Kristína Suchánková, known as “The Tolerant Cook“, is a Slovak food blogger who has been actively promoting a healthy lifestyle – which does not include alcohol – for a long time. In the interview, she openly talks about what led her to this, how the people around her reacted to her decision and what positive changes she noticed in her life thanks to it. Together we will delve into the topic of modern society, where alcohol is often seen as part of entertainment, and why Kristina decided to go against this trend.
Could you tell us about your personal journey to abstinence from alcohol? What made you do that?
As I state in all the interviews on this topic, I have never drunk too much alcohol. And since I was pregnant for the first time until I finished breastfeeding my second child, which is a total of 7 years, I drank alcohol a few times a year, symbolically. Toast New Year’s Eve in style. I decided to completely abstain based on a bet with my coach, who motivated me that drinking alcohol is counterproductive to our training.
What health risks associated with alcohol consumption motivated you to decide to stop drinking?
Considering that the topic I have been dealing with for a long time is healthy nutrition, I know that no amount of alcohol is beneficial to health. According to the latest scientific data and according to the WHO, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. The health risks of alcohol range from cancer to increased risk of stroke, dementia, depression and we could go on for a long time.
What do you think stops people from becoming more interested in the health effects of alcohol?
People don’t like to hear about the health risks of alcohol because they don’t want to give it up. It is confirmed to me every time I start talking or writing about this topic.
How does your environment react to your decision?
I was a little worried that my decision would be met with misunderstanding and that people would convince me. I must say that it did not happen. Maybe if I announced it in our group during the height, it would be met with misunderstanding, at our age and in the society in which I move, everyone fully respects this decision, even a few friends joined me and also stopped drinking alcohol completely . Some people are a bit bothered, not because I don’t drink, but because they feel bad drinking in front of me and think I’m going to judge them.
What advice would you give to people who want to reduce or completely eliminate alcohol consumption from their lives?
Don’t be ashamed of this decision and tell yourself that you are the coolest person at the party. The one who has enough willpower and won’t take it even if they offer it a hundred times.
How do you think is possible to effectively fight against social pressure to consume alcohol?
Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. As part of my work, I attend many social events where alcohol is almost always served. I don’t drink it and I’m not ashamed of it. On the contrary, I am proud of it and more and more friends are joining me because they see that I am not missing anything. Rather the opposite.
What would you like young people to know about alcohol and its effects on health?
Alcohol affects every organ and every cell of the human body. They say genes are the charge, but lifestyle is the trigger. Again, we will not make a drama here about when a young person gets drunk a few times. But drinking alcohol on a regular basis is demonstrably harmful to health. In addition, alcohol causes extreme weight gain (empty calories), wastes money, spoils sleep, and even a small dose can make an erection impossible for men.
What are the main benefits that you have noticed since the beginning of your abstinence?
I save on drinks and taxis, I save thousands of calories because I mostly only drink water, I always get a perfect night’s sleep and in the morning I can go straight for a run or to the gym. I have just as much fun at the event with mineral water as I do with two glasses of wine.
How do you manage social situations where alcohol is a common part, and how do you communicate your decision to be abstinent?
Just like with alcohol, we normally dance there with our friends or sing when we are in a good mood. I don’t even have to communicate it anymore, no one even offers me alcohol anymore. Or they welcome me proudly with the fact that they also provided non-alcoholic wine/drinks for me.
What would you like people to know about life without alcohol that is often overlooked or misunderstood?
That life without alcohol is not boring. And that taking care of your health is a bigger deal than knowingly destroying it in exchange for a few “fun” nights that you can have even without alcohol.
How do you think alcohol affects society and what do you think should change in the approach to alcohol on a social level?
Alcohol has long been perceived as something that causes fun, probably also thanks to alcohol producers who have marketing based on it, or, for example, films, music videos, or influencer profiles, where alcohol is presented everywhere as something cool. Alternatively, in movies or on funny videos, alcohol is portrayed as something that will provide relief from a breakup/being fired from work/a difficult day with a small child. I think everyone should respect people who don’t want to drink alcohol and stop convincing them with hackneyed phrases like “one driver”, “in one leg and in the other”, “you can drink even if you are pregnant” and the like. And stop drinking every sad and happy occasion with alcohol.
Does abstinence from alcohol affect your work and personal relationships? If so, what kind?
I feel that it has an effect on my work and personal relationships, but rather a positive one – people join me. I also meet with understanding on this topic on Instagram. On the contrary, when I posted a video on Facebook about the dangers of alcoholism, I received dozens of derisive comments. All from men.
Do you think that educational campaigns and programs about alcohol are sufficient? What improvements would you suggest?
In my experience, leading by example has the biggest impact on people. In my opinion, people are inspired by personal experience and an example a hundred times more than boring generic campaigns where the risks of drinking alcohol are listed over and over again. Rather, I would try to present to people the benefits of life without alcohol by a personality they can identify with, rather than scaring them with risks that are distant and abstract to them. Just as alcohol has been presented as something cool until now, start presenting abstainers as the cool ones. Otherwise, did you know that only 5% are abstinent in Slovakia, including recovered alcoholics?
Can you share specific examples of how abstinence has positively affected your physical and mental health?
As I mentioned, I’ve never been a heavy drinker, so I don’t notice any drastic changes between having a glass of wine once a month or not. For me, abstinence affects life more after the practical, for example, the fact that I can be completely flexible thanks to the possibility of driving. This has paid off for me and my friends repeatedly, when I was the only one in the party who could drive and, for example, take someone to the emergency room, drive a car at night for repairs, or now recently drive at night from the unhappily terminated Pohoda. Also, when I was filling out the calorie tables, I saw how many unnecessary calories one mojito or 2 glasses of wine would add to me. Alcohol also demonstrably destroys progress in sports, and I am currently engaged in running, which is better for me than alcohol. Last but not least, I want my children to see that it is not a rule that every adult drinks at every possible opportunity. I don’t want them to grow up knowing that being an adult equals drinking alcohol.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Kristina for the interview and we will keep our fingers crossed for her in the future.
