How hard would it be for you to go without alcohol for a month?
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Not one midi of beer. Not one sip of wine.
Nothing.
A lot of people would do it fairly easily. But, for many, alcohol is as much a part of their lives as it is a part of the Australian culture. And going without is a challenge.
A National Health and Research Council Study showed that 41 per cent of Australians have a drink weekly.
All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus, Lochinvar year 8 co-ordinator and English teacher Matthew Goodwin is one of thousands of Australians who took the Life Education Ocsober challenge and gave up alcohol for the month of October.
Mr Goodwin seems to be a pretty regular bloke.
He says he enjoys a beer as much as the next bloke but tries to be reasonably healthy. He makes an effort to get enough exercise and maintain a healthy diet.
The 37-year-old told the Mercury this week that, much to his surprise, the challenge of cutting out alcohol wasn’t as big a challenge as he thought it would be.
The health benefits for the Bolwarra Heights man were marked and the impact 100 per cent good.
He even dropped five kilograms.
While the main thrust of Ocsober is raising money for Life Education, which has been a part of school life in Australia for 35 years, the challenge of staying off the grog may bring the most positives to the lives of the adults who participate.
Regardless of what month it is, it might be worth having a go at leaving out alcohol for 30 days.
You never know what the benefits might be for you.
