Whether the goal is an alcohol free month or two alcohol free days per week, drinking alcohol within the recommended responsible limits will enable healthy adults to keep their risk of alcohol-related accidents, injuries and diseases.
As quoted by Gates, the author of A Brain for Life, advice is to:
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Understanding the benefits of dry days or months can help you stay motivated, she says, adding that there's a reason why the word 'intoxication' contains the word 'toxic'."Alcohol is a toxin which can have harmful effects on the body over time.
Alcohol can also interfere with your body's absorption of nutrients which in turn can affect our hormones including reproductive hormones in both men and women. - Alcohol Substitute. "People drink for different reasons including to relax or to relieve boredom or stress. You need to find something that works instead - it could be a going for a walk, listening to music - or just pouring a different kind of (non-alcoholic) drink that you enjoy," says Gates. "Often it's not the alcohol itself that's relaxing after the working day but just the ritual of sitting and pouring a drink that acts as a circuit breaker.
- Managing Social Environment. "Take your own non-alcoholic drink and drink it out of a wine glass. You shouldn't have to defend not drinking but if anyone asks, tell them you're doing Dry July and raising money for cancer or that you're taking a break from alcohol."If someone tries to persuade you that 'one won't hurt' remember they're just trying to normalise their own drinking because you've made them feel uncomfortable.