The Health Benefits Of Going Alcohol Free

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I can still remember the first alcoholic drink I drank - WKD. A lovely blue, fizzy concoction that I would drink at every night out with my family or friends. Fast forward to 2020, you'll find me with a cheeky vodka or a large glass of rose. 


However - things have changed.



I have decided to cut right back on my alcohol intake due to health reasons and just for my sanity alone. I noticed that for a large part of lockdown, I was drinking a lot more than I used to, purely out of boredom and just feeling like I had to.


I knew that something needed to change. I've now decreased the amount of units entering my liver and I only drink once a week, not even that sometimes. Usually I'll have a vodka and orange juice. I can't drink too much rose as it seems to make my chest bad now, I won't lie guys, this makes me incredibly sad. My way of thinking of it is that maybe it was a blessing in disguise, a sign that I needed to cut the amount of alcohol entering my system. 


It's obvious that there will be health benefits to going alcohol free. I've known a few people in the past to cut down on their alcohol intake and it's clear to see that it's worked wonders for them. 


Here are some of the health benefits of going alcohol free that even I have noticed within myself:



1)  NO  HANGOVER  OR  FEELING  SLUGGISH  THE  NEXT  MORNING
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Yep guys, not wanting to vom everywhere or your head feeling like it's been hit for fifty two boulders. The first and last real hangover was back in February when I went out for a family birthday. I can't remember getting home, I vomited in my washing up bowl (luckily no plates or cutlery were in there) my Mam had to put me to bed and I woke up with dried sick in my hair. I had work that day too and I honestly don't know I didn't vomit everywhere that morning I don't know. I know what you're thinking, I'm a trooper, right?


2) IT  HELPS  YOUR  SKIN
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Since cutting back on the alcohol, I have noticed a marked improvement in the condition of my skin. It feels a lot more refreshed, radiant and, well, clean in a way. My complexion is a lot better now which is great. 



3) IT  GIVES  YOUR  IMMUNE SYSTEM  A  BOOST
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Apparently alcohol can deplete your immune system 20 minutes after your first alcoholic drink and the effect of that can last for days afterwards. A very valid reason to cut back on the alcohol if it's going to help the immune system do what it needs to do. 


4) YOU'LL  SLEEP  BETTER
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It's a well known fact that drinking less alcohol will help you sleep at night. It disrupts the sleep cycle and it's a myth that alcohol will help you get to sleep quicker. I'm all for more sleep, I sleep like a baby now I've reduced my alcohol intake.



5) YOU  COULD  LOSE  WEIGHT
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Alcohol has a surprising amount of calories in it. A pint of lager contains the same amount of calories as a slice of pizza. Even a large glass of wine contains the same amount of calories as an ice cream sundae. Mind blown. Hopefully, I'll see a little weight loss now I've cut back on the alcohol!


Very recently, I got sent some wines from Good Stuff Drinks , a brand that sells no alcohol and low alcohol drinks. From wines, beers to ciders, you won't be stuck for choice. 


I got sent these three wines - Natureo Torres , Black Tower and Belle & Co Sparkling. I should say I got sent rose wines to try as rose is my favourite wine. I find red wine too bitter and I've got to be in the mood to drink white wine. Anyway, I digress. 


I won't lie guys, I was a little sceptical as I have always heard that non-alcoholic drinks can't replace the taste that alcohol brings with it. I tried the Natureo Torres first - I drank it within a few nights. It was absolutely delicious! I couldn't honestly tell the difference between that and the normal rose I usually drink. It had a lovely, crisp flavour (I don't even sound remotely like a wine connoisseur , but bear with me) and was refreshing. 


I then tried the Black Tower one. A little bit of a different flavour, but still really nice to drink. It had a fruity flavour which is no surprise as when I looked on the bottle, it has the flavour of strawberries and blackberries thrown in. One I would recommend if you like the fruitiest of wines!


Last but not least, the Belle & Co Sparkling. This wine is vegan, gluten free and has very few calories. This wine was amazing, it had such a beautiful taste! Surprisingly, this wine has premium tea infusions running through it - TEA guys. TEA. Who'd have thought! 


If you're like me and are trying to cut back on the alcohol intake or want to go tee-total altogether, I would definitely recommend Good Stuff Drinks for your low/no alcohol drinks. They really do sell amazing drinks and I'm sure I'll be buying more wines from them in the future!


I'd love to know if you have taken a break from alcohol or drink non-alcoholic drinks like this!



*These wines were sent to me in exchange for a post/review. All wine and alcohol views are my own. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
44 comments
  1. These drinks look so amazing!! I've definitely cut down on my alcohol intake, especially during lockdown. I've never been a huge drinker anyway, but I do love a night out (pre-covid) and wine with dinner when I'm out too. You're so right about all the benefits! xx

    http://www.dellalovesnutella.co.uk/

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    1. They are so good Della, they taste very similar to normal alcohol and it's a lot healthier! Oh yeah, I love a little drink when I'm 'out out' with friends and family! xx

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  2. I have really cut down on my alcohol intake recently, without actually meaning too. Before I knew it I hadn't so much as had a sip of alcohol for well over a month, and I feel amazing for it. I've actually lost weight too so I can definitely see myself not drinking as much in the future!x

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    1. Yeah it drinking less alcohol can make you lose weight, that's definitely one advantage of not drinking! x

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  3. Haha! We share the same brand for 'very first drink'. I also cut down massively on alcohol a few years ago and have never looked back since. Such cute photos in this blog post by the way!

    aglassofice.com x

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    1. Haha WKD was the one in those days! Aww thank you so much Gabrielle! x

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  4. Great reasons to quit the booze here. I have a very occasional glass of something, less than once every few months and though I do enjoy it, I don't really give it much thought that I am NOT drinking if you know what I mean.

    And in my single days I would drink a lot!! Typical binge drinker in my day. Sadly I have replaced the dancing and drinking nights with stuffing my face on the sofa instead nights... Not sure which is worse for me!

    But the benefits of not drinking are noticeable so I would definitely recommend to people as well x x

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    1. I've entered the eating food on the sofa stage too Claire! I think I just about prefer food nights! xx

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  5. Like you, I notice my skin and sleep improve when I cut back on the alcohol, so these sound like great alternatives to try :) x

    Lisa | www.lisasnotebook.com

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    1. Yeah you do notice a massive improvement in things when you cut back on the alcohol! x

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  6. What a great post! I've never been a big drinker, and I find that I rarely drink at anymore with being in lockdown. I knew there was health benefits to not drinking, but this is really eye opening. Thank you for sharing xx

    Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you Hannah! Cutting back on the alcohol has helped me so much! xx

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  7. I'm definitely up for anything thats going to not give me a hangover haha not a massive wine drinker but do like a rose every now and again! Will have to check this out as these health benefits would be great!xx

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    1. Hangovers are the worst! I do prefer rose over white and red, they're not really to my taste! xx

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  8. Oh what a cool product! I will have to check this out. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. I love that brands are creating more non-alcoholic versions of drinks. I learnt my lesson and had to cut back on my alcohol intake about 5 years ago. After suffering from a hangover for 3 days, I knew I'd had more than enough. Now I like to drink the non-alcoholic versions so I can still get the great taste, just without the hassle. Good on you for cutting your intake down in reason months.

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    1. And I do Kelly, it's great that more brands are making non-alcoholic options for those who don't drink lots of alcohol! Ooh a three day hangover, that sounds nasty! x

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  10. Great post. I'm a big wine fan, so it's nice to see some recognisable labels with low alcohol like Black Tower. I'll have to check that out and stock up!

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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    1. Yeah do check them out Anika! They taste lovely, they got a really nice flavour to them x

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  11. I gave up drinking after I hit 30 and now only have the odd glass every few months and one at Christmas. I've never thought about trying a low/alcohol free wine before, I'll have to look into it, thanks :) xx

    Holly | www.gollymissholly.uk

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    1. Yeah give it a go Holly, you may be surprised! xx

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  12. I definitely noticed that I was drinking a little more than usual in the first lockdown too but not enough that I was alarmed. I've never tried an alcohol free wine before so it's great to know they actually taste good! I might keep an eye out for these if I'm ever trying to drink a little less x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  13. I've given up alcohol this lockdown, like you I saw my drinking increase in the last one! It's definitely been an eye opening experience, my skin and my sleep has improved drastically; I'm going to try and drink less after lockdown so these wines will be great to try. Also not sure if you've heard of sobergirlsociety on instagram but it's a great account for motivation etc! x
    www.lexiealexandra.com

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    1. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who went a bit crazy with the alcohol during the first lockdown Lexie! I will have a look at her account now! x

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  14. Thanks for sharing, I have been drinking less for a couple of years, but sometimes I do have one, it's great that there are lower options to have :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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    1. Yeah it's great that there are non alcoholic or low alcoholic options available to us!

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  15. There does seem to be a lot of great benefits for limiting how much alcohol you drink! I have barely drank any alcohol this year, although I don't really drink much anyway! It's great to see so many different alcohol free options as well! xx

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    1. Yeah there is, it's quite surprising actually! Yeah it's great that there are these options available! xx

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  16. Ah very inspiring and helpful we all need to do this now and again, thanks for posting :)

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.co

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    1. I'm glad you found this inspiring and helpful!

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  17. I will admit that I also fell into the trap of drinking more when the lockdown hit this past spring. Quite a bit more at first... However, the first thing that I noticed is that my sleep schedule went right out the window. I was tired all the time but hardly actually sleeping, which killed my productivity and left me feeling even more miserable. While I'm not going to take the step to cut alcohol out completely, my husband and I have cut back considerably from the amount we were drinking.

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    1. That's good to hear that you recognised that you were going over your drinking limit and have decided to cut back Britt, I did the same and I've never felt better! x

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  18. Great options for those that like drinking! I personally love wine but I do hate some of the things that come with drinking alcohol like being bloated. I’m going to be trying these, thanks for sharing.

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    1. That bloated feeling after drinking alcohol is so annoying, that's definitely one drawback of drinking alcohol!

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  19. I love to drink alcohol, cocktails, liquor, cider and wines but all in moderation. Not drinking alcohol definitely has it's health benefits. Also the belief that you need to drink alcohol to have a good time, I think is a myth. I can have just as much of a good time drinking coke. Have a great weekend Lucy, looking very relaxed : ) xo

    www.juanitalikes.com

    www.juanitalikes.com

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    1. Yeah it's all about finding balance isn't it? I completely agree with you on that myth, you never need alcohol to have a good time, if you do, then there's something very wrong! x

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  20. I'm a social drinker, so with the country having been in lockdown for coming up to 1 year I've barely had a drink since last March... and to be fair, I've never felt better (in terms of health.. not saying I don't miss my friends haha!)

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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  21. I used to only drink when going out and very very rarely at home, so since lockdown I cut back all of it and find my skin to look much better and no hangovers and headaches the day after, can't say I miss those!

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    1. My skin feels good also now I don't drink as much alcohol!

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  22. This is an awesome post - I'm the same with giving up alcohol a couple years back due to my health as well! I remember when I first got rid of it that it was a bit of a shift, now I don't even really remember what it tastes like! I never knew the additional benefits - so thank you for this informative post.

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    1. Thank you!
      It sounds like quitting alcohol has worked well for you lovely!

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