HOW TO MAKE DRINKING ALCOHOL LESS BAD FOR YOU + MY HEALTHY HANGOVER CURE!

Personal CareTravel
Written By Maddie Ginder Scannapieco

Tips & tricks to navigating drinking alcohol (or not drinking alcohol!) in a world where society says drinking is “normal”

Choosing whether or not to drink alcohol can be a tough decision, especially in our current society that makes us feel like choosing not to drink is “boring,” “uptight,” or that “something is wrong with us,” if we decide not to.

Society puts SO MUCH PRESSURE on us to drink -- especially in our 20’s and 30’s! 

When I was sick and trying to heal both my gut and hormones, I chose not to drink. I knew that alcohol would not improve my health in any way. Now that I am healed and feeling better, I will choose to drink on occasion. Personally, I usually save drinking for bigger events such as weddings -- but just because a big event is happening, does NOT mean I am going to drink alcohol. I always listen to my body, and if I do choose to drink, I always use my go-to hangover toolkit to make sure I support my body to rid the alcohol toxins and replenish with nutrients! 

If you do choose to drink, I have listed my fav recommendations for lower-sugar and healthier drinking options! Of course, I have also listed my tried & true hangover toolkit to support the body after a night of drinking. If you choose not to drink, there are plenty of mocktail recipes I always use that are sooo delicious as well! Ultimately, I hope to give you the tools to make an informed decision on whether or not alcohol is the right decision for YOU.

CHOOSING WHETHER OR NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL

Effects of Alcohol on the Body

When discussing the effects of alcohol in your body, most people instinctively think about the liver. The liver is DEFINITELY impacted (I’ll discuss details later on), but alcohol affects so much more in the body than just the liver. The list goes on and on!

Alcohol can:

  • Prevent your body from properly absorbing vitamins/minerals from your food, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies

  • Cause inflammation in the GI tract, which can create digestive issues/IBS/IBD and can even lead to ulcers

  • Affect the body’s natural immune system which increases your risk for cancer

  • Cause low blood sugar if pancreas/liver aren’t functioning properly

  • Cause high blood sugar (especially if drinking many sugary drinks) if pancreas is damaged, decreasing or preventing the proper production of insulin which results in too much sugar in the blood

The liver is the main metabolizer of alcohol and helps rid your bodies of toxins. When you drink, your liver immediately prioritizes breaking down the alcohol, and chooses to store all other macronutrients in the body as fat, immediately! This means if you are drinking and eating a lot (drunchies) the food you eat is basically immediately converted to fat. To make matters worse, the ability of the body to burn fat slows down when alcohol is a factor -- this can lead to weight gain very quickly. Finally, alongside alcohol, the liver is also in charge of metabolizing fructose (a form of sugar found in fruits). If you are drinking alcohol mixed with fructose, such as fruit juice, this adds detoxification stress on the liver and requires the liver to have to work in overdrive. A pure alcohol like tequila or vodka with soda water & citrus is a much easier drink combo for the body to metabolize! 

Social Effects of Alcohol

Unfortunately, there can be so much pressure surrounding alcohol. So many people worry about what their friends will think if they don’t drink alongside them. In truth, I used to have so much anxiety about not being able/not wanting to drink around people and what they would think. As time has passed, I have realized I don’t really care how other people feel about the choices I make in regards to my health! If the people in your life don’t support you, then it sounds like it’s time to find better friends! Good friends should always support your decisions to better yourself. With that in mind, if your friends or family is working on health goals, even outside of alcohol, always try to do your best to understand and support them!

HEALTHIER DRINK OPTIONS

I’ve learned and tried so many ways to choose healthier drink options throughout my health journey. Ultimately, I want to empower all women to not be afraid to ask for the drink YOU want. If you don’t want a bunch of sugar or syrups in your cocktail -- you shouldn’t feel like an inconvenience for asking otherwise! 

How I order: when I go up to the bar I usually just keep it super simple and ask for something like “blanco tequila, club soda and lots of lime juice.” Or “can I please have a mojito without any added sugar? Thank you!” If I need to explain, I will quickly say, sugary drinks make me sick so I am trying to find something without any sugar!

I think it is so important for women to feel confident asking for what they want/need -- whether that be food or drink! I have been able to build confidence in this over time and now feel great about asking exactly what I want because it makes me feel better. At the end of the day, the bartenders want you to order what you want, even if that requires some modifications. Here is a list of some of my favorite drink variations, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, with less sugar and toxins!

COCKTAILS

Tequila (or Vodka) Soda
100% Tequila or Vodka + club soda + lots of lime juice (or lemon juice) + (liquid stevia/monkfruit drops if needed, but I don’t personally add these)

Mojito w/o Sugar
100% Vodka/Blanco Tequila or clear Rum + muddled cucumber + mint + lots of lime + club soda

Organic Dry Farms Red Wine, or Thrive Market Biodynamic Wines
Red wine is typically lower in sugar than white, and biodynamic wine is typically lower in both sugar and toxins!

Click the links for my discount codes!

Dry Organic 100% Fermented Apple Cider 
Look for low sugar/DRY variations - Seattle Cider Company, ACE, etc.

San Juan Seltzer or Spiked Seltzers
Look for no added sugar

MOCKTAILS

“Mojito”
Muddled cucumber + mint + lots of lime + club soda

Energy Boosting Tonic
1 cup coconut water + juice of 1 lime/lemon + pinch of sea salt + 1/2 tbsp raw honey

Additional recipes can be found at these links!

https://thrivingonpaleo.com/5-mocktail-recipes-for-your-summer-aip-paleo-whole30/ 

https://allthehealthythings.com/healthy-grapefruit-paloma-mocktail/ 


HEALTHY HANGOVER TOOLKIT

To support hydration and digestion to make sure I feel as good as possible after drinking, I always use my hangover “cure” combination! This go-to combo includes:

  • Drink Lots of Water + Hydrate on a Cellular Level

  • Get Rid of Toxins

    • Activated Charcoal (during or after drinking, I like Bulletproof brand or Amy Myers brand)

      • Make sure to seek medical advice about whether charcoal can interfere with your over-the-counter medications and any health issues

  • Replenish Depleted Nutrients

    • DrinkWel (as directed, during drinking!)

      • Mix of antioxidants, amino acids, super-fruits, botanical blends

    • Supports healthy liver function and helps body process alcohol induced toxins

  • Eliminate Nausea

Disclaimer: Be sure to seek medical advice about whether charcoal can interfere with your over-the-counter medications or any current health issues. Again, always check with your doctor before trying ANY new supplements!

HOW I TAKE THE SUPPLEMENTS

  • 1 packet LMNT before a night of drinking + lots of water throughout the day + FOOD

  • 2-3 capsules of Drinkwel before first drink

  • 2 activated charcoal pills in middle of drinking OR at the end of the night

  • 2-3 additional capsules of Drinkwel with another big glass of water w/ LMNT electrolytes before bed

RESOURCE RECOMMENDATIONS

If you are looking for more information regarding alcohol and the social implications of drinking, I recommend these resources:

 
Maddie Ginder Scannapieco
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