This seems to be a topic that I hear about a lot and always something that people want answered. Can you drink and still live a “healthy” life?
Short answer: YES. Long answer: keep reading to find out how!
Disclaimer: I am 23 years old, which is of the legal age to drink. I am not advising anyone to drink under the legal age!
Why Drinking is Considered “Unhealthy”
First, what does “healthy” even mean? Some people may think of health as eating nothing but salads, protein, and working out 6 times a week. Personally, I see health as things you can do and the foods you consume that enhance your life in a way that is enjoyable and maintainable.
So, why is it that drinking is considered unhealthy? I’m sure most of you have heard of the “freshman 15” that has been deemed as the “worst thing” that could possibly happen to you in college.
Some people do gain weight in college, and it’s usually thought to be from drinking. Sure, drinking can play a role in that, but what about all the other factors? A lot of people become less active in college, eat too much or not enough, or maybe experiencing stress that can lead to weight gain. Our bodies also aren’t supposed to look like they did in high school forever!
Alcohol can absolutely be unhealthy in excess or in binge drinking. I’m not talking about alcohol addiction or binge drinking, because those are serious issues that can be fatal if not taken care of. I’m talking about casual drinking with friends, and if you can still do that while living a “healthy” life.
Restriction Leads to Binging
As with anything, restriction leads to binging. If you are restricting your food intake, you’re going to end up overeating. It’s human nature that with anything we’re deprived of, we’re going to go HAM on it once we have it.
When I was a sophomore in college and going through my “whole 30” restriction phase, I rarely allowed myself to drink because I considered it as “unnecessary calories.” When I did drink on special occasions, I went a little too hard because I didn’t know the next time I would allow myself to have it. If I would have let myself casually drink and have fun with my friends, I wouldn’t have felt the need to go crazy on the alcohol when I allowed myself to have it.
Please, don’t take this as me telling you to drink every night and have alcohol whenever you please. Of course, there’s a time and place for everything, but it’s okay to have fun! Alcohol can be dangerous, but it can also be social and fun if drank safely.
Think of going to happy hour with friends or having a glass of champagne on New Years’. If you’re avoiding those situations because you’re afraid it will ruin your “healthy” life, I can promise you that your life is not healthy. You don’t need to drink to have fun, but if you want to have a drink and aren’t allowing yourself to do so, that’s when it could become unhealthy. Read more about developing a healthy relationship with food, here.
You Don’t Need to Drink to Have Fun
As I said before, you absolutely do not need to drink in order to have fun. Personally, I’m not a huge drinker. I don’t love the taste of it and probably wouldn’t have a glass of wine to unwind after a long day. I would rather have some ice cream and do some of my favorite self-care routines (check those out, here).
But if you do have a glass of wine to wind down, nothing wrong with that. Whether you drink alcohol or not, I would look at the WHY behind it.
Are you not drinking because you don’t like the taste of it or you don’t like how it makes you feel? OR are you not drinking because you’re afraid that you’ll lose control and it will make you gain weight? If the reason you’re not drinking is that you’re afraid to gain weight, I would reevaluate that. Depriving yourself of things that you enjoy due to the fear of the way your body will change is no way to live a healthy life.
Having a drink at dinner, if that’s something you want, could absolutely be a part of a “healthy” life. If you deprive yourself of that drink you really want, you’re going to be left unsatisfied. You’re probably going to come home and feel the need to eat or drink something else to fill the urge that you could have just satisfied during your dinner.
You Can Drink and Be Healthy
I’m not going to sit here and list out the healthiest drinks or the ones with the lowest calories. That’s just not my jam and never will be. I will tell you that you can drink and still live a healthy life.
The way that I drink and still live a “healthy” life, is by just enjoying myself and being confident in my decisions. Pre-COVID, I would enjoy going to bars or restaurants occasionally and enjoying a drink or two with my friends. I would have a good night and move on. If I didn’t let myself drink when I wanted to, that would lead me into an unhealthy mindset and a state of deprivation.
There have also been times where my friends were drinking, and I didn’t want to. These are the times where you need to be confident in your decision, and own your choices.
Think of how alcohol makes you feel, and base your decisions around that. It probably wouldn’t feel good to drink in excess every night or weekend. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. It may feel good to you to enjoy a drink with friends at a restaurant, so go ahead and do that.
Drinking alcohol doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can drink and still be healthy. You can not drink and still have fun. If you go out, you can just have a few drinks and not go crazy. It’s all about finding what makes you feel good and living your healthiest and happiest life.
xoxo
