The Many Health Benefits of Dry January

It’s a fresh new year, and you probably have big health goals such as going to the gym, losing weight, and eating better. But how are you planning on getting there?

It all comes down to your wellness strategy. That’s something I talked about last week in this podcast episode. Having a wellness strategy is important, but I know it isn’t easy to do on your own. So as a holistic health coach and fitness trainer, I’m helping my clients and corporations invest in themselves in a bigger way in the new year.

Why Dry January is part of my wellness strategy

Over the next year I’m going to share my own wellness strategy with all of you and how I’m breaking up my ‘goals’. I’m a productivity wizard, but I know that there are some areas that fell by the wayside due to the pandemic. Maybe you can relate. So many of us have let our healthy habits slide because we’re worn out from pandemic stress.

To build your healthy habits again, I want you to envision a tree with a strong root and many branches and leaves. Now, I want you to focus on the big branches and choose 3 categories from the following: Movement/Fitness, Nutrition/Nourishment, Relationships, Mindset, Education, Career, Spirituality, Creativity, Joy, and Wealth.  

To truly focus and be intentional this new year, I challenge you to ask yourself, “What’s important to me right now?” Don’t get me wrong, many of those we already work on daily. In fact, they may be going extremely well for you. But let’s identify the areas that would enhance your life into the leveled up version of yourself.

Here are the important ones for me this year: Nourishment, Spirituality and Wealth. For the first four months. I’m focusing primarily on my nutrition. My gut health has gotten out of whack, so I decided to use my “Follow Your Gut Workbook” to figure out what was irritating my gut. Once I realized that my sugar intake had increased over the last two years, I knew I needed to make a change. For January, I decided to reduce my sugar as well as partake in Dry January. 

What avoiding alcohol does for your health

Have you ever tried Dry January before? I’m doing it as part of my wellness strategy this year, and you may want to try it too. If you’re used to drinking alcohol, going a month without it may seem too difficult. However, there are many health benefits to going without alcohol. 

Studies have shown that people who participate in Dry January are likely to have better sleep, more energy, and an uplifted mood. They also have fewer headaches, less heartburn, and a stronger immune system. There are even studies that suggest alcohol reduction lowers a person’s cancer risk. Reducing alcohol is especially important for women – women’s bodies are more easily damaged by alcohol than men’s are.

Another benefit to Dry January is that it causes you to reexamine your reasons for drinking alcohol. If you’re bothered by the idea of temporarily giving up alcohol, think about why you believe you can’t go without it. Is there a deeper emotional reason you feel the need to have alcohol? Dry January is an excellent time for self-reflection as you look closely at your own emotions and find healthier ways to deal with them.

If you’re a heavy drinker or prone to seizures, talk with your doctor before starting Dry January. (“Heavy drinker” means more than 7 drinks per week for women and more than 14 per week for men.) Suddenly stopping all alcohol can trigger withdrawal symptoms for heavy drinkers, and people who are prone to seizures could have a higher seizure risk from suddenly stopping alcohol. Your doctor can help you reduce your alcohol intake in the way that’s best for you.

Ideas for Dry January

Make mocktails - A mocktail is an alcohol-free version of a cocktail. You can avoid alcohol while still having fun and experimenting with interesting flavors. Check out these mocktail recipes from Food Network and Bon Appétit. 

Encourage your friends - Many people drink alcohol at social events where all their friends are drinking. But you can be the one to influence your friends. Tell them you’re participating in Dry January so they’ll know why you’re not choosing alcoholic drinks. Maybe some of your friends will try it too and you can give each other encouragement.

Do it for charity - If you’re not spending money on alcohol, you could use that money for a good cause. Some people do Dry January for charity, and some even start their own mini-fundraisers to get their family and friends involved. This is a great way to improve your health while helping others at the same time!

What happens after January’s over? You may get used to not having alcohol and you’ll want to keep the “dry spell” going! But even if you don’t, be proud of yourself for trying it out for a month. Maybe Dry January can become your new yearly habit.