Okay, so I’m not 100% teetotal. I WILL still have a cocktail if I’m on holiday, and i will drink champagne on special occasions. But just drinking alcohol mindlessly? It’s not for me.
I’m not trying to be the party pooper, and I don’t have a problem with alcohol – or people who drink it. But I do have a problem with the health issues that can often be related to it. I haven’t written this blog to force you to change your ways if you’re a lover of alcohol, I’ve simply written it to explain why I choose not to drink it as much as the next teenager.
I’m the weird one… not you
When i hit the legal age to drink alcohol and head out with my friends into the cities on nights out, my family members would always joke that I’m not a normal teenager. Which okay… I’m really not! But I’m okay with that! I have so many reasons for not drinking alcohol, some of them are important to me, others are just because of personal preference.
My reasons…
- I don’t really like the taste to be honest!
- I’m all about health, and alcohol isn’t
- I don’t like the idea of it sloshing around inside my tummy (much like the picture of tar on lungs from the Stop Smoking ads!)
- I hate not being in control of my actions, and i don’t like the idea of waking up and not remembering anything from the night before
- It’s so expensive!!
- I prefer the taste of juices and smoothies!
- It makes me ill for days!
- It causes weight gain, bad skin, and water retention (will happily avoid these things at ANY cost!)
My other reasons…
I spent my high school years doing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards which required me to train for 12 months prior to a 4 day exhibition… OUT IN THE WILD ALL BY MYSELF! ( well… in a group of 15-16 y/o’s WITHOUT adults!!) scary right? Because this is a highly recognised qualification/award, your entire body has to be in the best possible shape in order to start your exhibition. This includes… you guessed it – no alcohol in your system! So, when all my friends were out getting hammered over the weekends, I was staying in and getting my rest.
Another reason is that health has always been important to me since i was very young. I started surfing when i was about 4 years old. It was my granddad who taught me – he is teetotal due to his health. Therefore, I was never around alcohol much. It wasn’t a big secret, my family are quite big drinkers, but it never bothered me much.
Most importantly…
(Okay, so I’m ’bout to get all emoshe!)
Early 2017 I was rushed to hospital with a fully collapsed lung which required me to have half of my lung removed. Since this experience, I have made a huge effort to maintain my good health, and to become healthier. I never smoked, and now i never will. But this doesn’t bother me at all, because i know that I’m keeping my lungs as healthy as i possibly can. I understand that lots of people smoke for so many different reasons – members of my family smoke and many of my friends. But just like these people choose too, i choose not too. Again, I don’t have any problems with those who choose to smoke, it’s personal preference and it’s your body.
A new moral to the story and myths…
Nevertheless, smoke and drink or not, you’re never going to be completely exempt from health issues. This is something that I never realised until my lung collapsed last year. I truly believed that only those who smoke get lung cancer or lung issues, I used to believe that those who drink alcohol are the only ones who end up with a damaged liver. But THIS IS NOT THE CASE.
As I’ve said, i rarely drink and never smoke(d) BUT it was MY lung that collapsed and MY liver that got damaged from the amount of pain relief i was ordered to take. At the time, i thought it was an absolute joke! I just kept saying “why me?! I’ve always been so healthy!”. I thought i was doing everything “right”.
My new moral to this story is that everyone’s body can handle different things, and can become damaged in various ways. But only YOU know what’s best for YOUR body. I’m never going to enforce my opinions on those who drink or smoke, because it’s their choice – they’re not stupid either – they know the risks. But everything in life comes with a risk, and we can’t all live on eggshells. We can’t all only ever eat salad and drink water, because we could still become damaged (and sad quite frankly). All that’s changed since my experience, is that I’m now an advocate of a healthy lifestyle and I love to show that off as much as i can!
If you’re like me, please don’t be pressured
I know it’s a horrible feeling when you’re out with your friends and they’re trying to get you to drink more, or you head out for a meal and you’re happy to be the designated driver?! But here are the AMAZING pros…
- You can leave when you like
- Timings are down to you
- You can usually choose where you’re all going since you’re the fuel after all
- Your friends, and others, have more respect for you as a person
- You know everyone got home safely
Respirare 