10 reasons to sign up for OcSober

10 Reasons to sign-up for this OCSOBER!

Are you tossing up whether to register for Ocsober this year, and cut out alcohol for the month? Well here are our top 10 reasons to sign-up:

1. Lose weight. Did you know there are 120 calories in a glass of wine and 170 in a schooner of beer?
2. Save money. Australians spend an average of $31 a week buying alcohol.(Canstar Blue Study, July 11)
3. Wake up with a clear head. Avoid waking up feeling fuzzy, hung over or tired. Short-term alcohol consumption can produce effects on the brain, stress and sleep deprivation. (MHMRC 2001)
4. Raise money for a good cause. Help raise $750,000 for Life Education to continue to deliver health, drug and alcohol education programs in schools.
5. Improve overall health. Swap a glass of wine for water and you will be doing wonders for your skin as well as overall health. Use the month to focus on restoring a healthy glow, with diet and exercise!
6. Be a positive role model. Set an example to young people. Research shows 25 per cent of 14-19 year olds drank alcohol on a daily or weekly basis in the last 12 months. (AIHW 2005a)
7. Embrace the team spirit! Create your own fundraising team or ‘team up’ with the Ocsober Ambassadors and Legends and have fun this Ocsober. See who’s registered: www.ocsober.com.au
8. Reduce drinking habit. If you have been indulging lately, this is a great way to curb drinking behavior – with 15 per cent of adult males and 12 per cent of adult females reporting they drink at risky/high risk levels. (Alcohol Consumption in Aust.: A Snapshot, 2004-05,ABS)
9. ‘Detox’ before the party season! What better time to give your liver a boost then just before the festive season kicks off with Christmas parties, after work drinks and office lunches.
10. Do it for yourself. Prove to yourself that you can go for one month without alcohol, and that you can also have fun without it!

Register now at www.ocsober.com.au and create your individual or group fundraising page and join Legends around Australia in cutting out alcohol this Ocsober.

Still not sure you’ll make it? Here are some mocktail recipes to get you through

Mocktail recipes

by Luis Bruce, Cocktail Mixologist @ Cruise

King’s Ginger
1 part Apple Juice
3 parts Ginger Beer
Squeeze of fresh Lime Juice
Dash of Bitters
Method
Build all ingredients over ice in a tall glass.
Garnish with a lime wheel twist and cucumber slices

Pineapple & Mint Martini
3 chunks of fresh Pineapple
5 mint leaves
60mls Pineapple Juice
1 tsp raw sugar
Method
Muddle pineapple and mint
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with mint leaf/pineapple sage.

Lychee & Passionfruit Crush
4 Lychees
3 Lime Chunks
1 tsp Passionfruit pulp
1 tsp Raw Sugar
Topped with apple juice
Method
Muddle / crush all fruit with sugar, add apple juice and shake with ice, serve in tumbler glass.
Garnish with a skewered Lychee ball.

Berry and Lime Mocktail
(by Michelle Bridges)

3 blackberries
3 raspberries
3 strawberries
1/2 a lime, quartered
1 tbsp. simple syrup
Method
Muddle the berries and lime.
Add crushed ice, top with soda water and simple syrup and stir well.
Garnish with mint. Less than 100 calories per drink!