When it comes to alcohol, less really is more. Drinking less means having more energy, more focus and more money. It’s a huge step to better health, better moods and a better life. Whether you’re keen to just cut down or wish to stop completely, this pocket-sized handbook has all the facts, advice and ideas you need to reshape your life in exactly the way you want. You can see if you are drinking within limits at Alcohol Change unit calculator.
Say No To Alcohol is a book for anyone who needs to break up with booze. There’s life beyond alcohol. Drinking less or stopping completely can change your health and mood, money and relationships. It may seem tricky. But if drinking is currently your go-to for stress relief or recreation, there are dozens of ways to stay on the wagon and feel the benefits. This practical book has all the facts, advice and ideas you need to start your journey, and refresh your life.
Your liver is one of the most useful organs and unlike most other organs, is very forgiving, even if you’ve been knocking back the sauce every day for years on end. In serious cases, the liver may not recover which leads to scaring and hepatitis, cirrhossis (not always caused by alcohol, so don’t judge someone who has it) and sometimes people need a liver transport. Footballer George Best who famously had to have a liver transplant drank from 8am to 8pm daily for 40 years according to his son, that’s how bad things usually have to get before your liver gives up. So if you’re not there yet, let’s look at how to help your liver love you back, before the cells die and irreversible scar tissue develops.
Alcohol also dehydrates the body and can also trigger many skin conditions. This lovely lady gave up drinking for a year, and just look at the difference!This photo has gone viral of a man who gave up alcohol. As well as fluid loss this can lead to flakineess and puffiness around the eyes and the sugars in beer and wine can also damage collagen and lead to ageing skin.
If you are a severe alcoholic, then speak to your doctor and stopping drinking suddenly can be dangerous. But for most people, gradually cutting down or giving up is fine. Red wine does have a few benefits but you get the same ones from eating red grapes or drinking grape juice, so don’t think you have to drink alcohol. The body basically treats alcohol like a poison and starts to get rid of it, as soon as you start supping. So either don’t drink or drink in moderation (no more than 1 or 2 drinks a few times a week) and you should be fine. It’s entirely up to you. One tip is to buy some small wine or beer glasses, as many people often pour too much, simply because they are not measuring properly at home – if you only have tumblers, it’s easier to pour more than you think!
Your liver processes one drink (a glass of wine or beer) each hour. So if you down 10 pints, and stop at midnight, you’re not safe to drive until 10am the following morning. Your liver filters blood toxins and regulates your blood sugar and cholesterol and produces bile to digest food, as well as fighting infections. But each time you sip alcohol, some liver cells die. Not an issue as it then regenerates and creates new cells. But it basically gets knackered if you keep doing it, and eventually can’t cope. It can lead to alcoholic fatty liver disease which is the first time you may notice but if you give up or drastically quit, it can usually repair itself pretty quickly, often within a few days or weeks. If not, it can turn into alcohol hepatitis that causes the liver to swell which can lead to jaundice, vomiting and fever. This can turn to irreversible scarring that is cirrrhosis that can lead to ulcers and liver failure, and often weight gain. Symptoms appear late with the normal loss of energy and nausea, but also belly pain and swelling and small blood vessels in the skin, with a build up of fluid in the legs and tummy, red palms and yellow skin, eyes and mucous membranes.
Stop drinking, quit if you can or at least for 3 months Eat well and try to change your lifestyle overall with healthy walks and yoga, eat fresh foods and take a multi-vitamin and get enough sleep. Also get a medication review to safely come off medicines you no longer need or take lower doses, as these can also help your liver. Living a biodegradable life with natural beauty and cleaning products and eco paints also helps. If you are a heavy drinker, it could take several months to heal completely, but you should start feeling better in days, just get in plenty of soups and comfort foods, in case you get the shakes for a bit. NHS says that if you stop drinking alcohol completely for 2 weeks, for most people, your liver will return to normal. Their advice is not to drink more than 14 units a week. This means 7 pints of of beer, 14 25ml of spirits or 10 small glasses of wine.
Books to Help Someone with Alcohol Addiction
These books to help someone with alcohol addiction, are ideal if you think someone you love has a problem (or it could be yourself). Alcohol addiction issues soared during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and there was a big problem beforehand. These books are non-preachy and offer a helping hand, either to help yourself or find professional help.
- Say No to Alcohol is a book of simple tips, to help you quit drinking (or cut down). If the time has come to break up with booze, know there is life beyond alcohol. Drinking less or stopping completely can change your health and mood, and also benefit your relationships and money. It may seem tricky, if drinking is currently your go-to for stress relief or recreation. But there are dozens of ways to stay on the wagon, and feel the benefits. This practical book has all the facts, advice and ideas you need, to start your journey and refresh your life..
- Drink Less, Live More shows that less really is more, when it comes to alcohol. Drinking less means more energy, more focus and more money. It’s a huge step to better health, better moods and a better life. Whether you’re keen to cut down or give up completely, this pocket book has all the facts and ideas you need.
- How to Quit Alcohol in 50 Days is by certified alcohol coach Simon Chapple, who has helped thousands of people to quite drinking. This journey is split into 2 parts. Days 1 to 25 asks you to take an honest look at the impact alcohol is having on your life, examine the reasons for drinking and arm you with tools to give up. Days 26 to 50 takes you on the journey to give up, answering questions that come up along the way.
- The Alcohol Experiment offers you a 30-day experiment, to see how you feel by giving up drinking for 30 days. You can then choose to continue with no alcohol, or introduce it in smaller amounts.
- Love Yourself Sober is a book on alcohol-free living for busy mothers. This book looks at how a problematic relationship with alcohol can easily develop, particularly with time-poor mothers.
- Quit Like a Woman is an honest book by a woman who wanted to a way to recover from her addiction, but found that most professional help was geared towards helping men. Most women’s drinking problems service lunches, book clubs and weddings, and at home alone. Holly noticed that alcohol companies often target women in particular.
The Little Book of Mocktails!
The Little Book of Mocktails shows how to master the art of the alcohol-free cocktail, with a classy concoction of recipes and tips for deliciously booze-free beverages. Whether you’re ditching alcohol completely or just looking for healthier alternatives, let these teetotal tipples dazzle and delight your taste buds!
