Smart Science - 3
The science behind quitting alcohol is pretty clear, the effects for your body are well known by nutritionists and doctors alike. But there's no point in us just telling you. Let's break it down for you so you understand yourself, shall we?
Your brain has two naturally created opioid peptides that are used to keep your body in a state of equilibrium or homeostasis: Endorphins and Dynorphins. Endorphins are released every time we experience something pleasurable, for example laugh at a joke, hug someone you love or take a sip of your favourite alcoholic beverage. This creates a normal amount of endorphins in our body that spikes up from our usual balanced state of homeostasis, but we are able to naturally come back to baseline relatively quickly with no major effort or issues. Dynorphins do somewhat the opposite in that they regulate your pleasure and pain impulses for example, and keep you from getting too excited. They bring you back to the SAFE Zone, as we speak.
When you drink that Cosmopolitan, you introduce a foreign chemical into your body that was not considered in its creation. So what happens? Endorphins go wa-ay up and a huge amount of dynorphins are released to keep te balance and bring you back to safe zone. In order for you to have the same buzz that you experienced right after your first drink the entire night, you have to keep drinking and yes, your body has to keep putting out those dynorphins.
We hear you thinking, but why is that necessarily an issue? It is because our bodies are smarter then we think and over time it doesn't only remember the pleasurable feeling of having the first sip but also everything that surrounds that experience. That's why you get a little twinge when passing your favourite cocktailbar or when you see a friend ordering a glass of whatever you now want to be having as well. Your body needs it and when it's 5pm on a friday again, it remembers and desperately wants that alcohol. So much it releases dynorphins early. Your body thinks it's doing you a favour but before you know it you have an alcohol craving and have toxins in your body that can even make you feel anxious or depressed.
So how to beat this effect? Drink alcohol in moderation, obviously, and create pauses in your routines that give your body and your systems a reset. It actually gives you more pleasure in the long run by not drinking in the short run - even if its only for a month. The more you know!
