Breaking up with booze

It’s Dry July this month and we’re almost three weeks in at the Urban Remedy HQ. Surprisingly enough, it hasn’t been that hard – okay, so we’re lucky enough to have lots of yummy juice at our disposal (that definitely helps) but interestingly the real challenge has been other people’s reactions. Ranging from “Really, no booze for a month?”, to “Kudos but I wouldn’t” or simply “Why?”, we had quite the range! On the whole though, friends and family have been very encouraging and the motivation of supporting such a worthy cause (adults living with cancer) has really kept us going.

This week, we wanted to share a few of our thoughts surrounding alcohol by asking 3 simple questions…

1. How does booze affect you?

We all know that alcohol hits our livers hard. This poor overworked organ can only process ½ an ounce of ethanol in an hour – that’s one beer, one shot or a small glass of wine. Any more than that and it goes into overdrive, and you get… well, inebriated. What’s actually happening is the alcohol your liver can’t handle is circulating throughout your body; yes, we know… not the nicest of thoughts. It therefore makes sense that our other detoxification organs (namely the skin) feel the strain when our liver can’t keep up with our drinking. For a full breakdown of the physical effects, check out our blog on alcohol and the liver.

But the effects of booze are not just physical. Alcohol affects our mental state and mood as well. The immediate repercussions of drinking include increased confidence, elation and (cough cough) stupidity. Not to mention beer goggles. But what about the day after? When we’re hung over, we feel less than joyful and are definitely not functioning at full capacity. It’s not rocket science; our body is still playing catch up and trying to clear the toxins from the night before.

2. What place does alcohol occupy in your life?

When it comes to drinking, it’s pretty simple: most of us do too much of it too often. But why do we do it? We drink out of social custom, peer pressure, habit, boredom… We also drink to relieve stress and increase confidence. The problem is that alcohol is such an integral part of our social fabric that we sometimes fail to examine the place it occupies in our own lives, or whether our relationship with it could do with a little tune-up.

Are you drinking alone? Drinking too fast? Drinking too often? Drinking without thinking? Drinking to drown sorrows? Most of us are guilty of one of the aforementioned charges. Does that mean that we are all alcoholics? Probably not. What it does mean is that it may be time to look at the role alcohol plays in our lives…

3. How can you improve your relationship with alcohol?

There are many ways to improve your relationship with booze. If you’re already asking yourself this question, you’re on the right track. We’re not about extreme views at UR, so we’re not suggesting you never have a glass of wine or beer again. BUT… ask yourself how rich your life is without alcohol. If the canvas is looking rather blank, it could be time to add some other activities in! The best way to take stock of this is to have a mini-break from alcohol. Split up for a little while; you can always get back together, on your terms this time. There are so many organised ways to take a vacation from booze – FebFast, Dry July and Hello Sunday Morning are our faves.

So bottom’s up to Dry July! Green juice in hand of course.

Beating the winter blues!

The cold season means hitting the slopes, donning your ice skates, enjoying hearty meals and hot chocolates, wrapping up in beanies, scarves and cosy mittens, and curling up in front of a log fire (OK, for most of us a log fire may be out of the question but you get the picture!). That said, all of this winter goodness aside, it’s worth remembering the ‘not so fabulous’ side to the colder months – yep, we’re talking about their renowned capacity to bring us down.  We’ve all heard of SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – but you don’t need to be diagnosed with it to suffer from the winter blues. Many of us hit a slump come winter without even realizing it.

If you feel like you could be perkier in winter, we’ve got 5 handy tips to help you go from Moping Mildred to Happy Harriet in no time:

1. Get up 15 mins before you normally do and take the time to do something for you, just you.

Make yourself a cup of tea, watch some terrible morning television, read a chapter of your book, catch up on the news, meditate,  do some stretches, or just enjoy having that extra time to get ready – a nice long shower, better applied make-up, a closer shave…  You can achieve a lot in 15 mins (yes, we know). Whatever you choose to do, it’s your time. Enjoy it!

2. Get outside in spite of the cold. 

Go for a brisk walk, get out for a coffee or warming chai, take a proper lunch break… Just a few minutes of exercise and fresh air will help get your circulation going, clear your mind and change your perspective.

3. Stick to your social engagements!

Invest in some warm clothes and a sturdy umbrella and get yourself to that dinner date, art exhibition or exercise class. Rain or shine. Winter doesn’t have to mean putting your social life on hold in favour of couch-bound hibernating.

4. Avoid the tendency to fill up on stodgy, fatty and sweet foods.

If you like stodgy, go for hearty stews, soups and curries instead. If you crave fat, get your fix with raw nuts, nut and seed butters, and healthy oils (olive and coconut). If you have a sweet tooth, make yourself a healthy hot chocolate with almond or organic milk, raw cacao, a pinch of cinnamon and a drop or two of stevia.

5. Last but definitely not least, book a holiday!

Winter is the perfect time to get away. Even if it’s just for a weekend, a change of scenery is often exactly what the doctor ordered. If you can’t afford to go far, keep it local and book a hotel somewhere an hour from home. Even a simple day trip or night away can break things up a little.

In the words of Albert Camus:

“In the midst of winter, I found there was within me, 

an invincible summer.” 

Hopefully these tips will help you to find your summer and keep smiling!

The great coffee debate

To coffee or not to coffee? That is the question. Whether you’re a one-a-day kinda person, an abstainer, or a chain coffee drinker, there’s no doubt you have wondered at some point whether the stuff is good for you or not. And if you drink it, how much of it is actually okay?

Caffeine perks
• Improves alertness and concentration
• Improves mood at a consumption level of 200mg (roughly 2 regular cups)
• Helps combat muscular pain by stimulating the release of B-endorphins and other pain-reducing hormones
• Improves endurance: consumed one hour prior to exercise, caffeine increases performance and can assist in weight loss and/or maintenance
• Helps prevent diabetes through the minerals and antioxidants it contains
• Helps prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s by keeping dopamine molecules active
• Helps manage asthma if consumed moderately, and may be used to prevent an attack
• Enhances the effect of medication (eg. painkillers) through blood vessel constriction

Caffeine drawbacks
• Blood sugar swings: coffee causes a temporary surge in blood sugar and a spike in insulin production, followed by a crash in blood sugar levels
• Adrenal fatigue: coffee gets your cortisol going and stimulates your adrenals, leaving them flat afterwards. You get that ‘wired but tired’ feeling and crave coffee no2! Vicious cycle.
• Emotional disturbances: coffee can aggravate stress, anxiety, irritability and depression
• Sleep disruption: particularly if you’re an after-lunch coffee drinker
• Gastrointestinal problems: coffee can cause heartburn/reflux and increase the risk of ulcers
• Nutritional deficiencies: it prevents the absorption of certain nutrients, particularly minerals
• Ageing: caffeine dehydrates and promotes the decline of anti-ageing hormones

Our verdict
Like many things, coffee is good for you in moderation. It also doesn’t agree with everyone so each case should be examined individually. If you do choose to drink it, stick to a max of two cups daily, before 2pm, and pick a good quality coffee (not instant), minus the frills – cream, milk or a good quality dairy alternative is fine but skip the sugar, artificial sweetener, syrups, etc.

Do you trust your gut?

There’s a reason people say ‘trust your gut’. It doesn’t just digest your food; it’s also a pretty good indication of how you feel in general – mentally, emotionally and physically.

We all know the digestive tract is packed full of yummy enzymes and juices that work on our food to break it down and keep our body going. And we’ve heard enough about the veritable fauna of bacteria in our gut that keep our immune system ticking along when in the right proportions.

What you may not know is that your gut plays host to a vital immune-boosting part of your lymphatic system – the GALT or ‘gut associated lymphatic tissue’, or that almost 90% of the serotonin in your body is located in your digestive tract.

So how you feel, think and act could be more closely related to your gut than you realise! It may be time to tune in and trust what your body is telling you.

Check in next week for our post on the mind-body cleanse connection…