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Why your body and brain will thank you for going “Dry July”

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Why your body and brain will thank you for going “Dry July”

Big night, big weekend? Whatever the occasion, excessive alcohol consumption can leave you feeling lethargic and sluggish afterwards, so what are the effects of alcohol on your body? You’ve probably heard the obvious - headaches, nausea and tiredness, but alcohol can have many other detrimental physical and mental effects. With ‘Dry July’ here, we thought it would be a good idea to delve into the effects of alcohol, highlight the benefits of giving up alcohol and give you some useful tips if you’re taking part in the Dry July Challenge or want to reduce your alcohol intake.

Alcohol and the body

It may or may not come as a surprise to you that alcohol is actually a depressant drug, meaning that is delays the messages between the brain and body and affects the way you think and behave. How you react to alcohol depends on your age, gender, weight and body fat percentage, medical conditions, and use of medications.

Health consequences of excessive drinking

Alcohol can be enjoyed in moderation, but too much can have negative short and long term effects on the body and well-being; these are outlined in the table below:

Short term risk

Long term risks

Reduced concentration

Risk of weight gain

Slurred speech

Heart disease

Inability to balance

Mental health issues (such as anxiety and depression)

Increase in risky behaviours

High blood pressure

Memory loss

Increase risk of cancers

Hangover

Type 2 Diabetes

Benefits of reducing your alcohol intake or giving up alcohol

Whether you are giving up alcohol for Dry July or a longer period, there are a number of physical, mental and social benefits. Over 160,000 Aussies completed the Dry July challenge in 2019 and with all these benefits it's easy to see why...

  • More money to spend on things you enjoy: It is estimated that the average Aussie household will save over $1600 per year by reducing alcohol intake. Dry July also have an alcohol calculator on their website to help you estimate what you could save this month by going dry.
  • Improved mental health: your mental health can improve as alcohol can trigger or worsen existing mental health conditions such as anxiety.
  • Reduce kilojoules: alcoholic drinks can contain anywhere from 250-1400kJ depending on total alcohol content and mixers, such as juice or soft drink.
  • Enjoy other hobbies: seize the day! There are plenty of other hobbies to do instead of wasting the day with a hangover. This can include cooking, exercise, going to the movies, painting, reading a book or simply taking it easy by curling on the sofa watching TV.
  • Improved sleep quality: giving up alcohol can improve the duration and depth of your sleep with fewer wake-ups in the night and a reduction in night-time anxiety.

Tips for Dry July

  • Sign up to challenge online to raise money for a number of cancer research organisations and foundations in Australia. Raising money for a good cause is a great way to keep you accountable.
  • Get friends and family on board! Having extra support around you will make it much easier to stick to.
  • Find alternative activities to do with friends - whether it be a walk, making dinner together, or taking up a new hobby, find ways to socialise without alcohol - you might be surprised at how much better you feel, and how much money you save.
  • Arrange early morning catch ups and stick to them
  • Get creative in the kitchen and experiment with mocktail recipes. We have developed a range range of iced teas, juices and mocktails so you can still enjoy a drink on the weekend!

Dry July is the perfect way to find out about the fully sober you. If you are doing the challenge, take the time to observe the positive changes in yourself. Reflect on the experience and see if you can take some of these positive habits over the following months. With so many Aussies doing it, you won't be alone. You got this!

Your Personal Healthy Eating Quiz

What you eat or don’t eat affects how you look, feel and perform. Take our short quiz to find out what foods you could introduce to help you be your best.

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What is healthy eating?

Eating healthy is making sure you enjoy a wide variety of foods from each of the five major food groups daily, in the amounts recommended. The five major food groups as recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are:

  1. vegetables and legumes/bean
  2. fruit
  3. lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes/beans
  4. grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties
  5. milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat.

Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of key nutrients and eating a variety of foods from the list above helps to promote good health and reduce the risk of disease.

How do I improve my diet?

If you want to improve your diet you have come to the right place. By completing the Healthy Eating Quiz you’ll receive instant personalised feedback and a report on your diet quality to highlight any areas where you can improve your overall eating habits. Your score is based on the frequency and variety of the foods consumed from the five major food groups mentioned above. No Money No Time can help you improve your score by providing tips, goals and suggestions. On top of this we will provide quick, cheap and healthy recipes as well as credible answers to diet hacks, myths and FAQ’s.

Is my diet healthy?

Dietary habits are different between people. Some people choose to follow a particular diet (i.e., Keto diet or vegan diet) while some have to make changes due to certain food restrictions or health conditions. If you want to know if what you usually eat is healthy, then do the Healthy Eating Quiz today to give you the answers in less than 10 minutes.

Why is healthy eating important?

Your HEQ score and personalised feedback report is based on the frequency and variety of healthy core foods you usually eat. This is important because no single food contains all the nutrients we need to stay healthy. Some foods are higher in nutrients than others and people who have a lot of variety in the foods they eat are more likely to be healthy and to stay healthy. In other words, if you can eat a large variety of vegetables as opposed to only 2-3 types of vegetables, the benefits are much greater. This type of diet also helps you to feel better, think better and perform better during your usual daily activities.

Take the Healthy Eating Quiz