DECIDING TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE is the New Year’s resolution expressed most by my patients. Today, I want to talk about how you can kickstart your journey by embracing Dry January — meaning giving up alcohol for the entire month. Dry January.
As the new year begins, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on your drinking habits.
Perhaps the holiday celebrations led to overindulgence and a string of hangovers.
With its chilly weather and the end of festivities, January can leave you feeling low. That’s why cutting back on alcohol might seem like a good choice to reset and regain some energy.
What Is Dry January?
“Dry January” was started in 2012 by a United Kingdom nonprofit called Alcohol Change UK.
In the beginning, around 4,000 folks committed to not drinking any alcohol for the entire month. Now in its 11th year, it’s come a long way since then, with over 175,000 participating in 2023.
Now, millions join in. It even caught on in the United States. Dry January means giving up alcohol for a month, with no exceptions.
You Are Not Alone
You’re not alone if you choose to cut back on your January alcohol intake.
A survey by Morning Consult found that 15 percent of people planned to participate in Dry January 2023, with 70 percent committed to abstaining from alcohol for the entire month.
It can be a positive step towards a healthier you.
What Are Americans Drinking?
Before considering the upsides of participating in a dry January, let’s consider what Americans drink.
There are some sex differences:
Why Consider Participating in Dry January?
If you want to cut back on your alcohol intake or kick off the new year on a healthier note, consider taking part in the Dry January challenge.
Drinking a lot or over a long time can lead to physical and mental issues, especially in older adults.
Drinking-associated problems can include:
- Heart and liver damage.
- A higher cancer risk.
- A weaker immune system.
- Memory troubles.
- Mood disorders.
It Doesn’t Take Much
However, even just cutting out alcohol for a month can make a big difference in your health.
A BMJ Open prospective (non-randomized) study found that regular drinkers who took a 30-day break experienced better sleep, more energy, and weight loss.
They also saw improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels and a decrease in certain proteins linked to cancer. So, giving your body a break from alcohol can bring some positive changes!
Even Non-Heavy Drinkers Can Benefit
I am sometimes surprised by the amount of alcohol my patients report drinking.
It is not uncommon for them to consume three or four standard-sized alcoholic drinks daily.
For such individuals, dry January can help normalize alcohol abstention or drinking less. I have seen friends and patients have a permanent change in their alcohol consumption.
I help individuals with cancer. For many, cutting back is a choice for the associated health benefits. However, their family members often hear the message about excess alcohol and associated health perils and decrease their alcohol consumption.
Dry January: 7 Tips on Cutting Back Alcohol
Here are seven hacks to decreasing the amount of alcohol you consume:
- Think and drink in units. To reduce alcohol-related risk, the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to two standard drinks or less in a day for men or one for women, on days when alcohol is consumed. Here is a unit calculator:
- Track your drinking. Recording your alcohol consumption for a few weeks can help you understand your drinking pattern so you can decide if you want to make a change. This app can help you track:
Try Dry: the app to help you cut down | Alcohol Change UK
You can now download Try Dry: the Dry January app for free to help you drink more healthily.
- Set limits. Decide what you want to drink in advance. Stick to your plan.
- Eat before you drink. Eating will slow down the alcohol absorbed into your bloodstream. Eating can help you pace yourself.
- It’s okay to say no. Not all of us drink alcohol. It is fine for us to say no.
- Avoid temptations. If I don’t want to eat excessive sweets, I keep them out of my home. If you are trying to limit your alcohol, keep it out of the house. Heading to a party? Consider bringing non-alcoholic drinks.
- Monitor your well-being. Track your energy, sleep, mood, and craving intensity.
Conclusions — From Booze to Benefits: The Surprising Science Behind Dry January’s Health Makeover
I will end with this bit from Alcohol Change UK:
“Dry January. Are you in? 31 days alcohol-free, a break and a total reset for the body and mind with Alcohol Change UK. Sleep better and have more energy, improve your mental health and concentration, get brighter skin, save money and feel an amazing sense of achievement. It’s about you taking a break, living better, feeling better. Starting your new year, the right way.”
I like that you can use Dry January to reflect on your drinking habits.
If you lose alcohol cravings, you might consider continuing for another month. Alternatively, you might shift to using drinking as an occasional indulgence.
In summary, Dry January may allow you to:
- Have a better mood
- Sleep better
- Drink less the rest of the year
- Improve your health.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Finally, acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, headaches, shaky hands, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, or sweating.
Severe symptoms can kick in within two or three days after you stop drinking. They can include hallucinations, delirium, racing heart rate, and fever.
People who are clinically alcohol dependent can die if they suddenly, completely stop drinking.
If you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, please immediately seek medical help.
One More Thing
On the other hand, if you struggle with the January Dry Month challenge, you may need help cutting back.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides a helpful resource: Rethinking Drinking.
For most individuals, the organization recommends limiting alcohol to two daily drinks or less for men and no more than one drink a day for women.
Thank you for reading “From Booze to Benefits: The Surprising Science Behind Dry January’s Health Makeover.” For those who choose to consume moderate amounts of alcohol, enjoy.
