Week three of giving up alcohol Drinking too much alcohol can cause your blood pressure to rise over time. After 3-4 weeks of not drinking, your blood pressure will start to reduce. Reducing your blood pressure can be crucial as it can help to lessen the risk of health problems occurring in the future.
In general, you may start to experience physical benefits such as increased energy, reduced anxiety, and improved liver health.
Blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol
If you've got high blood pressure, there's a good chance it'll start to come down by the end of your challenge. Research has found that just four weeks without a drink can be enough to start lowering both blood pressure and heart rate.
That's why many of us wonder if a month of avoiding drinking is enough to “reset” your liver back to normal. It's true that taking a break from alcohol for any amount of time will be beneficial overall, with some research showing that liver function begins to improve in as little as two to three weeks.
3 Weeks Without Alcohol
If weight loss is your main goal for not drinking, you'll be happy to know that many folks have already dropped 5-10 pounds after three weeks without drinking. And with increased energy and better sleep, finding that motivation to hit the gym is a lot easier than it was while drinking.
In cases of alcoholic gastritis (inflammation in the stomach lining), bloating can disappear in under 2 weeks. In chronic cases, it can last well over a month to even years, depending on how complex the health condition is, including whether the patient plans to stop drinking.
The liver, however, is able to replace damaged tissue with new cells. If up to 50 to 60 percent of the liver cells may be killed within three to four days in an extreme case like a Tylenol overdose, the liver will repair completely after 30 days if no complications arise.
Healing can begin as early as a few days to weeks after you stop drinking, but if the damage is severe, healing can take several months.
You will be able to sleep better, feeling less fatigued and sluggish. Concentration and memory levels will increase as a result of better sleep and it's likely your mood and mental health will improve too. Skin will feel more hydrated and healthy, and any dryness, puffiness or redness should improve.
5 Weeks Without Alcohol
Your skin will improve. Drinking causes dehydration due to alcohol binding to your body's protein that helps reabsorb water back into the body. This means you urinate excess water while you're drinking, which typically would have been retained by your body to stay hydrated.
“The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term; by August, people are reporting one extra dry day per week,” notes Dr. de Visser. “There are also considerable immediate benefits: nine in 10 people save money, seven in 10 sleep better, and three in five lose weight,” he adds.
The first week of sobriety is often the most difficult. You may experience withdrawal symptoms that last for a few days or weeks. These symptoms are uncomfortable, and the risk of relapse can be high.
During the first 30 days of sobriety, it's common to experience withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms include headaches, chills, mood swings, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and intense cravings.
After 30 days of sobriety, the fog starts to clear from your brain and you finally feel like yourself again. This means you'll feel more energetic, sleep better, and you won't be fighting hangovers and other physical symptoms of drinking and drugs.
I tried 21 days no alcohol: would it improve my liver health? Giving up your favourite tipple for just over four weeks of the year can reportedly aid weight loss, decrease blood pressure, and reduce the risk of diabetes. On top of that, it'll supposedly give you a healthy glow, shiny eyes and a new lease of life.
In some cases of mild fatty liver disease, the liver may be able to heal itself within a few weeks. However, in cases of hepatitis, the liver may take months or years to heal, or may even not be able to heal at all.
Because the liver is in a constant state of regeneration, in many cases the healing process can begin within just weeks after foregoing alcohol. This happens when the liver enlarges already existing healthy cells, and new cells begin to form in the area that has sustained damage or injury.
After two weeks of giving up alcohol, some people find that they begin to effortlessly lose weight during this time, thanks to removing the excess calories associated with alcoholic beverages. If you don't lose weight, don't panic, it's normal for this to take longer too.
It can improve overall digestive health
By removing alcohol from your diet, you can reduce the likelihood of developing acid reflux and gastritis, or stomach inflammation.