Taking a break from alcohol is one of the best things you can do for your health (and your wallet!).
It is estimated around four per cent of all cancers diagnosed in Australia each year are due to alcohol use. Cutting out alcohol not only reduces your risk of cancer and other alcohol-caused disease, but you can also expect some other great health benefits.
Sign up for Dry July today and reap these benefits:
Benefit 1: Better sleep
Drinking alcohol before bed can lead to poorer quality sleep as it disrupts the body’s restorative process. Within one week of giving up alcohol, you might experience an increase in wakefulness, better work performance, better sleep quality and improved concentration. Your break from alcohol may lead you to explore other opportunities to get out and about and reduce your fatigue long term through exercise.
Benefit 2: Avoid weight gain
Alcoholic drinks are high in energy (kilojoules) and have no nutritional benefits. When we drink alcohol, our body focuses on breaking down the alcohol and getting it out of the system as quickly as possible. When alcohol becomes the metabolic priority, we don’t burn fats and sugars as efficiently, and so store more of it as body fat. Taking a break from drinking will go a long way in helping to avoid weight gain, stabilise blood pressure and give your liver a rest!
Benefit 3: Improved mental health
It might be tempting to turn to alcohol at times of stress, but alcohol can be damaging to our mental health and regular drinking can trigger or worsen symptoms of anxiety. You might find that going without alcohol can help decrease feelings of anxiety. Dry July is an excellent time to get to the bottom of the stressors in your life and address the root causes. By giving up alcohol you will also have more time to test out some other ways to cope with stress. Yoga, meditation, exercise or listening to music can all be excellent stress-busters.
Benefit 4: Healthier skin
Alcohol dehydrates the skin, promotes inflammation, and causes small blood vessels in the skin to widen, which can lead to broken capillaries on the face. So, you may find giving up alcohol leaves you with hydrated, healthier-looking skin.
Benefit 5: Save money
The average Australian household will save $1664 a year (or roughly 85 avocado toasts) by ditching alcohol. That’s more money to spend on brunch with friends, or the new hobbies you might pick up!
Benefit 6: Lower risk of alcohol-caused cancer and other disease
By creating a habit of taking a break from alcohol, you’ll not only improve your health in the short-term, you’ll also lower your risk of chronic disease due to alcohol such as cancers, liver diseases, and stroke in the long-term. The less you drink, the lower your risk of at least seven types of cancer.
Benefit 7: Sense of achievement
Setting yourself a challenge and experiencing a sense of achievement when accomplishing your goals is a wonderful and uplifting feeling.
Not only will it help your health and wellbeing, but by going dry this July and fundraising on behalf of Cancer Council WA you’ll help us continue to provide our vital 13 11 20 Information and Support service for all West Australians affected by cancer.
So, what are you waiting for? Go dry this July and fundraise for Cancer Council WA!
For more information
- Find out more about Dry July.
- Try some delicious LiveLighter non-alcoholic recipes.
- Learn more about alcohol and cancer risk.