Well… those that know me, and know me well, can attest to the fact that I really like drinking beer. And red wine. I’m not too much of a hard liquor guy — but I do like a cold one or two after work and dinner with wine. I guess you can say it is somewhat cultural, but not sure that is entirely valid. You see, my Italian grandmother would always have red wine at dinner. I remember she always said:
When I’m dead, make sure you bury me with a bottle of red wine and some bread.
Obviously, we didn’t do that, but you get the point. Wine was and is always present at the dinner table. It’s part of living life. It makes the meal complete. Just ask any European…
Now, regarding beer, although I did enjoy some, it wasn’t until 1997 when I tried my first craft beer in Escondido, CA (Stone IPA) that I became a fan of beer. So, ever since then, I’ve been drinking beer on a regular basis (everyday) with some exceptions here and there. In fact, my kids often tease me as I often post beers I drink on “the Gram”.
Everytime I go someplace new, I try the local brew — especially IPAs. There’s so much variety and craftsmanship nowadays, that you can literally taste a new beer everyday without having to repeat any, unless you find your favorite.
Anyway, this post is not about my adventures finding and tasting new beers. It is about taking a break from alcohol and figuring out a couple of things:
Why do I drink? How much do I drink? And, can I go without drinking?
I already know what alcohol does to my body, especially when I drink more than two of the high ABV beers. It’s not that I get drunk, it’s that I wake up groggy. I wrote about this back in 2017. But even though I know this and have experimented with it, I’ve never really gone without drinking for a significant amount of time. So, I can’ attest to the long term benefits of it.
I started the year like most people do. I’m going to have a “DRY JANUARY”. Well, that didn’t last long. On Sunday January 12, we went to see the Chiefs play the Texans at Arrowhead Stadium, and we had a blast. Beers followed by more beers, followed by Fireball shots, more beers, tequila, beers, a night out in town at a speakeasy. You get the picture. So much for “Dry January”. Needless to say, I didn’t wake up very perky that Monday morning and I dragged through the day with a decent hangover. Probably well into Tuesday. Well, that was twelve days ago and I haven’t had a drink.
Here are some noticeable advantages and learnings:
RISE AND SHINE: I wake up every morning really energized. No grogginess or lethargic feelings. Alert. Awake. Focused. Ready to take on the day.
GREAT WORKOUTS: I always work out in the morning and I haven’t had to drag through them. My running pace is faster and I feel my endurance kicking in.
BEER HABIT: I learned that I was used to popping a beer around 6pm to “unwind” and start my evening routine. I love to cook, snack while I cook, and then shift over to wine for dinner. Well, I discovered Heineken 0.0% ABV and it does the job. I learned I like the taste and the routine of having a beer, but I don’t need or miss the alcohol buzz.
ZERO CRAVING: Granted, I haven’t had a beer in only twelve days, but if I’m honest, I haven’t had a craving for it. I guess the 0.0% beer is doing the trick psychologically. And physiologically, I haven’t had a craving at all. Good news here.
GREAT SLEEP: Science tells you alcohol disrupts your REM sleep, and you wake up to pee often if you’ve had your fair share. But if you’re only having one to two beers a night… how much does your sleep really get affected? Well, I can tell you that I do feel much more rested and the quality of my sleep seems to be much better. So, I’ll take it as a positive.
WEIGHT: I don’t really get on the scale every day, but I do track my weight. I know my body goes through cycles and in these winter months I usually pack on about 10lbs. I’m not as active as I am in the summer and the meals are usually heavier. Plus we have Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and those tend to be high calorie and low activity time periods. So my point is that in these twelve days, I haven’t seen a drastic change in weight, but what I do feel is less bloated and much lighter. And when I say lighter, it is a whole body experience.
SKIN: I’ve read alcohol dehydrates you and if you drink everyday, your skin shows it. I’ve never suffered from dry skin, eczema or any skin condition. Since I stopped having beers at night, I have noticed that when I wake up, my eyelids don’t seem as swollen or droopy. I’m no spring chicken (I’m 49) but I have noticed my face has gotten a lot “tighter”. Not sure how best to express it other than I believe my skin is less dry and because it is not dehydrated regularly through the alcohol, the water is retained better which makes everything work as it should.
WHY I DRINK: I’ve learned that I don’t have to consume alcohol every day. I didn’t think about this before. It was almost automatic and a routine. I didn’t ask why. I just did it. So, popping a beer or drinking a glass of wine was just what I did. I like it, I won’t lie. I actually love it. And I grew up with it. Totally normal and culturally relevant. But this short no alcohol experience has taught me that I can become more conscious of why I’m drinking. I’m not labeling this as bad, I’m simply saying that it made me more aware. That’s all.
1, 2, 3… DRINKS: How many is too many a night? I don’t know. I’m sure everyone feels different. Forget what society labels as good or bad. Everyone has their comfort zone and limit. My usual routine starts with a beer, maybe two and then I shift to red wine for dinner. At times I’ll drink one or two glasses, but sometimes I drink three of four or sometimes I don’t count. Good? Bad? Who cares? Everything is relative and affects people differently. So, again, this experience has taught me that the amount one drinks really does matter — not as a drunken experiment — rather on your mental alertness, attitude and perspective the next day.
GOAL or ABSURDITY? I’m a very goal oriented person and when I get fixated on something, I always accomplish it. I haven’t set a time limit on how long I’ll go without a beer — but as long as I don’t crave it, then I won’t partake. I want to see the long term effects of not drinking.
These are early days and I don’t want to assume too much or expect too much either. This is an experiment. I’m not saying I won’t ever drink again, but I really haven’t had to… yet.
So, I’ll be tracking my progress on my blog and let’s see what happens. I’m looking forward to learning more about my body and the effect alcohol has on it. Stay tuned.
Until then, commit to thrive and #payyourhealthfirst,
-- Chris
