.B. If you are suffering from alcohol dependency or think you have a problem with alcohol, please seek out a doctor rather than suddenly going sober. This can be harmful if you have been drinking heavily. Alcohol dependency needs urgent attention, support and often medical supervision. Contact your local GP as well as look to alcoholics anonymous for support.