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A drink each day or just on the weekends? Here’s why alcohol-free days are important

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/megan-lee-490875">Megan Lee</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-roberts-1456408">Emily Roberts</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p>In recent years, drinkers have become more aware of the health dangers of drinking alcohol, from disease to risky behaviour and poorer wellbeing. Events like the just-finished <a href="https://www.dryjuly.com/">Dry July</a>, <a href="https://febfast.org.au/">Febfast</a> and <a href="https://hellosundaymorning.org/2020/01/15/10-practical-tips-for-staying-af-alcohol-free/">Hello Sunday Morning</a> – when people voluntarily abstain from alcohol for periods of time – are growing in popularity and raise awareness about the risks involved in overindulgence.</p> <p>Many people extend these alcohol-free periods throughout the year by incorporating alcohol-free days into their weekly routines, while still enjoying a drink on the weekends.</p> <p>But does drinking the same amount spread over the week versus just on the weekends, make any difference health-wise?</p> <h2>How much is too much?</h2> <p>Australian alcohol <a href="https://alcoholthinkagain.com.au/alcohol-and-your-health/alcohol-guidelines#:%7E:text=Alcohol%20guideline%20for%20adults,standard%20drinks%20on%20any%20day">guidelines</a> and the <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health">World Health Organization</a> state there is no safe level of alcohol use. For adults who do drink, the guidelines recommend a maximum of four drinks in one sitting or ten in a week. (A zero-alcohol approach is recommended for under-18s and during pregnancy.)</p> <p>For some, this may not sound like much at all. One in four Australians exceed the recommendation of no more than four drinks in one session with men <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/alcohol/alcohol-tobacco-other-drugs-australia/contents/drug-types/alcohol">more likely</a> to do so than women. This amount <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/binge-drinking">can result</a> in alcohol poisoning, damage to brain cells and a higher likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours leading to violence, accidents and unprotected sex.</p> <h2>But what about a wine each night?</h2> <p>Even abiding by the Australian alcohol guidelines and drinking in moderation – one or <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/how-alcohol-affects-your-health#short-term-effects">two drinks each day</a> over the week – can be risky. Possible health outcomes of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/moderate-drinking.htm">moderated drinking</a> include increased risk of cancer, liver and heart disease, alcohol use disorder, and an increase in the symptoms of anxiety and depression.</p> <p>Everyone processes alcohol at a different rate depending on age, gender, body shape and size. However, for most people, alcohol can still be <a href="https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/how-long-alcohol-stay-system/">detected</a> in the blood 12 hours after consumption. When the body is constantly processing the toxins in alcohol, it can lead to a chronic state of inflammation which is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acer.13886?casa_token=dxIr4RolhC4AAAAA%3Acy6BTsnPHzJoIpbf2Ow_JQhMOcb3fLPc3LPs_0OwiCi_4P3sAJTeWYgmE9YujD7Ev25bA_I757DeDLk">linked to</a> physical and mental health risks.</p> <p>There are several biological mechanisms associated with alcohol’s impact on the brain. Alcohol destroys the fine balance of the bacteria in the gut microbiome, which has been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S152169181730118X?casa_token=zwAVYFxdTdcAAAAA:ku6TCQ-fl1btAYqie_ydg2GpHeLGnYy3QdUn_SDhV7EWtXfuLrolAO5TpI5DtFLM7Ngz9JgKYoGX">linked</a> to brain health.</p> <p>Alcohol consumption disrupts the function of the amygdala – a part of the brain important for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/amygdala">processing and regulating emotion</a>, including our fear response. When this is impaired we are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811910015405?casa_token=RmqcP2vnA5oAAAAA:GW3POct2CQA6Kv8zqE9GaEfsvwLY200NNpf3Qk1k31xE8ZhR5MWau-D0Wj7gWnV7ZiohfKNASHEY">less likely</a> to pay attention to our fears and more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour.</p> <p>Areas involved in <a href="https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsa.1990.51.114">language production and comprehension</a> are also affected by alcohol, with too much leading to slurred speech and the inability to comprehend communication from others. When drinking dulls frontal lobe brain function, it can can lead to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.15023#add15023-bib-0092">changes in personality</a> for some people. <a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/interrupted-memories-alcohol-induced-blackouts">Blackouts</a> can occur from the influence of alcohol on the hippocampus.</p> <h2>So, no drinking then?</h2> <p>While sobriety may be the answer for optimal health, depriving ourselves of the things we enjoy can also lead to negative mental health and a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2766-x#:%7E:text=Deprived%20lower%20and%20increased%20risk,wine%20across%20all%20drinker%20categories">higher likelihood</a> we will binge in the future. This is why alcohol-free days are becoming so popular, to balance health risks while also giving us the chance to enjoy social activities.</p> <p>Including alcohol-free days in your routine can <a href="https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-022-00603-x">give the body</a> a chance to rehydrate, detoxify and repair itself from the toxic properties of alcohol. Detoxification can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32391879/">lead to</a> improved liver function and sleep quality, less water retention and easier weight control, clearer thinking, improved memory, more energy, clearer skin, a strengthened immune system and decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.</p> <p>Alcohol-free days can also create a domino effect by encouraging <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938410000259">other healthy behaviours</a> like eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, improved sleep patterns and getting up early to exercise.</p> <h2>6 tips for better drinking balance</h2> <p>If you’re looking to incorporate more alcohol-free days into your routine you could try to</p> <ol> <li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724622000142">set realistic goals</a>. Clarify how many and what days will be your alcohol-free days, mark them on a calendar and set reminders on your phone</li> <li>plan <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/4/2884">alcohol-free activities</a> and find alcohol alternatives. List all the activities you like that do not include drinking and plan to do these at the times of the day you would normally drink</li> <li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits-summary">make alcohol “invisible”</a>. Keeping beer out of the fridge and wine and spirits in closed cupboards keeps them from the forefront of your mind</li> <li>seek support and encouragement from your <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2528837696?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true">partner and/or family</a></li> <li>incorporate stress management techniques like meditation and <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2675715755?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true">mindfulness</a>. Observe how you feel on alcohol-free days and note positive changes in your physical and mental wellbeing</li> <li>reflect on your progress. Acknowledge and celebrate each alcohol-free day. Allow yourself non-alcoholic rewards for achieving your goals.</li> </ol> <p>Finally, it’s important to know everyone slips up now and then. Practice self-forgiveness if you do have a drink on a planned alcohol-free day and don’t give up. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210193/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/megan-lee-490875">Megan Lee</a>, Senior Teaching Fellow, Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-roberts-1456408">Emily Roberts</a>, PhD Candidate, Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-drink-each-day-or-just-on-the-weekends-heres-why-alcohol-free-days-are-important-210193">original article</a>.</em></p>

Food & Wine

Low or moderate drinking might not be good for us after all

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>While the evidence on alcohol consumption <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/wine-decreases-heart-health-risk-still-bad/" target="_blank">varies from study to study</a>, it’s generally thought that people who drink in moderation live longer than people who abstain entirely. But new research casts doubt on this, finding no difference between the lifespans of moderate drinkers and those who’ve never had alcohol.</p> <p>Instead, the German study suggests that previous research on abstainers’ shorter lifespans fails to take into account that many of those abstainers had recovered from alcohol use disorders, addictions and other ailments which increase mortality.</p> <p>“It has long been assumed that low to moderate alcohol consumption might have positive effects on health based on the finding that alcohol abstainers seemed to die earlier than low to moderate drinkers,” says Ulrich John, a researcher at the University Medicine Greifswald, Germany, and lead author on a paper describing the research, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003819" target="_blank">published</a> in <em>PLOS.</em></p> <p>“We found that the majority of the abstainers had alcohol or drug problems, risky alcohol consumption, daily tobacco smoking or fair to poor health in their history – ie, factors that predict early death.”</p> <p>The researchers began their analysis with data from a survey of 4,028 German adults, taken in 1996 and 1997, on their alcohol consumption.</p> <p>They followed this data up, 20 years later, by retrieving the death certificate information (or vital status) of each participant in 2017 and 2018.</p> <p>Of the 447 participants who were alcohol abstinent, 322 had previously either had an alcohol or drug dependence, had tried to cut down or stop their drinking, were smokers, or self-rated their health as poor. These people did have a lower life expectancy than moderate drinkers.</p> <p>The 125 abstainers who’d never drunk alcohol, or only in small amounts, showed no difference in mortality to the moderate drinking population.</p> <p>The researchers say that this data speaks against recommendations to drink alcohol for health reasons.</p> <em>Image credits: Shutterstock  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=171488&title=Low+or+moderate+drinking+might+not+be+good+for+us+after+all" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  </em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/low-or-moderate-drinking-healthy-alcohol-use/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </em></p> </div> </div>

Body

Julia Roberts shares rare photograph with husband Danny Moder

<p><span>Julia Roberts has shared a tribute to her husband, Danny Moder, to celebrate their wedding anniversary.</span><br /><br /><span>The Hollywood heavyweight, 52, posted a loved-up photograph with her hubby on Instagram, captioning it simply “18 years” and the hashtag“#heckyes”.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCOnpCssjou/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCOnpCssjou/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Julia Roberts (@juliaroberts)</a> on Jul 4, 2020 at 10:24am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>Roberts and Moder, 51, first met in 2000 on the set of The Mexican.</span><br /><br /><span>They married two years later, on July 4, at her ranch in New Mexico.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxYOJmKApwR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxYOJmKApwR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by modermoder (@modermoder)</a> on May 12, 2019 at 2:59pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The pair share three children, Henry 12, and 15-year-old twins Phinnaeus and Hazel.</span><br /><br /><span>The Oscar winner and cinematographer are both renowned for their extremely private relationship, but in 2019 Moder shared a small glimpse into their family life in a Mother’s Day tribute to his wife.</span><br /><br /><span>He shared a sweet photo of the Pretty Woman star surrounded by their kids, captioning it: “That pretty mama in</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Baz5y3-AR26/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Baz5y3-AR26/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by modermoder (@modermoder)</a> on Oct 28, 2017 at 4:58pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span><span>In an episode of the Goop podcast in late 2018, the actor described how she experienced a “seismic shift” when she met Moder.</span><br /><br /><span>“That was the first, like, my life will never be the same in the most incredible, indescribable way … He truly, to this day, to this minute, is just my favourite human,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m more interested in what he has to say or his point of view just more than anybody. Really, we’re so lucky in that way. We just really, really like each other and we just enjoy each other’s company.”</span></span></p>

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A drink each day or just on the weekends? Here’s why alcohol-free days are important

Low or moderate drinking might not be good for us after all

Julia Roberts shares rare photograph with husband Danny Moder