Ever since I've started gymming and training for marathons, not only did I realize how out-of-shape & unfit I was, I've also realized just how some of the things I did in the past added up to affect me. One of it was alcohol consumption.

Thankfully, I'm not one of those people who really LOVES alcohol. I usually try to limit myself when it comes to drinking (and also by the fact that I'm one lousy drinker) but sometimes the party animal in me takes over and I ended up being the silly drunkard. Like I said, I'm a lousy drinker and it doesn't take much to take me out. That really isn't a pretty sight.




Now that I'm on a more health conscious (okay not exactly, I'm still bingeing on junk food, but Im getting there) and fitness forward path, I shall divulge in some of the cons of alcohol. Trust me when I say, the only pros in alcohol is that drinking 1-2 glasses of wine per day helps promote good blood circulation. But honestly, does anyone under 30 even give a crap about having good blood circulation? Me thinks not.

Alcohol affects your mind, your body and your psyche.

One thing you have to also know is that as tasty your alcoholic drinks may be, alcohol is one highly-toxic and one very fattening drink to have. You better have good skinny genes otherwise you'll find yourself needing bigger jeans.





Your SLEEP is affected 
You may think that getting drunk helps you sleep better, but really, it's just the sedative effect of the alcohol that's knocking you out. When we normally sleep, our brain is still active and it will work to organize our body systems, in a way that's close to what a computer does during a system refresh so that you'd wake up all fresh & ready to roll. However, under the sedative effect of alcohol, your brain shuts down as you sleep - which ultimately leads to you waking up with a nasty hangover. Your mind will feel sluggish and fuzzy and sometimes with a slight pounding to the head. That's your brain forcing itself to speed-up on all the work it didn't do the night before. You can find out more in detail from The Times.





Your EMOTIONS get jumbled up
When you drink, you feel the high from alcohol and you have no worries or cares in the world. You feel free and that you can do anything in the world. What a good feeling, right? That is until the effect wears off. I have seen friends & strangers who cry, feel depressed or even get physically mad when they have too much to drink. Especially for people who drink to forget a bad emotion, it ultimately backfires and you will feel 10 times worse than you already do. And when this happens, people don't usually think twice about what they do or say to release these negative emotions. Not a pretty sight. Even worse so if this happens when you're out with your bosses, colleagues and/or clients. :/





You LOSE CONTROL over your body
Apart from starting fights and suddenly deciding to audition for dirty dancing in the clubs, most people don't know where their limit lies. They drink and drink and drink some more - till they pass out. What can be worse than to pass out somewhere, not knowing what's happening until you finally wake up? I have witnessed a passed out girl who was rescued by 3 of her friends from the bathroom. She was in her top but her pants were gone, and I watched how her friends try to pull her little top lower to cover her bottom while the others heaved her over to the car. As they finally managed to set her down in the backseat, the girl lolled to her side and vomited onto the floor. How very classy.


Well those are some of the things associated to alcohol that you already know, but choose to ignore. So you can say hello then to social suicide.
My concerns however, are the vanity aspect of it. Alcohol can severely damage and dull your looks, so don't think that good genes & a pretty face is gonna save you from these. They won't.





Your SKIN ages faster amongst other bad things
Yep, this is true. Alcohol kills the Vitamin A in your body which aids in new skin cell growth. Which leaves your skin old, dull and sallow looking. Think Professor Snape from Harry Potter. It also affects your blood vessels which causes your skin to age much faster. Which means if you're a hardcore party animal from the age of 20, you will most likely see your first wrinkle before you turn 30. Ugh, then you'd probably have to rely on Botox or something, if you can afford it. But the effects of Botox is another story altogether. Apart from your face, the skin on your body will have different problems surfacing - from cellulite (eww, cottage cheese) to sagging to acne and other sort of skin disorders. Just imagine how sexy you'll look then in those short shorts.





Your HAIR will lose it's shine & health and will cause hair loss for men
This is the one scary thing which will make me give up alcohol forever, hands down. Studies have shown that alcohol has contributed to hair loss in men, seeing that excessive drinking of alcohol increases estrogen levels, thus contributing to a bald-y situation. (Does this explain Prince William's slightly receding hairline? Possibly from his party animal days?) As for women, especially those of you with long, lustrous hair - well, you can forget about lustrous. Alcohol depletes and limits the amount of zinc components into your system. Zinc is one of the main minerals that are necessary for maintaining healthy hair, and without it, your hair will lose its shine and the protein bonds that seals your hair cuticles will start to break. I've personally experienced damaged & zinc-deprived hair and trust me when I say it's no picnic.





You will GAIN WEIGHT
Yes, alcohol makes you fat. Simple as that. Believe it or not, alcohol contains a lot of calories, and they absorb like water to a Kleenex in your system and joins the fat club in your body. Remember all those old men you see in pubs with beer bellies and love handles? Yep, those things don't go away easy.

Alcoholic beverage calorie counter (per glass)
Budweiser - 145
Heineken - 150
Corona - 148
Guinness Extra Stout - 153
Gin & Tonic - 200
Vodka Cranberry - 220
Bloody Mary - 180
Margarita - 500
Long Island Iced Tea - 550


Ouch, that's quite a lot of calories for that one small glass of liquid. Now pick your beverage and multiply it with the number of cups you have per night out.


Amongst other concerns...
The general health issues that will plague you and most probably affect your youth. You just need to Google the health aspects of alcohol and go through the millions of links.


It's a scary thing to be doing something so often and not realizing just how bad it is until it's too late.
I'm not saying don't drink at all, though that will be the best. I'm saying know your limits, drink in moderation. And make sure you exercise the day after. Never binge or drink emotionally.

Alcohol can do a lot of damage inside and out so ask youself - Are you willing to live with all that years from now?



p/s: No cats were harmed in the writing of this post.
xxx