This is just one of hundreds of beautifully enlightening experiences that have been shared with us over the years, reflecting on the benefits of going alcohol-free. It’s rare that one single behavior shift can have such a life-changing impact on our mind and body. This type of testimony is also why the annual Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge has become one of the most personally rewarding events that I’ve ever been a part of.
For years – decades, really – I was a typical New Orleans drinker, a social drinker. And as we know, New Orleans is saturated with social drinking. Alcohol is layered into so much of what we do and who we are (or who we think we are).
I first proposed the Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge back in the fall of 2015, pitching it to Ann Maloney, my then-editor at The Times-Picayune. For those giving up alcohol for Lent, make it your own self-experiment, tracking specific labs and physical metrics before and after. Once she greenlighted it, I started thinking, if this is something we are going to suggest that readers do, I probably needed to test it out myself.
Could I even do it? Could I go 40 days – 40 days! – without drinking? Only time would tell.
I asked my physician if we could check my lab markers at the onset and again after just one week, in part to see if this little self-experiment was ‘working’, also to give me that extra motivation to stay the course.
After one week, I was sold. My sleep was better, my eyes brighter, my face less puffy. Labs including liver enzymes and inflammatory markers were significantly improved. But what really got my attention was the striking improvement in how I felt, especially in stressful situations.
I’ve never considered myself an anxious person. Over time, though, I had started to notice that moderately stressful events – things that I’d been doing for years with no issue – were now eliciting a stronger-than-usual sense of anxiety. During that first experimental week of going alcohol-free, those feelings all but disappeared.
The positive benefits I experienced in that first week gave me the momentum to remain alcohol-free for the full 40 days, building the foundation of what would become our annual challenge. Every year, our Ochsner Eat Fit team hosts kickoff events across the state. Here is how it works: You sign up in advance, show up at an Eat Fit designated location, and your labs, body composition, blood pressure and close-up photos will be taken. Then we do it again at the end of the 40 days to compare.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from experts to understand just how alcohol impacts our body, mind and spirit – and why there can be such benefits from going alcohol-free, even for a short window of time. I’ve learned an incredible amount from the experiences of thousands of participants who have since taken the challenge:
Blood pressure often improves and may even normalize when we stop drinking alcohol. Some of our participants have been able to reduce or stop taking their blood pressure medications (with physician guidance of course).
Sleep is one of the first things that people notice. Alcohol may help us to fall asleep initially, but it is actually a sleep disrupter, meaning that it interferes with the depth and quality of our sleep. We tend to wake up more often, and we’re less likely to reach the deeper sleep stages that are critical for more restful sleep.
Inflammation also tends to improve fairly quickly. We often notice it first in our face, especially around our eyes – but the reality is that alcohol causes a systemic, whole-body inflammation far beyond what we can see and feel. When we drink alcohol, it’s metabolized into acetaldehyde, a toxic compound linked to inflammation and impaired immune reactions, increasing our risk for issues like joint pain, heart disease and cancer.
Speaking of cancer, the statistics related to alcohol consumption can be alarming: Alcohol increases our risk for an array of cancers, including esophageal, liver, gastric, bile duct and breast cancer. A British Journal of Cancer analysis of 53 studies found that a woman’s risk of breast cancer goes up 7 percent for each drink consumed daily. And for those who have 2-3 drinks per day, the risk is 20 percent higher.
About that anxiety improvement I noticed back in that very first week? It’s complex – and counter-intuitive, to say the least. As we’re drinking alcohol, in the moment, it has an anti-anxiety effect – exactly the reason so many of us turn to a drink when we’re feeling stressed.
What’s happening under the surface, though, is that alcohol is also quietly activating the stress systems in our brains. Over time, alcohol can over-sensitize our body’s stress response – meaning that we perceive moderate or low-level stressors as more stressful than they really are, triggering anxiety-filled reactions. Some people may even experience what feels like a full-blown panic attack after a bout of heavy drinking.
In short, the very thing that we’re turning to for relaxation can create even more anxiety. Ultimately, it’s very possible that we’re reaching for alcohol to calm down the very stress responses that we’ve exacerbated with alcohol.
Some of the key elements of success that our experts recommend include focusing on the immediate benefits that we’re feeling to help us stay motivated. Also, find a replacement behavior to do instead (meet a friend for a walk and talk, or try out a new workout class) and what to drink in its place.
Surround yourself with zero-proof options. It can be simple and straightforward, like sparkling water or kombucha. Or you can go the zero-proof route with non-alcoholic beers or a zero-proof cocktail (you’ll find an abundance of inspiration, education, recipes and more in “Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails,” co-authored with bar expert Ethan Skaggs and edited by Melanie Warner Spencer, my predecessor to this column).
And consider taking the Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge this year. You can do it on your own, of course, any time of the year. Or sign up for this year’s challenge that starts right after Mardi Gras. For $49, you’ll receive the full recommended lab metrics and physical metrics, both pre- and post-challenge, along with ample camaraderie and social support.
The impetus for successful and sustainable behavior change can take many forms. Something like a 40-day alcohol-free challenge can be a way to dip our toe for long enough to allow us to experience our own stories of triumph and self-awareness. It can be a little scary, the idea of stepping away (even temporarily) from something that feels so engrained in our lives and our culture. And it can also be incredibly liberating, letting go of something that potentially has such a strong grip on us.
Can we do it? Can we go 40 days, or even four days? Only time will tell. The first step is to commit to trying. Visit alcoholfreefor40.com for more information and to join the challenge.
“Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails”
Yes, it’s our own book; it’s also my favorite resource guide for creating an elevated cocktail without the spirits or sugar. Filled with more than 50 zero-proof recipes with gorgeous photos, it’s also loaded with education and inspiration. $22 at local bookstores and craftzeroproof.com.
Our choice of glassware can turn an ordinary drink into a visually stunning work of art. Treat yourself to a collection of vintage glassware from Jeffrey Clark Style. Visit his storefront in Bay St. Louis or schedule a time to stop by his speakeasy-style salon to select from hundreds of vintage glasses and barware. Prices vary; jeffreyclarkstyle.com.
Enhance any cocktail with El Guapo’s wildly creative line of bitters, from Polynesian Kiss and Love Potion to Summer Berries and Cucumber Lavender. Locally owned and dedicated to obsessively pure ingredient sourcing and sustainable packaging, the entire line of El Guapo Bitters is also 100% alcohol-free. $19.99; elguapobitters.com.
