As long as you aren’t pregnant, don’t have addiction or intolerance issues and enjoy drinking a glass of wine, beer or cocktail every so often, there can be some legithealth benefits of drinking in moderation.
But there’s also a mounting body of scientific evidence that backs up the very real gains you’ll score from drinking less—or abstaining entirely. Whether you opt for a30-day challengelike Sober October or Dry January, or even just adjust the serving vessel to drink less when you do choose to imbibe, these small steps can help move the needle to improve your health. The benefits of drinking less (or not at all) may help you lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk forcognitive decline, slash the chances you may develop a dependency issue or addiction in the future, score more restful sleep and save loads of money.
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“One of the bravest things you can do is slay those dragons and finally change an awful cycle in which you’ve found yourself stuck,” Barrymore continues, according toEntertainment Tonight. “For me, it was to stop drinking.” This shift has allowed her to remove herself from “the torture of guilt and dysfunction,” she adds.
5 Healthy Rituals to Replace Your Nightly Glass of Wine
This isn’t the first time Barrymore has opened up about her sobriety journey. More than two years into her alcohol-free lifestyle, during aCBS Morningsinterview that aired in December 2021, Barrymore said that alcohol “was something I realized just did not serve me and my life.” She didn’t share more at the time, instead noting that “I’ve been very private about a lot of my struggles.”
Despite her challenges, Barrymore admits that she “wouldn’t change a thing” about her past. Barrymore said in a2021 interviewon the YouTube show4D with Demi Lovato, “That younger person really got an understanding how it can really all go ‘poof’ … I’m so happy, and loved, and scared of my life being any different.”
For more information on drug and alcohol addiction or to get help 24/7, reach out to the free and confidentialSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationhotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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