4 Benefits Of Cutting Back On Alcohol

Do you drink the “recommended” glass of red wine every night? Do you drink a beer every time you watch a game?

How often do you go out to happy hour after work?

It’s not a full-blown drinking problem, but if you’re overdoing it on the alcohol calories, it may be time to cut back. You don’t have to cut it out forever, just for a week or two to let your body recover.

There are lots of health benefits to doing so. Here are just a few:

1. Your skin will clear up. Alcohol dehydrates you, meaning that when you cut it out, your skin will start looking more hydrated in just a few days. You also may start looking less red around the cheeks and nose, and your other skin conditions may improve now that you’re more hydrated.
2. You can save money. Don’t lie—that fine wine habit was cutting into your wallet more than you wanted it to. Not only that, but paying for happy hour sure does rack up quick. It’ll save you money, maybe even hundreds of dollars a month, if you stop buying alcohol.
3. You’ll lose weight. Basically every drink is a bad choice when it comes to caloric intake. Sugary cocktails weight in at anywhere from 200-400 calories, and beer is full of empty carbs. If you cut your drinks and don’t replace them with sugar, you’ll lose weight you didn’t even realize you were gaining.
4. You’ll sleep better. You know when you drink a lot, and then you go to sleep, and you wake up in the middle of the night, totally awake? That’s because the alcohol is messing with your sleeping patterns, so that it’s more like you’re laying down with your eyes closed than anything. Cut back on alcohol and you’ll sleep like a baby.

Have you ever taken a break from drinking? Did you notice these effects?