5 Ways Quitting Alcohol Transforms Your Health

Welcome to the WHOLISTIC LIVING PODCAST: Episode 40
Aligning Body, Mind, and Soul with Elena Bensonoff

Hello and welcome to the Wholistic Living Podcast. I am your host Elena Bensonoff. I’ve devoted my life’s work to helping people like you rediscover their inner healer and cultivate optimal health by addressing the entire being: body, mind, and soul.

I’m so grateful to be here with you today as we continue the Be the Hero of Your Health Series. Today, we will talk about the dangers of alcohol and its link with devastating brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. It is truly the “blue pill” that takes away your power and even causes permanent damage to your DNA. Then, we will chat about ways to have alcohol-free fun and the 5 major ways quitting alcohol transforms your health.

Overview of the Problem

Alcohol is everywhere you look in our society. There’s happy hour with coworkers, wine with dinner, brunch mimosas, celebratory toasts, holiday cocktails - the list of “socially acceptable” reasons to drink goes on and on. Drinking alcohol becomes a daily ritual for so many people. There are some key reasons you may want to rethink this ritual. Alcohol promises fun times and stress relief but the truth is - it’s a highly addictive, toxic substance that wreaks havoc on almost every bodily system with every sip.

The “buzz” and the stress relief from alcohol consumption are an illusion. Alcohol changes behavior and damages health in everyone who partakes! When I have a client that is experiencing gut issues, anxiety, depression, or other mysterious symptoms - I ask if and how often they consume alcohol because that is often a key variable that contributes to health imbalances.

The buzz might be tempting but here are some reasons to say bye-bye to the booze:

• Alcohol is a highly addictive, toxic substance that wreaks havoc on almost every system of the body. The truth is: drinking alcohol is putting a known poison in your body on purpose. 
• Alcohol use has been linked to over 200 health conditions. Many directly on your bodily systems like the gut, liver, and heart, and others because of the effects alcohol has on behavior. Think car crashes, accidents, suicides, homicides... the list goes on! You are much more likely to make bad choices while under the influence that can cause you and those around you harm. (1)
• Drinking alcohol shortens your life expectancy. In one Scandinavian study, chronic drinkers died 24-28 years earlier than the general population.
• It is estimated that more than 140,000 people (approximately 97,000 men and 43,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the United States behind tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and illegal drugs. (2)
• Did you know that just one alcoholic drink can disrupt your body’s homeostasis? When you drink more than your body can handle, it builds up in the bloodstream and you begin to feel the systemic effects of being intoxicated. 

• Alcohol is a neurotoxin that causes neuroinflammation
• Alcohol is a depressant that crosses the blood-brain barrier causing cognitive dysfunction and slowed mental reaction time
• MRI’s have shown physical brain damage and loss of brain matter in heavy drinkers
• Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to brain damage, dementia, and Alzheimer’s (3)

• Fatty liver disease and cirrhosis can be caused by forcing your body to filter toxic alcohol (all alcohol is toxic. Buying nitrate-free is not a solution!)
• It causes kidney, bladder, and prostate inflammation
• Alcohol disrupts the harmony of your immune system
• Just one drink can alter your gut microbiome (4) - it is so harsh it causes cell damage
• Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter
• This causes acid reflux 
• Masking symptoms of acid reflux when you are having chronic issues can lead to increased risk of esophageal cancer, ulcers, and scar tissue buildup in the throat (5) 
• Alcohol is terrible for your digestive health and has been linked to thiamine deficiency because it inhibits nutrients from being absorbed in the intestines
• Alcohol can also cause gum disease and tooth decay

• Esophageal ulcers
• Stomach ulcers and gastritis
• Hemorrhoids
• Numbness, weakness, muscle cramps, and temporary paralysis
• Permanent DNA and stem cell damage (5)

• Alcohol creates a disconnect in awareness and lowers your vibrational frequency. It can even put you at risk for psychic attacks from dark entities
• While it can seem to help ease tension in awkward social situations, it can also distract you and keep you from energetically connecting with those around you in real and meaningful ways
• Intoxication makes it extremely difficult to hear your intuition, the voice within that longs to lovingly support you through life’s trials

Solution

While some say cutting down your consumption is okay, I advise cutting it out completely. Why take the risk? I know it is ingrained in many people’s lives from generations of tradition and even ancestral trauma. Look into support groups and “sober curious” resources to find the connection and motivation you need to help you ditch alcohol for good.

Just because you’ve stopped drinking doesn’t mean you can’t have a whole lot of fun!

Here 5 Ideas for Sober Fun:

1. Fill up your wine glass with refreshing sparkling water and immune-supporting lemon or lime 

2. Practice meditation as a productive way to find peace and calm your mind

3. Exercise to release endorphins that will boost your mood naturally

4. Try sampling a flight of herbal teas from around the world with friends for hydration and health!

5. Anytime the sun’s out, get outside and soak it up for an instant boost to your health and mood

Here are 5 Ways Quitting Alcohol Transforms Your Health:

1. Live longer and stay healthier by lowering your risk for alcohol-related diseases

2. Save money and empty calories by skipping the expensive cocktails when going out

3. Regain control of your power and spend more time nurturing relationships as the REAL you

4. Feel your feelings instead of suppressing them and overcome anxiety and depression

5. Enjoy deeper sleep and more quality REM cycles each night

Manage Stress with Natural Techniques

I want to empower you to find lasting health and peace of mind. True healing must be a collaboration with the body, mind, and soul! Confidence comes when you are able to hear your own intuition nudge you in the right direction.

You can step into the future confidently and secure in your ability to make decisions that support your life.

I am excited to be able to offer you my FREE Masterclass to Awaken Your Inner Healer and manage stress with natural techniques! Click the link below to sign up today!

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11427-x
2. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6957093/
4. https://www.insider.com/guides/health/does-alcohol-weaken-the-immune-system
5. Bonci, L. (2003). American Dietetics Association Guide to Better Digestion (1st ed.). Wiley.
6. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180103132629.htm  
   
   

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