I've never had a "break" from alcohol.
If I've felt like a wine, I've had one. If I've been told we're going out for drinks, I've joined in.
But heading into 2023, I started getting sober curious.
The catalyst was listening to various podcasts on the effects of alcohol on the body. Nothing fear mongering, just straight facts from experts.
It made me pause on the booze, and I haven't stopped thinking about those facts and common mistruths since.
Watch: Your body after one year without alcohol. Post continues below.
Dr Chris Davis is the co-founder of Clean Slate Clinic, a social enterprise offering specialist alcohol withdrawal and recovery support.
I asked him all my burning questions about alcohol and the body, including some common misconceptions we have. Here's what he told me.
1. Alcohol has literally zero health benefits.
Have you or someone you know ever said: "A glass of red wine is good for your heart?"
That, my friend, is a myth.
The most common misconception Dr Davis comes across is people believing that alcohol has health benefits.
It might make you feel better mentally (like after a long day of work), but physically, it does nothing good. (Sorry!)
"A study of nearly 600,000 current drinkers showed that there is no 'safe' lower limit of drinking and even one standard drink will increase your systolic blood pressure," Dr Davis told Mamamia.
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