I haven’t had a (proper) drink for nearly six weeks. This might seem like an April fool — but it isn’t, it’s the absolute truth. Not a single drop of alcohol has passed my lips since the 20th February. This was loosely based on a Lenten fast but, for various reasons, mainly connected with it not being a religious observance, I started 4 days late and I’ve decided that I’ll finish 3 days early to co-incide with the change of month. Even so, this is by far the longest period of abstinence I’ve had since I was about 16 — and it might seem particularly odd given the beery posts on this page and the publication in the new ‘Swan Supping’ (out today) of a Charlie Mackle authored article on ‘The Beer Diet’.
Part of the reason I did this was to try and prove the null hypothesis as they do in scientific experiments (or is it disprove, I’ll need to sort that out before I write up my MSc dissertation?). The hypothesis is that, according to the government propaganda, one should feel a whole lot better when the evil drug of alcohol isn’t coursing through one’s veins. I think it takes about two weeks to absolutely remove all traces of alcohol so I’m completely free of it. Do I feel a whole lot better and healthier — no, not really.
My initial impression is that that there’s not much difference in health benefits between 2 days and a month off beer — you feel the same. Certain things are different, like sleeping patterns. It’s very easy to rely on drink to knock you out into a deep sleep but I’ve still snored and fallen asleep in front of Match of the Day while sober, though maybe not as much. I’ve lost nowhere near as much weight as I thought I’d do but I wonder if that’s because I’m more permanently hydrated — that I’m now carrying round a more even amount of water rather than dehydrating and rehydrating myself? However, there’s definitely a tendency to go for biscuits and similar to replace the alcohol-related calories. Just at the end of the five weeks I’ve noticed a few other minor niggles appear to reduce that had stayed constant during the abstinence so it may be that a really extended period has some benefits.
And one beneficial effect on me has been quite indisputable — blood pressure. It has definitely come down. I just went to the doctors so they could record my proudly lower figure on their records, although it hadn’t been bad before then.
One valuable part of the experience is I’ve proved to my own satisfaction, and given evidence to anyone who’s sceptical, that I have no compulsion to have a drink — but I think I knew that anyway. Even so I was surprised how little I’ve been tempted. I think that may be largely due to the time of year — no big social occasions or beer gardens beckoning in the summer. Nevertheless, I’ve probably saved a lot of money and it can’t have done me any harm so I may well do it again next year — and I think I’ll certainly cut back on drinking out of habit.
But this afternoon I’m going to go out and enjoy myself and get pissed.
