3. Drink Water: Reduce alcohol cravings by giving your body what it REALLY wants: water. Very few of us truly drink enough water, which is about 6 to 8 glasses a day. This does NOT count coffee, tea, soda, fruit juice, beer, wine or any other beverage as “water”. Only WATER is water.
Other beverages have ingredients such as caffeine, artificial colors and flavors, and other chemicals. This causes your body to WORK to filter out the bad stuff so it can get the good stuff that’s left over – water.
Water is the single most important nutrient for your body, other than air. Besides a multitude of health benefits, it is also required for every function of your body. We can live over 3 weeks without food, but we will die in as little as 2 days without water.
Get in the habit of drinking lots of water throughout your day. To tamp down the temptation to drink alcohol RIGHT NOW, drink a couple of glasses of water. You may find that your thirst wasn’t alcohol-related after all.
4. Exercise: Reduce alcohol cravings by giving your body and mind a burst of oxygen. We all know how important exercise is. And how just a few minutes a day can quickly and dramatically change how we look and feel. You may feel a desire to drink alcohol because you’re bored, or you think you need something to help you feel better. (it’s the sugar rush from alcohol – see #1 above). If you’re able to muster enough energy to take a 15 minute walk, or longer, you may very well discover that your desire to drink alcohol has disappeared.
The oxygen that will flow into your mind and body WILL change the way you feel. Afterwards, you’ll likely want a glass of water to quench your thirst – and not alcohol. If you feel tempted to drink alcohol RIGHT NOW, try first taking a short walk. You will discover that the oxygen dramatically changes the way you feel.
Summary of How to Reduce Alcohol Cravings
In summary, if you feel tempted to drink alcohol – either right now, or in the future – try one of the following remedies to reduce alcohol cravings:
- Eat something sweet
- Eat a complete meal
- Drink a couple of glasses of water
- Exercise for 15 minutes
Finally, if at this very moment you feel the temptation to drink please POSTPONE your drinking for one hour. Try one of these remedies FIRST, and then see IF you still want to drink in one hour.
You may very well discover that the temptation to drink alcohol has vanished, and you’d rather avoid drinking completely. Besides, getting a good nights sleep, and awakening tomorrow feeling refreshed and happy about your life, is MORE important than alcohol! ♦