Go sober for October

As much as we love a glass of wine (or five) after a long day at work, have you ever thought about how much alcohol affects your body? Have you ever thought about giving it up for a month to see how much of a difference it makes? There is no better time than October, when Macmillan is having a Go Sober for October fundraising challenge.

From the 1 to 31 October, ditch all the spirits to lift your own, and challenge yourself to 31 alcohol-free days. Whether you decide to do it to get healthier, happier or just for a lifestyle change, get friends and family to sponsor you to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

If you’re worried that you would miss alcohol too much, start replacing your favourite tipples with some different healthy juices. Lifestyle entrepreneur and Health and Fitness Ambassador for Macmillan Cancer Support, Andrew Cooper, is lending his juicing expertise to ensure participants don’t fall off the wagon. As someone who has been a healthy eating advocate since his modelling days, and someone whose loved ones have been affected by cancer, this is a charity that is very close to his heart. Here are his top tips for staying healthy and committed to not drinking for October.

Do it all at home

Despite the convenience of it, you don’t need to go to juice bars and spend a fortune buying one everyday. Make your own with fresh ingredients, so you can experiment with different combinations to make juicing more fun. If you make a corner especially for making juices and smoothies in the kitchen, it will become part of your morning routine. You can also create a mood board for all of your recipes to liven your kitchen up with some healthy juice ideas!

Add something a little extra

If you find smoothies and juices a bit bland sometimes, simply add some citrus to your juice in the morning to alkalise your system for the day ahead, which will give you more energy and alertness, or for later in the day, add some spices and herbs, such as cayenne pepper, chilli or ginger. These are hugely beneficial health wise, as some spices can speed up your metabolism and give you more energy to attack the day.

Find the time

If you want to do a juice cleanse but don’t have time in the morning, whizz everything up in the blender the night before, pop it in a Ziplock Bag and freeze. All you need to do is add liquid and blend in the morning and away you go! Just remember, go as fresh as you can: the fresher fruit and vegetables have the most juice yield. If you know you’re about to have a busy couple of days, juice extra for later. Keep your concoction in an air tight container, whether it be a jar or a bottle, and your juice will keep for another 24 hours. Fill it to the top to make sure there isn’t a lot of air in the top, and it will be fresh for whenever you want it next!

All money raised by sponsorship goes straight to Macmillan Cancer Support to help ensure that no one goes through cancer alone. If you want to get involved or get some more information on their Go Sober for October fundraiser, visit gosober.co.uk.