I’ve had loads of emails asking about alcohol, if I drink or not, what do I do to relax and how do I cope ‘not drinking’ on a regular basis.
Firstly, I’ve never been a three in a row party girl, except maybe when I was travelling/back-packing but even then it always seemed to take it’s toll on me more than my friends at the time.
I felt really sick, really moody the next day and didn’t like how I felt at all afterwards. I guess some people react differently. I also had an ulcer in my early twenties so I probably have a weaker stomach than most when it comes to alcohol intolerance.
For me not drinking/drinking less/avoiding alcohol was never a conscious decision on my part. I lived in Spain for years and really enjoyed having wine with dinner and drinking at parties etc…but the truth is I don’t ‘need’ it like lots of people tell me they do.
I like having a few drinks at weddings or on girls night’s out, but, again, if it wasn’t an option it wouldn’t make or break a night out for me.
I’m not preaching and the majority of my friends drink and I have great nights out with them, but I’m lucky in the sense that my friends are interested in other things too- we meet during the day, we go for long walks, we go to the cinema, we go for dinner, we go to the park, we go shopping- not everything we do is drink -related.
My boyfriend doesn’t drink at all really- maybe a few times in his whole life, but he’s the first person I can honestly say that I’ve met that is 100% confident without alcohol- it’s crazy- his whole teens were brought up surrounded by typical Irish people getting hammered each weekend and he had to develop his personality and social skill set around that, which has made him a lot more confident than your average Irish social drinker.
We still go out, we meet friends, we have dinner, sometimes I have wine, sometimes I don’t. If I go out, I’m conscious of what I drink- but that’s also because now I understand more about my body and more about food and general nutrition so I know the affects on my whole being after a night on the town. But that’s just me- My drink of choice on a night out is usually a vodka with soda water and freshly squeezed lime and loads of ice and I’ll drink loads of water in between to keep nice and hydrated. If I’m having food in with friends I might have a glass of red or a Corona but, again, in moderation.
Believe me, sometimes it’s worth it, sometimes it isn’t.
Even just a few glasses alters your metabolism for days- it’s crazy…and then of course your sense of healthy eating and cleaner decisions the next day goes out the window. Then that aside, I know more now about the long term effects on your liver, kidneys, skin, the aging process and your heart and cells.
I suppose for me there are a number of reasons why I’m not a regular drinker but I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, nor am I saying I’ll never drink again, but I know for sure I could never be a ‘bar’ every weekend kind of girl again.
Unless it has some dumbells attached 🙂
