DO YOU HAVE A HANGOVER FROM too many holiday gatherings? If you have consumed too many beers at the office party, you may feel you should back off drinking a bit. You would not be alone: Roughly one in five of the population partakes in “Dry January.” Today we look at Dry January and health. I will give you 5 tips for reducing alcohol consumption.
Dry January means going completely sober, without exception. The alcohol-free tradition began in 2013. The non-profit Alcohol Change UK created the first official “Dry January.” In the first year, over 4,300 individuals pledged not to drink alcohol for the month. By 2017, that number rose to more than five million.
Participants offer that avoiding alcohol for one month can reverse the negative health impacts of drinking regularly. They also explain that not drinking can improve sleep and enhance energy.
Dry January is increasingly popular.
Dry January is becoming increasingly popular, with millennials leading the way.
Here are the percentages participating in dry January:
The difficulty of staying sober
I recently read a piece about Dry January in Men’s Health. The author believes that the challenge lies in the “no exceptions” part of going sober for a month.
Nearly one in four individuals drink at least a few times during the month. Another one in four consume alcohol on more than a few days, but less than they did before entering Dry January,
https://morningconsult.com/2022/01/10/dry-january-movement-grows-in-2022/
Men’s Health explains some experts don’t have an issue with this semi-sober approach. Those who consume three to four drinks each night may not be well-served by going cold turkey.
Cutting back may be a way to dodge withdrawal symptoms. Here are some National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism strategies for cutting back on alcohol:
- Keep track of your alcohol consumption. Some use a drinking tracker card in their wallet or place check marks on a kitchen calendar. Smartphones can be useful tracking tools. Jotting a note of each drink before consuming it may also slow you down.
- Measure and count. Do you know a standard drink size? Such knowledge can help you count your drinks accurately. Here is a helpful guide to standard drinks of alcohol:
What Is A Standard Drink?
Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. www.niaaa.nih.gov
And a handy calculator:
Standard Drink Calculator – Standard Drinks
Beer, wine, or distilled spirits – you only need 2 pieces of information to calculate how many standard drinks are in a…standarddrinks.org
3. Set goals. Determine the number of days you will drink and how much you will consume on those days. Try to put in some days that are completely free of alcohol.
4. Avoid triggers. Do certain individuals trigger your urge to drink? For some, having alcohol easily available in the home is a trigger.
5. Find alternatives to alcohol. Do you have healthy ways to fill your free time? Reading or other hobbies can be wonderful additions to our lives.
One bonus:
6. Remember it is okay to say no (when offered a drink). If you don’t want to drink, don’t hesitate to offer “no thank you.” Delays in replying increase the likelihood you will say yes.
If you don’t want to drink, but an urge hits, remind yourself of your reasons for changing. Chat with a trusted friend or turn to other activities (hobbies or exercise, for instance).
My call is not to avoid all alcohol; rather, I want to give you some tools if you want to cut back a bit. Of course, if you try and cannot make progress, please seek professional help, and consider quitting alcohol or both.
Have you ever done a Dry January? Or an (almost) Dry January? If yes, you may have noticed some health benefits, including the following:
- Improved sleep. A 2013 meta-analysis discovered that while alcohol can help people fall asleep more quickly, it is likely to disrupt sleep later in the night. The bottom line? Alcohol disrupts sleep.
- You may drink less (after Dry January ends). I don’t know if the Dry January approach is the best approach to long-term moderation, but it offers a nice chance for a reassessment (and reset as indicated). A 2018 study showed that most participants continued limiting their alcohol intake.
- You give your organs a break. Chronic diseases such as fatty liver can initially be benign but later cause serious problems.
- Your metabolic health may improve. The 2018 study mentioned above looked at moderate to heavy drinkers. Even with no change in exercise or diet, the subjects reduced their blood pressure and insulin resistance. The latter impairs blood sugar regulation and is associated with a higher risk of diabetes.
- You might lose weight. On average, the 2018 study described above showed the group members lost an average of 4.5 pounds.
Whether you give up the sips in January, consistently limiting yourself to one or two drinks daily (for women and men, respectively) is a reasonable approach for most who drink.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thank you for joining me to look at “Dry January,” alcohol consumption, and health.
