A big well done to all you sober heroes who went through the whole of October without a drink, until tonight! It is Halloween after all. ‘Go Sober for October' is a campaign run on behalf of the Macmillan Cancer charity where thousands of adults all over the UK and beyond have abstained from booze for 31 days in order to raise much-needed funds for this incredible cause. It is kind of a no brainer because as well as changing people's lives, the generous souls are doing their bodies a terrific favour as well. Alcohol may be a lot of fun when enjoyed in moderation, but it certainly can take its toll on our physical wellbeing.

Five facts about alcohol

Nobody likes being a party pooper but staying healthy and well is pretty important. Here are five Halloween-scary facts about the way that alcohol can adversely affect our health when we drink too much!
  • Alcohol is actually a poison and once we take too much of this into our bodies, bad things may start to happen such as severe dehydration, vomiting, low blood sugar levels and nerve control issues.
  • Regular drinking of large amounts of alcohol has been known to increase the chances of us developing cancer.
  • Although we sometimes believe that alcohol offers a way to relax, it can also act as a depressant and this is before the hangover starts to kick in.
  • Alcohol can increase stress and anxiety especially if we start to become dependent on this source.
  • Alcoholism is a disease that has ruined hundreds of thousands of lives and that includes the dependents and spouses who have never even touched a drop!
Perhaps reducing the amount you drink or in fact, staying tee-total for a while longer before we hot the party and festive season could be a wise move. Many also do ‘Dry January’ for health and wellbeing reasons after heavy consumption at Christmas.

cup-of-lemon-hot-water

Five great things about water

Dropping booze from your daily intake may not prove to be that easy, but switch that wine, beer or gin for pristine, great-tasting chilled and filtered water and your body will be extremely happy with your new life. Here are five benefits that your new habit can bring to the table.
  • If you drink the daily recommended amount of water, your skin and hair will start to look better than ever before.
  • Although our bodies are made up of 70% of water, drinking plenty of this wonderful resource can help us to lose weight when part of a calorie controlled diet.
  • By staying hydrated, you will have far less chance of developing arthritis and even the chances of developing serious conditions such as cancer and heart disease will be reduced!
  • Drinking water will flush harmful toxins out of your body and will also increase your metabolism to boot!
  • Finally, our brains contain 80% water, the same as a healthy living tree! So make sure you keep it refreshed.

water-cooler-self-fill-bottle

Refill and reuse

Adopt the refill habit. More and more establishments and offices provide drinking water hydration points to refill a reusable bottle. Chilled and filtered water tastes so much nicer and you are more likely to drink more if it tastes good! There are plenty of different water filters available on the market from a jug filter for the fridge to an under sink filter that provides a constant supply that is also chilled. Most popular are countertop water coolers and fountains, plumbed into your mains supply for total convenience and efficiency, that dispense a chilled and filtered drop of the good stuff at the touch of a button and allow the easy refill of their reusable bottles. Multi-function instant KettleTaps not only serve boiling water for all your hot drink needs, but they also give you chilled and, with the top-end models, sparkling! Water as you want it from one tap! So as Sober October comes to an end well done for your own personal achievements and fundraising. What was your favourite tipple? We like ice-cold filtered water, with mint and freshly infused fruit, or sparkling water and fresh lime! Remember to stay hydrated this Halloween to balance out the sweet treats. If you are watching the RWC2019 Final on Saturday perhaps alternate an alcoholic beverage with a glass of water!