Giving up alcohol completely for a month can feel like a daunting feat.
But better sleep, glowing skin, and a slimmer waist can motivate you to keep going.
If you take part in Sober October this year, you’ll already be feeling the health benefits, according to Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity Drinkaware.
Cutting out alcohol helps boost your mood in the morning and even lowers your risk of cancer and liver disease, she says.
Here MailOnline explains what effects giving up alcohol can have on your body.
By staying sober in October, you may get healthier skin, better sleep, and even lose some weight
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units a week – that’s 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine
First week…
It may sound obvious, but once you stop drinking, you can also say goodbye to a hangover.
This means you will no longer feel nauseous, tired or irritable the next morning.
Instead, you can expect to feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep.
“The first thing you should notice when you stop drinking altogether is that you sleep better and wake up more easily in the morning,” says Ms. Tyrell.
This is because alcohol disrupts an important phase in the sleep cycle.
Ms Tyrell said: “Although some people find that drinking alcohol helps them fall asleep more quickly, it disrupts the important stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, leaving you feeling tired the next day – no matter how long you stay in bed.” ‘
But it’s not just better sleep that makes you feel more alert.
Alcohol has a depressant effect and can worsen anxiety. So sobriety can also improve your mental health.
“Drinking regularly impairs the production of chemicals in the brain that are essential for good mental health,” says Ms Tyrell.
No more hangover means you won’t feel nauseous, tired or irritable the next morning. Instead, you can expect to feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep
She added: “Even if you initially feel relaxed after a drink, alcohol can lead to depression and anxiety.”
“Not drinking helps you cope with feelings of stress and anxiety.”
Second week…
Cutting out alcohol for a few weeks can also help your skin glow.
Drinking can dry out skin, making it look puffy, dull, and dry.
This means that avoiding it can improve the appearance and make the skin look healthier. says Mrs. Tyrell.
That’s because alcohol is a diuretic – meaning it stimulates the body to urinate. When you drink, your skin is deprived of the fluids and nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
Additionally, alcohol can trigger flare-ups of psoriasis, a condition that causes flaky skin, and rosacea, which causes redness on the face.
Whether you stop drinking or just limit the amount of alcohol you consume, you’ll find that the more hydrated your skin is, the more radiant it looks.
Regularly consuming more than 14 units of alcohol per week – the equivalent of six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine – without alcohol-free days is harmful to your liver.
Drinkaware warns that this can lead to jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, which is a sign of serious alcohol-related liver disease, Drink Aware says.
Third week…
It’s no surprise that cutting out alcohol will help you shed the pounds.
After just a few weeks without alcohol, you can see the benefits on your waistline.
Alcohol contains about seven calories per gram – the same as the calories in pure fat.
According to the NHS, a pint of beer contains more than 200 calories and a normal 175ml glass of wine contains more than 150 calories. This is equivalent to one glazed donut or two chocolate digestives.
According to the NHS, a pint of beer contains more than 200 calories and a normal 175ml glass of wine contains more than 150 calories. So giving up alcohol for a month can help you lose some weight if you normally drink a lot
“If you are overweight and drink alcohol regularly, you should find that your weight decreases noticeably after you stop,” says Ms Tyrell.
She added: “A typical pint of lager contains as many calories as a slice of pizza and a large glass of wine contains as many calories as an ice cream sundae.”
“So it’s easier to maintain a healthy weight if you don’t drink.”
Alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer also contain additional calories due to the sugar and starch in the drink.
However, these extra calories are considered “empty calories,” meaning you don’t get any nutrients from those calories, making weight gain very easy.
Fourth week and beyond…
Alcohol is linked to seven different types of cancer, including colon cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and oral cancer.
So going without has a huge impact on your health.
According to Drink Aware, it reduces the risk of cancer and liver disease.
If you stop taking it for just one month, your liver will have the opportunity to repair itself and regenerate its cells.
“Although the liver is a resilient organ that can recover after damage, the risk of developing liver cancer or cirrhosis begins with low levels of alcohol consumption and increases the more you drink,” says Ms Tyrell.
“Stopping drinking or giving your liver a break regularly will allow it to repair itself, but the less you drink, the more you reduce your risk.”
The liver normally filters toxins from the blood, regulates sugar and cholesterol, and helps fight infections and disease.
So if you give him a break from alcohol, he can carry out his functions instead of having to filter the alcohol, experts say.
Although the liver is resilient, every time it filters alcohol, some liver cells die, according to the NHS.
The more alcohol you drink, the harder it is for the liver to regenerate new cells.
Some damage to the liver from drinking is irreversible, such as cirrhosis, in which the organ is scarred. But sobriety can still prevent further damage and illness, says the NHS.