Yes, we’re still in the midst of what has been the most unusual Carnival season in history. But we wanted to put this on your radar for next week: The 6th annual Ochsner Eat Fit #AlcoholFreeFor40 challenge starts Ash Wednesday, February 17th, complete with a step-by-step guide to make it your own personal self-experiment to see just how nixing alcohol for forty days affects our whole-body wellness.
THE CHALLENGE: Give up all alcohol from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Establish the following pre-Challenge metrics and repeat again at end of Challenge. Do this on your own or sign up here to do your pre-challenge metrics for $25 at the #AlcoholFreeFor40 kickoff event at Ochsner Fitness Center’s FUEL Café + Market on Thursday, March 7 (more details below).
THE SUPPORT: Local restaurants will offer Zero-Proof Cocktails. #HappyHourWorkouts every Thursday 6p. #MindfulMondays to start each week on the right foot. Social support at Alcohol-Free For 40 Facebook Group. Follow @EatFitNOLA on social to stay in the know.
BENEFITS: Less inflammation, better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved mood & energy, healthier-looking skin, potential weight loss. Here’s a snapshot of the many benefits that this extended detox will have on your mind, body and spirit:
- Within days you’ll notice more energy, improved sleep, clearer eyes with less under-eye circles
- Within one week you’ll notice less fluid retention and can start to see brighter skin. You’ll also likely notice fewer cravings, mental clarity and an ability to focus.
- Within a month you can start to see and feel the changes in weight, particularly if alcohol was contributing a significant bit of excess calories.
METRICS TO TRACK:
- Weight + Body Composition
- Close-up photo of face; details of eyes and skin in particular
- Labs:
- CBC (Complete Blood Count)
- Liver panel including enzymes AST & ALT
- Lipid Panel (includes triglycerides, which can be affected by alcohol)
- GGT (a specific liver test that’s most affected by alcohol)
- Vitamin B12 and Folate Panel
- hs-CRP (marker of inflammation)
- ESR (marker of inflammation)
KICK-OFF PRE-CHALLENGE METRICS: To make it as easy as possible, have your pre-and post-challenge labs and metrics completed for just $25 (a value of more than $400). Visit www.alcoholfreefor40.com for Eventbrite link with details about scheduling labs, body composition, blood pressure and close-up photo of face, skin, eyes.
Join #AlcoholFreeFor40 group on Facebook and follow @EatFitNOLA to follow the journey of others, and share your own experiences, successes, mocktail recipes, and photos.
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Want more from Molly? Click here to sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO and more! Follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram: @MollyKimballRD – and check out her weekly podcast; just search ‘Molly Kimball’ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.