Understanding alcohol

Jul 7

Let’s talk about alcohol.

Following 4th of July festivities, you may still be feeling the unfortunate effects of alcohol and/or you may be tempted to plug your ears anticipating I am going to tell you what you likely already know, alcohol is bad for you. However, my intention is not to persuade you to stop drinking, but merely to share information because knowledge is power and awareness is KEY when it comes to health!

Alcohol is a toxic substance that is harmful to our bodies and brains. It is not difficult to see this as the effects of drinking and symptoms of a hangover are evidence enough. Most of us pop a few Advil, take a nap, and move on to the next social event without considering what is actually happening within our bodies. To give you a deeper understanding of what alcohol actually does, I am going to break down three bodily processes alcohol interrupts:

1. Liver detoxification

Our liver handles the vital process of detoxification. Alcohol puts stress on the liver by cutting the line of detoxification as our body attempts to excrete it as quickly as possible. Interrupting the detoxification process negatively affects the liver's ability to detox out other substances.

2. Lining of the gut microbiome

Alcohol consumption can cause gut lining to become inflamed and porous. This means the barrier that keeps undigested food/waste inside your gut is weakened, causing harmful particles to potentially escape into your bloodstream. This triggers digestive issues and could potentially lead to leaky gut syndrome.

3. Hormone balance

The liver is responsible for detoxing our hormones as well. Alcohol can exacerbate hormone imbalances due to the fact that alcohol will always win the battle in detox order. Responsible for ridding the body of excess estrogen, this can lead to estrogen dominance (i.e. a hormonal imbalance). Hormone imbalances create many issues such as painful periods / PMS, which is also worsened by alcohol, as alcohol decreases magnesium which is needed to reduce camps.

** A few more bodily processes negatively impacted: immune system function, sleep (decreases REM sleep), athletic performance (delays reaction time, stamina, muscle repair, etc.), and harms brain communication pathways (mood instability, brain fog).

Hopefully this helps you gain some awareness around why you feel the way you do after drinking! It is so much more than simply being dehydrated and tired! Now as I promised, my goal isn’t to say you should never drink. My approach to alcohol falls along the lines of making informed choices that promote balance! Here are my top suggestions when it comes to alcohol:

If any of the previous systems I mentioned are in a weakened state, I really recommend approaching alcohol with caution/limiting your consumption to reduce stress and give your body time to heal. (Ex: experiencing hormonal acne, digestive issues, time of the month, etc.)
Avoid sugary drinks - alcohol causes enough problems in the body, excessive sugar increases the stress load and harm
Avoid drinking on an empty stomach (eat fat / protein rich meal)
Stop drinking 2-4 hours before bed - may seem like alcohol is helping you sleep but it is actually disturbing your sleep and the production of sleep hormones
Practice mindfulness around drinking - ask yourself if you actually want to drink / want another drink. Especially as a college student, “go hard or go home” is just not necessary, haha trust me - you and your body will thank you and you will have just as much fun.

I love a good margarita, wine night, and rooftop cocktails WHILE also pursuing a healthy lifestyle that promotes being the best version of myself! I believe it is not all or nothing and as long as these two parts of life can coexist while aligning with bigger goals, great! Everyone is different so listen to your intuition. If the amount or regularity in which you drink isn’t serving you, don’t be scared to re-evaluate.

If you take one thing away from this blog post (besides the yummy cocktail recipes I attached below), practice strengthening awareness and mindfulness when it comes to drinking.

“Healthier” cocktail options: