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Follow These 5 Steps If You Don't Want Alcohol To Sabotage Your Health

Author:

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

November 22, 2023

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

By Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.

Image by sofie delauw / Stocksy

November 22, 2023

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Holiday festivities are just about to ramp up—time to pop the bubbly! But with celebrations happening multiple times a week for over a month, social drinking (aka the occasional enjoyment of a drink in the company of others) can quickly escalate to a nightly affair.

This higher-than-usual alcohol consumption also places extra strain on your body—during a time when stress from work, family, and travel is also at peak levels. If you don't want to completely forgo alcohol this season, consider following these five steps to protect your liver and overall health while drinking:

Hydrate before you libate

Do you always find yourself running to the bathroom after one, two, or (definitely) three drinks? That's because alcohol is a substance that stimulates water and electrolyte loss. For this reason, integrative and functional medicine dietitian Rachel Muzzy, M.S., R.D., recommends really focusing on hydrating with water and electrolytes before you start drinking to help ward off dehydration.

As Jessica Cording, M.S, R.D., CDN, INHC, previously told mindbodygreen, "Dehydration makes it harder for all organs to function, including the liver." Since it's the liver's role to break down 90% of the alcohol 1 you consume, it's imperative to keep this organ in tiptop shape. So don't let something as preventable as dehydration slow your body's main detox organ down.

Don't drink on an empty stomach

While this may seem like dated parental advice, it's a good rule of thumb. Food slows alcohol's passage through the stomach (which is a good thing because it's partially broken down there 2) before it passes to the small intestine to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

And this digestion process triggers the liver to increase alcohol metabolism 3—so by the time alcohol actually reaches the liver, the organ can more efficiently break this toxin down.

Keep to one beverage per occasion

"Ultimately, when it comes to liver health and alcohol consumption, fewer drinks are better," says Muzzy. So, it may be a smart idea to stick to just one alcoholic beverage per event (if you choose to even drink at all). Just remember that a "standard drink 4" is considered to be:

5 ounces of wine (at 12% alcohol content)
12 ounces of beer (at 5% alcohol content)
1.5-ounce shot of spirits (40% alcohol content)

Don't know what to reach for? Check out this list of dietitian-approved drinks for more healthful choices if and when you decide to drink.

Have your last beverage 4-6 hours before going to bed

While you may feel that booze helps you fall asleep faster, it can also suppress REM (rapid eye movement) sleep as it's being metabolized—which can lead to brain fog and fatigue the following day.

To make sure alcohol is completely out of your system by the time you go to bed, consider wrapping up your consumption at least four to six hours before hitting the hay. If you still want to have a glass in your hand into the wee hours of the night, try one of these no-ABV options.

Support your liver with antioxidants

liver detox+

As the liver is taking the grunt of filtering alcohol out of your body, show it some ongoing love with antioxidant support.

Why? Antioxidants are particularly effective at helping the body eliminate, reduce, and balance out unwanted substances—including alcohol—in the body. And detoxification is simply a balancing act between antioxidants and oxidants (or toxins).

mindbodygreen's daily detox+ feeds your detox organs (like the liver) with antioxidants like glutathione, milk thistle, and NAC to efficiently eliminate toxins before they become a burden.*

The takeaway

We're not here to tell you that you have to go completely sober this holiday season in the name of health, but there are certain habits you should be conscious of to minimize the negative impacts of overindulgence. Make sure you hydrate with water and electrolytes, pair alcohol with a meal, keep to one drink at each party, and avoid drinking late in the evening. For extra credit, opt for ongoing liver support with daily detox+—because, let's face it, this organ could be putting in overtime for the next few weeks.*

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.