Following their beautiful August wedding, Erin McGregor and her now husband Terry Kavanagh have jetted off to Mauritius for their honeymoon. Soaking up the sun beachside, the couple have been sharing snippets of their lavish trip, with Erin dubbing it their ‘mam and dad’s rest and reset honeymoon’. RELATED: Erin McGregor reveals emotional way she […]
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AFTER a heavy night out you might claim “I’m never drinking again” – but would you ever actually give alcohol up entirely?
Actress Anne Hathaway, model Cara Delevingne and former Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews are just three of the many famous faces that have either gone tee-total or embraced a more sober lifestyle.
In fact, in a recent interview with The Sun on Sunday, Spencer, 35, described his previous relationship with alcohol as ‘out of control’.
But since giving it up in 2018, he’s now able to ‘push his boundaries‘ – and completed 30 marathons in 30 days in August.
We all know that booze is harmful to the body, with chronic consumption risking liver damage or failure, heart disease, stroke, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer.
But alcohol can have a big effect on how we look, too.
Dr Emma Cunningham, aesthetic doctor and founder of Dr Emma Clinics, explains that it can wreak havoc on our skin.
She says: “Chronic alcohol use often results in dehydration, which strips the skin of its natural moisture, causing dryness, dullness, and fine lines and wrinkles.”
If you already suffer from conditions such as rosacea and psoriasis, alcohol can make these worse, according to Dr Cunningham.
It can lead to a flushed complexion due to the dilation of blood vessels.
Dr Emma adds: “Alcohol can also impair the liver’s ability to detoxify the body which can lead to a build-up of toxins that could contribute to skin inflammation and breakouts.”
Shenaz Sharrif, founder of The Face and Body Clinic, London, says: “For the scalp, alcohol causes dehydration, leading to dryness, flakiness, and exacerbating conditions like dandruff and hair loss.”
Oh, and let’s not forget the empty calories in alcohol which can cause weight gain.
A 250ml glass of red packs in about 200, whilst a pint of beer is around 210.
Here, four people tell the stories of how they realised they were drinking too much, what happened when they quit, and how long it took to feel and look better.
Jodi Clark, 41, Nottinghamshire
Jodie quit alcohol in 2022, aged 39, and is now a sober coach and mentor and founder of Sober Flourish.
She says: “Since a young age I’d always been a big fan of letting off steam every weekend.
“Alcohol featured heavily in my life ever since then. It was deeply ingrained into everything I classed as ‘fun’.
“During Covid I gained a lot of weight due to drinking more regularly and the stress of working from home with a two-year-old and a 10-year old… I was firmly at the bottom of the priority list.
“I made a choice coming home from an all-inclusive holiday in 2022 that I would take a 100-day break from alcohol.
“A couple of months in, I knew I’d never drink again.
“I was experiencing so many personal benefits from not drinking; I was finally able to be consistent in my fitness goals and nutrition, I was more patient and present with the boys, I was happier, my anxiety had vanished, I was losing weight, my skin and eyes looked brighter, my sleep was incredible, I was performing better at work.
“Now, almost two years alcohol-free, and I’m a qualified alcohol-free/sobriety and self development coach.”
John Keltner, 59, California
John lost one and a half stone by following the Alcohol Free Lifestyle Project 90, going booze-free five and a half years ago when he was 53.
He says: “I used to drink beer and whiskey, I didn’t sleep well, I wasn’t clear-headed, I did not look forward to getting up in the morning.”
Now, at 59, he says he feels healthy and athletic.
“I had to get slightly smaller glasses because of all of the loss of puffiness in my cheeks,” he says.
“Everybody compliments me and says, ‘Oh, it looks like you’ve lost weight’. And some of them kid with me about looking skinny.”
Michelle Pezzaioli, 51, Staffordshire
Michelle gave up alcohol in January 2024 and after just 100 days, she noticed a huge difference in how she looked and felt.
She says: “I had noticed over some time that I was saying to myself the next day after drinking, ‘I’m not doing this again’, or, ‘I need to stop’; this was whether I had one glass or one bottle.
“I just felt horrible all the time. I was fatigued, nauseous, I had no energy or motivation, I was unbelievably anxious all the time, withdrawn…the list goes on!
“I was also slap bang in perimenopause and I had read a lot about alcohol and the effect it has on that.
“I found I actually wasn’t enjoying drinking anymore, it just really was a habit.
“I started with Dry January and haven’t looked back.
“The improvement I have seen far outweighs ever drinking again.
“I just feel happier, healthier than I have done in years and my perimenopause symptoms have vastly improved.”
Victoria English, 53, Colorado
Victoria English is a mum of three, cancer survivor and now, a stop-drinking coach at Alcohol-Free Lifestyle.
She says she would ‘self-medicate’ with drinking while raising her young children, which was then worsened by having a divorce in the early 2000s.
She mostly drank wine and in 2009, realised it had become a problem, struggling to avoid goals such as ‘not drinking until Friday’.
It was surviving triple-negative breast cancer – diagnosed in 2018 – that gave her the motivation to give up for good, after her oncologist said, “You just fought for you life, are you really going to let this take you out?”.
Victoria quit drinking aged 47, and lost 2st (13kg) as a result of going alcohol-free.
“And this happened during menopause,” she says.
“Most women believe it is impossible to lose weight after the ‘change’.
“Internally, alcohol won’t be doing you any favours either.”
IF you think you might have a problem with booze then you may need to seek help.
This might be the case if you often feel the need to have a drink or if you get into trouble because of your drinking.
If other people have warned you about your alcohol habits and it’s causing you problems, then a good place to start is your GP.
There are other places you can go to get help too. These include:
EARLIER this year, social media was abuzz with news that teachers can now sign up for the popular Blue Light Card – a discount scheme that’s saved my family hundreds of pounds over the years.
It’s no wonder that so many teachers were trying to take advantage of their newfound eligibility that the website crashed and the company had to introduce a waiting list to join.
We’ve been using our Blue Light Card, launched in 2008, since its very early days as my husband’s in the emergency services.
Over the years, the savings have really added up, especially when it comes to booking holidays and days out.
It’s my go-to app when I’m looking at whether I can get a discount on tickets, hotel rooms or even breaks away.
It’s now second nature for me to use it when I book a UK holiday park, as both Butlin’s and Haven are the among those covered.
We’ve been visiting Butlin’s at least once a year since my eldest son, aged 12, was born.
Every time we’ve used our Blue Light Card privilege, it’s saved us £20, adding up to more than £200 over the last decade.
And our Haven savings probably add up to about the same amount over the years too.
It’s certainly not bad for a discount scheme that only costs £5 to join.
When my husband first became a member, it was free if you just joined online or £5 for five years if you wanted a card to keep in your wallet.
Now it costs £5 for two years, but there’s lots of people still waiting for their application to be processed as the company works its way through the backlog from the summer rush.
We’ve also had some great deals on days out over the years with our Blue Light Card.
Sometimes the card holder can get in for free, with other friends and family members bagging a discounted rate.
We’ve done that before at attractions like the Legoland Discovery Centre in Birmingham.
I’ve noticed that lots of circuses have been offering free Blue Light Card tickets this year.
The big theme parks like Alton Towers and Legoland even host exclusive members-only days out, with tickets that can only be bought through the Blue Light Card site.
These usually run at the start and end of the season and often include discounted prices for the on-site hotels as well.
The attractions that participate in the Blue Light Card scheme can change regularly, meaning there isn’t a comprehensive list of places.
It’s worth checking whether the discount is valid before planning a day out.
Some of the current participating attractions include:
Blue light cardholders can also make big savings on their holidays with the following websites:
But you’ll need to be quick if you want to bag a bargain as these member-only days often sell out on the day they go on sale.
Whether it’s taking £20 off a stay at Butlin’s or bagging a bargain theme park ticket, it’s worth taking your time to trawl through the website, or the app, to see what appeals to you.
There’s so many partner companies signed up that there’s bound to be stuff you’re already buying that you could save on.
You can even use your card in the least likely places and sometimes those small wins are the best of all.
We had an excellent takeaway meal from My Plaice in Gorleston while we were on holiday in Great Yarmouth and the owner knocked 10 per cent off the price of our fish and chips when my husband showed our Blue Light Card.
I think the deals to be had with the Blue Light Card beat those on offer with other discount cards like Kids Pass, which I’ve also been using this year.
If you’ve heard about Blue Light and thought it wasn’t for you, maybe it’s time to take another look and see if your job qualifies for membership, now the categories covered have been extended beyond the emergency services, military and healthcare professionals.
I’ve shared other money-saving hacks on days out in the UK, including a kid’s pass.
Earlier this year, we revealed some of the best free kids’ attractions in London for families to visit.
WITH the weather turning colder, if you want to keep your home warm this winter, but without breaking the bank, fear not, you’ve come to the right place.
There’s nothing worse than having a cosy night in on the sofa, but feeling freezing cold.
And with our purses feeling tighter than ever before, if the thought of turning the heating on sends shivers down your spine, don’t worry, as here’s a simple hack that will help reduce your bills, without needing to compromise on staying warm.
Luckily for you, an insulation expert has shared a super simple and incredibly affordable trick that could wipe £200 off your bills – yes, you heard that correctly.
Not only this, but you may even have the secret in your cupboard already – and if not, you’ll be pleased to know it’ll cost you just 99p thanks to a Sainsbury’s buy.
Michael Wray from National Insulation Supplies shared his cost-saving hack that’s cheaper than a Greggs Sausage Roll and according to him, will wipe 10-12% off your bills – whilst making your home much toastier.
According to Michael Wray, using tin foil could be the difference between a really cold and a toasty home this winter.
He explained: “Adding large pieces of foil, which can be purchased as little as £1, to the back of your radiator, will reflect your radiator’s heat back into the room.
“The hack is even cheaper if you have aluminium foil already in your kitchen.”
According to the expert, the tin foil hack operates on a simple principle: aluminum foil is an excellent heat reflector.
When placed behind a radiator, the foil reflects heat back into the room instead of allowing it to escape through the wall.
As a result, this effectively traps heat, making your home warmer and reducing the need for excessive heating, which in turn, will save you that much-needed cash.
If you fancy giving this trick a try, you will first need to find a full roll of foil, a ruler, and a pencil.
Next, carefully measure the height and width of your radiator.
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
Using the measurements, then cut strips of the foil to fit behind the radiator.
Then all you need to do is simply place the foil strips behind the radiator, ensuring they are securely attached to the wall, and if you like, you can use adhesive tape to keep it in place.
In addition to this, Michael shared his other top tips to ensure your home stays warm, whilst your energy bills remain low this winter.
Not only will you need to open your curtains, but checking your insulation is key too.
MARTIN Lewis' MoneySavingExpert shared six gadgets that can help you keep the heating off but stay warm.
Heating “the human not the home” means you warm yourself instead of turning on the heating and heating the whole house.
This can save money on your heating bill and means you don’t have to sit in the cold.
He recommended: “Ensure your entire home is well-insulated to prevent heat loss through walls, windows, and doors.”
In addition to this, he added: “Caulk and weatherstrip around windows and doors to prevent drafts.
“Lower your thermostat during the night or when you’re away from home.
“Open curtains and blinds during sunny days to allow sunlight to warm your home.”
Finally, if you haven’t got a smart thermostat yet, Michael explained that it might be a good idea to get one, as he concluded: “Invest in a smart thermostat to automate heating and cooling settings based on your schedule and preferences.”
