The benefits of dry January revealed!
Are you doing it?
My wife and I are.
After a way too much fun holiday season, I think it’s safe to say we all might have overdone the eating and drinking this holiday season. Heck, who am a fooling, it’s the same pattern every holiday season!
We have done “Dry January” before, but after our New Year’s Weekend away in Nashville, we felt especially compelled to do it this year.
If you have ever gone to Nashville, there are plenty of non-drinking things to do, like tour Music Row, The Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall Of Fame or the new National Museum Of African American Music.
But the crowd of tens of thousands on Nashville’s Broadway would suggest the number 1 activity there is eating and drinking!
We might have returned to the Delaware Valley a bit “bloated”! So, “Dry January” it is!
Dry January began in 2012 as an initiative by Alcohol Change UK, a British charity, to “ditch the hangover, reduce the waistline and save some serious money by giving up alcohol for 31 days.”
It certainly has caught on as millions of people around the globe do the challenge.
It’s not too late to start! You can still do a 31 day alcohol break and reset your body and mind for 2023!
and now, the benefits of dry January revealed!
Better Sleep
Have you noticed this on your Fitbit? Your resting heartbeat while sleeping is at a lower more healthful rate when you don’t drink!
Better Blood Pressure
Without drinking, not only is your resting heartbeat lower, so is your blood pressure!
Better Skin
Alcohol dilates the blood vessels, that’s a reason people feel warmer while drinking. Not drinking booze reduces redness and you are more hydrated. Great for your skin!
Liver Recovery
Drinking too much can mess up your liver. The liver is what breaks down the alcohol in your body. If it works too hard that can lead to liver disease. Good news, the liver can heal itself after just a few days of not drinking alcohol.
Better Immune System
Drinking too much will weaken your immune system. Dry January gives your immune system a chance to recover during months when we are more likely to catch a cold, flu and Covid.
Weight Loss
Did you know that alcohol prevents the body from burning fat? It also adds to sugar and starch entering your system. Backing off the booze takes away all those empty alcohol calories that would entered your system. Lose some weight without exercising, just do “Dry January”!
A New Relationship With Alcohol Moving Forward
Dry January gives you a chance to really think about your relationship with alcohol. Good Luck to you and Cheers to a Happy and Healthy New Year…and a healthy relationship with alcohol!
