🍻 Sober Curious: Why People are Rethinking Their Relationship with Booze

Happy Monday! Each week, we delve into health and wellness trends with a healthy dose of skepticism, offering practical tips to enhance your wellbeing and performance 🥑

Here’s what you’ll find in this week’s issue:

• 🍻 The sober curious lifestyle is trending — should you try it?

• 👉️ Three quick productivity tips to implement now.

• 🍫 Laxatives are missing from store shelves. Is TikTok to blame?

• 🐶 Check out the adorable yoga dog that’s sure to make you smile.

Let’s go!

MAIN FEATURE

Sober Curious: Why People are Rethinking Their Relationship with Booze

Zero ABV beer or wine anyone? If headlines are any indication, it seems that people are trading away hazy nights at the pub for clear-headed activities that don’t revolve around booze. The "sober curious” movement reflects a growing trend of individuals reducing their alcohol intake in pursuit of better health, improved relationships, and increased productivity. So, should you join them?

What’s sober curious?

The term, coined from a book of the same name, refers to a lifestyle trend where folks are becoming more mindful and intentional about their relationship with alcohol. People who identify as "sober curious" are not necessarily kicking booze to the curb for good, but are instead exploring sobriety. This trend encourages questioning alcohol's role in life and making deliberate choices about consumption, considering its many negative side effects.

Going sober: is alcohol really all that bad?

There was once a time when seemingly everyone smoked cigarettes in restaurants, planes, schools and even hospitals. However, as awareness of the dangers of smoking grew, US smoking rates hit all-time lows.

It seems that alcohol is having a big reckoning now, too, as its downsides become more apparent. While once upon a time a nightly glass of red wine was touted as having health benefits, recent studies say that no amount of alcohol is good for your health and that alcohol is the leading cause of death worldwide. Yikes.

Cheers to better health: 4 perks of drinking less

More alcohol, more problems? An increasing number of people are saying yes and putting their physical and mental wellness first — and for good reason. These are just a few benefits of cutting back.

1. Save Your Sleep: Even one glass of booze messes up your sleep. In fact, the sleep you get after you drink isn’t the same as when you don’t drink and has been dubbed “pseudo-sleep”. 

2. Reduce Anxiety & Depression: Drinking can make anxiety and depression worse. Cut back, and you may notice a more stable mood, although if you drink a lot and go cold turkey, it’s normal to experience increased anxiety while your body adjusts.

3. Boost Your Brainpower: Even a little bit of booze can mess with your brain. Quitting or reducing can lead to better concentration, memory, and mental clarity.

4. Improve Fitness: Alcohol packs an empty calorie punch. Less booze can help you keep your weight in check. Plus, alcohol-free sleep can help you perform better in the gym.

Tips for living the sober curious lifestyle

Whether going sober feels like a breeze or a challenge, start by setting a clear goal. Be intentional, regardless if it’s reducing drinking to once a week, reserving alcohol for special occasions, or going cold turkey for a specific period. Explore hobbies unrelated to drinking, like sports, chess, or cooking, to expand your social circle. At social events, have alcohol-free options, like sparkling water or non-alcoholic spirits for virgin cocktails, within reach to avoid temptation.

Top 3 Takeaways

1. The sober curious lifestyle explores a mindful and intentional approach to alcohol, while exploring the benefits of sobriety

2. Recent studies challenge the idea that any amount of alcohol is safe, highlighting its global health impact as a leading cause of disease and death.

3. Cutting back on alcohol has a variety of benefits as it can improve sleep, reduce anxiety, boost cognitive function, and support fitness goals.

So there you have it. Before you go crush your week, check out the rest of the email.

— JC

OPTIMIZATION

Three Quick Productivity Tips

🧠 Increase focus: Work in a brightly lit space — Bright lights increase the production of dopamine and epinephrine, making you more alert and focused.

😤 Avoid burnout: Find intrinsic pleasure in your work — For consistent motivation, avoid focusing too much on the outcome and aim to find intrinsic pleasure in your process.

🧩 Boost problem-solving: Go for a walk — Stuck on a problem or hit a creative block? Stop banging your head against the wall and go for a walk instead. You might be surprised at the ideas that flow.

📱 Trending on TikTok #wellnessTok

The trend: Laxatives for weight loss

There's a troubling trend on TikTok: using laxatives for weight loss. Some users call them the "budget Ozempic" and claim they help with shedding pounds. However, the reality is less than it’s cracked up to be. That’s because laxatives mainly lead to water weight loss and can cause short-term problems like dehydration and serious long-term issues, including nutritional deficiencies and harm to your gut and liver. That’s a hard pass from us.

@call.me.carlie

Laxatives are not a solution to weight loss and won’t contribute to a healthier you! #weightloss #laxatives #guttok #magnesiumcitrate ... See more

⏯️ Watch it on TikTok

Should you try it?

❌ Nope, nope, nope 🍊 Maybe ✅  Yeah!

📆 This Week in Wellness

Every week, we scan the web for the good, the bad and the downright intriguing in the world of health and wellness.

😻 The good:

• Fasted workouts are great for your waistline, at least according to one study that found working out early on an empty stomach can lead to increased weight loss.

👎️ The bad:

• Nothing to sneeze at: Phenylephrine, a common ingredient found in OTC decongestants like Sudafed and Benadryl, lacks effectiveness, according to the FDA.

🤔 The interesting:

• Fun fact: You have 7 organs and glands you don’t need. Explore what these organs and glands are and the theories on why you still have them.

💭 Parting Thought

If this doesn’t yoga dog melt your heart, nothing will 🥹 

Shot of Wellness Mission:

We’re hellbent on making expert-backed health info accessible & free of charge. In a world full of misinformation, we bring the skepticism, so you can think of us as your witty, well-informed friend who's got your back on all things health & wellness.

Something you want to see covered in a future issue?

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Until next time ✌️ 

Hi, I’m Jenna, founder of Shot of Wellness. Every week, I curate this newsletter with the goal of helping you optimize your health, focus and wellbeing.

Please Note: This is not medical advice. This content is to be used for informational or educational purposes only. I am not a doctor — I do not even play one on TV. Please consult with a medical professional before undertaking any new diet or exercise regime. Take care.