Why you should ditch booze this Dry July

I don’t know about you guys, but June was a crazy month of social events for me, and in turn so was the consumption of coconut chilli margaritas! Although I never discourage my clients from drinking and socialising - moderation is definitely key - if you’re feeling anything like me and are in need of a good break or need some inspiration as to why you should lay off the booze, do read on.

Here’s some not so cute facts about alcohol

Alcohol unfortunately wreaks havoc on the gastrointestinal system. Alcohol is absorbed in the upper intestinal tract and enters your liver though the portal vein. Studies have confirmed the damaging effects of alcohol particularly on the gut microbiome. People who consume large amounts of alcoholic beverages had more gram-negative anaerobic bacteria compared to the control group. This translates to an overgrowth of non favourable species in the gut compared to favourable species and can commonly present as;

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Bloating

• Reflux

• Heartburn

• Nausea

• Skin issues

• Mental health issues

• Headaches

Additionally, due to alcohols inflammatory nature it can also reduce the absorption of micro and macro nutrients and make the gut lining more permeable (or more commonly known as “leaky gut”). When our gut lining is leaky it allows food particles, toxins, bacteria, etc. to enter the blood stream and trigger a cascade of immune reactions/responses which therefore causes more inflammation. This can also be the cause of people having very unspecific food intolerances.

Ways to support the body when drinking alcohol:

• Make every second drink a glass of water

• Probiotics after a big night out has been shown to help replenish microbiome levels

• Eating is definitely not cheating; always drink after a meal and try and make it protein rich

• Herbs like St Marys Thistle, Globe Artichoke and Schisandra can help the liver prior and after drinking

• Restocking on micronutrients; alcohol depletes zinc, b vitamins and magnesium. Foods that are high in these are oysters, leafy vegetables, cocoa, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, eggs and red meat.

• Electrolytes are your friend and I'm not taking about Gatorade! Try drinking coconut water with a pinch of Celtic salt in your water the following day to maximise hydration and recover from sweating up a storm on the D Floor.

If you’re not willing to let go of the sweet-sweet taste of a vino for Dry July, then try to stick to our tips above.