Follow These 5 Steps If You Don't Want Alcohol To Sabotage Your Health

This higher-than-usual alcohol consumption also places extra strain on your body—during a time when stress from work, family, and travel is also at peak levels. If you don't want to completely forgo alcohol this season, consider following these five steps to protect your liver and overall health while drinking: 

As Jessica Cording, M.S, R.D., CDN, INHC, previously told mindbodygreen, "Dehydration makes it harder for all organs to function, including the liver." Since it's the liver's role to break down 90% of the alcohol1 you consume, it's imperative to keep this organ in tiptop shape. So don't let something as preventable as dehydration slow your body's main detox organ down. 

And this digestion process triggers the liver to increase alcohol metabolism3—so by the time alcohol actually reaches the liver, the organ can more efficiently break this toxin down.

"Ultimately, when it comes to liver health and alcohol consumption, fewer drinks are better," says Muzzy. So, it may be a smart idea to stick to just one alcoholic beverage per event (if you choose to even drink at all). Just remember that a "standard drink4" is considered to be:

Don't know what to reach for? Check out this list of dietitian-approved drinks for more healthful choices if and when you decide to drink. 

To make sure alcohol is completely out of your system by the time you go to bed, consider wrapping up your consumption at least four to six hours before hitting the hay. If you still want to have a glass in your hand into the wee hours of the night, try one of these no-ABV options. 

mindbodygreen's liver detox+ feeds your detox organs (like the liver) with antioxidants like glutathione, milk thistle, and NAC to efficiently eliminate toxins before they become a burden.*

We're not here to tell you that you have to go completely sober this holiday season in the name of health, but there are certain habits you should be conscious of to minimize the negative impacts of overindulgence. Make sure you hydrate with water and electrolytes, pair alcohol with a meal, keep to one drink at each party, and avoid drinking late in the evening. For extra credit, opt for ongoing liver support with liver detox+—because, let's face it, this organ could be putting in overtime for the next few weeks.*