Bella Hadid is, no doubt, a beautiful woman. Indeed, it could be argued that she is one of the most beautiful women in the world. However, like the rest of us, she is still human.
In November 2021, Hadid got really candid about her mental health and just how bad it was affecting her life, saying in the caption “social media is not real. For anyone struggling, please remember that”. And it seems Hadid has called it quits with alcohol, at least partly because of her struggles with anxiety.
Bella Hadid admits that she stopped drinking because she “felt out of control”
In an interview with InStyle, Hadid revealed that she had given up alcohol. The model indicated that it was mostly due to her mental health and how drinking made her feel. In the interview, Hadid admitted that, in her 25 years, she had “done her fair share of drinking.”
However, she explained that once she learned from doctors just what alcohol does to the brain, she became less inclined to drink. The 25-year-old admitted that it got to the point where she would cancel plans because she feared that she wouldn’t be able to control herself and would end up drunk and, ultimately, worse off.
Image via Instagram @bellahadid
The model and actress also revealed that quitting alcohol wasn’t hugely difficult for her because she knew just how bad the after-effects would be.
“I know how it will affect me at 3 in the morning when I wake up with horrible anxiety thinking about that one thing I said five years ago when I graduated from high school”. Hadid is not alone when it comes to giving up alcohol. Chrissy Teigen also revealed recently that she had given up drinking and felt ‘healthier and happier’.
Hadid has launched her own non-alcoholic beverage
The model also, having clearly enjoyed her own sobriety, partnered with Kin, a new, alcohol-free, botanical-infused seltzer brand that claims to “enhance focus and creativity”. In fact, the reason Hadid partnered with the brand is due to the fact that she found “that it helped with her anxiety and the brain fog from her Lyme disease“.
Hadid explained that she first tried Kin back in 2019 during a particularly low point. She explained that, at the time, she was struggling with severe anxiety and burnout.
Alcohol and anxiety
Hadid admits to having used alcohol as a crutch in social situations, which she finds intimidating and anxiety-inducing. And she definitely isn’t alone, many of us (myself included) often tend to use alcohol as a way to manage anxiety, especially in social situations where we feel uncomfortable.
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Alcohol can have a negative impact on hydration and sleep. Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE explains this can trigger anxiety symptoms. Technically, alcohol is a depressant that can make you feel calmer; but usually, this backfires.
It also affects your brain
Alcohol also changes the levels of serotonin and neurotransmitters in the brain. Not only can this make your anxiety worse when you’re drinking, but once the alcohol wears off, you may feel even more anxious than you did before.
Drinking on an empty stomach is a particularly bad idea. This is because it can lead to a severe spike in blood sugar, which can trigger feelings of anxiety. If you do want to have a drink, it’s best to do so in moderation and make sure that your alcohol intake is not excessive.
Healthline recommends about 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. If you don’t want to feel left out but want to avoid drinking, you might want to follow Bella’s lead and opt for a healthy, non-alcoholic beverage.
Drinking alcohol is, in general, bad for your health
The amount that you consume isn’t immediately processed in your body. Instead, it stays in the blood until it reaches your liver, which can only then begin to remove the excess toxins from your body.
As the alcohol in your blood increases, its effects become more severe. It’s the first fuel that is burned and used as energy in your body, and it contains no nutrients. This is true no matter what you choose to drink because the calories are found in the alcohol itself and not just in the often sugar-filled additives.
The empty calories are used for fat storage and can also stimulate insulin production. This can then ultimately result in weight gain and dehydration. Alcohol is also known to decrease your body’s hormone production, which is a big factor in maintaining a healthy weight and building muscle.
As Hadid so rightly points out, when you drink alcohol before bed, it can affect your sleep patterns. And the effects last for a long time after the alcohol has been metabolized. In the longer term, alcohol consumption can cause insomnia, even if it feels like it’s helping you to sleep.
References
https://people.com/health/bella-hadid-quit-drinking-couldnt-control-herself/
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a38859157/bella-hadid-quit-drinking-anxiety/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a38867748/bella-hadid-alcohol-sobriety/
