Drinking alcohol makes you look old, it can make you fat, and it robs you of your beauty sleep. These are just facts. Drinking is not doing anyone any favors in the area of looking good.

Could you be fat because you drink? Maybe. There are 7 calories in each gram of alcohol, so it is a significant source of calories and those calories get stored as fat. Ever wondered why you’re more hungry when drinking alcohol? It’s because alcohol consumption messes with the body’s blood sugar levels and also the liver goes into triage mode and prioritizes processing the alcohol before the food (because it’s toxic) - making you feel hungry. Combine this with the decreased ability to make good choices and voila - macaroni and cheese, pizza, burgers, and fries somehow make their way onto your plate.

Extended periods of poor sleep will take a MAJOR toll on health. Drinking might help us fall asleep quickly, but (as we will discuss in depth), it challenges our ability to STAY asleep. Even during the hours we are asleep, the quality is poor because we skip vital stages of a full sleep/wake cycle. This is the reason you feel completely unrested the day after a night of drinking. As responders, our sleep is already at critically low and/or disrupted levels! Since I’ve stopped drinking, I wonder how much of my exhaustion was from long stretches of on call work or just plain lack of good sleep.

The physical effects of alcohol on our skin, blood vessels, hair, and teeth also make it difficult to look our best. Dehydrated, dry skin causes premature wrinkles. Teeth become stained and brittle from years of wine consumption and the residue left behind by a trail of sugary drinks. Did you know that detoxing stinks? Literally. The Institute of Alcohol Studies reports that a percentage (up to 10%) of alcohol exits the body via pores (sweat), urine, and breath and it doesn’t smell good.

Did you take a selfie at the beginning of this experiment? If not, take one now - then in three weeks’ time, six weeks’ time - maybe in six months’ time - you’ll want to take an ‘after’ selfie to compare. You’ll see for yourself the beautiful benefits that come with giving up drinking!