Using Tea to Help Reduce Alcohol Consumption
There’s no shortage of benefits when it comes to drinking tea. Not only have people enjoyed it as a delicious beverage for centuries, but it’s been used for medicinal and healing purposes for just as long, too.
Nowadays, most people drink tea as part of a relaxing ritual or morning routine. However, those health benefits are still there, and there might even be some you don’t fully realize.
For example, drinking tea can be a great way to reduce alcohol consumption. If you’re trying to cut back on drinking alcohol or you just want to make healthier choices, replacing your nightly cocktail with a cup of tea can do the trick. As a bonus, you’ll start to experience some of those wonderful benefits, including improved skin health.
Let’s cover how you can use tea to reduce alcohol consumption, and how that can positively affect your skin.
The Impact of Alcohol
If you’ve been on the fence about giving up alcohol or at least trying to cut back, consider what it could be doing to your mind and body. Drinking impacts nearly every area of your body, including:
- The central nervous system
- The digestive system
- The circulatory system
- The immune system
- Sexual and reproductive health
Regular alcohol consumption can lead to everything from mood swings to heart conditions. It can also impact your gut health, which often has a huge impact on the well-being of your skin. It’s not uncommon for people with poor gut health to experience skin conditions like acne, eczema, rosacea, and even signs of premature aging.
Of course, alcohol can negatively impact your personal life, too. If it starts to become a problem, it could affect your relationships, your career, and your future. It can also lead you to make other unhealthy choices, which could further damage your physical and mental well-being.
Replacing Alcohol With Tea
So, if you’re ready to reduce alcohol consumption and replace some of your “adult beverages” with tea, what does that look like?
First, don’t feel like you have to completely change your habits or routine right away. This shouldn’t feel like some kind of punishment. Rather, your focus should be on what positive things you’re doing for your body by making this replacement.
When it comes to how your skin will react to this change, it’s important to give yourself some time for your body to get used to everything. Sometimes, after cutting out alcohol, you might go through a period of “skin purging” which can look like acne.
There’s no real way to avoid this except by waiting it out. Even a week after your last drink, your skin will start to improve. A month later, you’ll have less swelling, more hydration, and a more even skin tone. After a year of not drinking, your entire body will be healthier, which will reflect in the radiance of your skin.
Speaking of which, cutting out alcohol is only half of the equation. You can speed up the healthy glow of your skin by drinking more tea. Tea is full of antioxidants that take care of free radicals in your skin to slow down the aging process. It can also improve gut health by reducing inflammation and helping with “leaky gut.”
Certain teas are better for your skin health than others, including chamomile, white tea, and blackberry leaf tea. You can receive these benefits through consumption alone, or consider using skincare products made with tea to incorporate into your routine.
How to Incorporate More Tea Into Your Diet
Again, you don’t have to completely cut out alcohol overnight. Make a plan for yourself, and choose to stick with it rather than trying to stop drinking haphazardly. Set goals for yourself. Write them down, and let others know that you’re trying to cut back so they support you. Some other tips that can be helpful as you try to cut out alcohol include:
- Setting a limit on how much you’ll drink
- Keeping a diary of your drinking
- Keeping alcohol out of your home
- Drink slowly when you do have alcohol
- Stay busy
- Ask friends and family to hold you accountable
Chances are, you’re not going to go to a bar or party and order a cup of tea (though you absolutely can!). So, what can you do to incorporate more tea into your daily diet? Aside from sipping it throughout the day, don’t be afraid to get creative! Add green tea powder to your morning smoothie or oatmeal. Cook meals with different types of tea. Cool it down and carry it with you in a water bottle.
There’s nothing wrong with having an alcoholic beverage now and then, but most people recognize it’s not the healthiest thing in the world. No matter your reason for trying to cut back, you’ll experience a variety of benefits by switching to tea, including healthier, glowing skin, and an overall feeling of wellness. Keep these ideas in mind as you try to reduce your alcohol consumption and improve your health from the inside out.
