Why I Participate in Dry January

I love the holiday season. And what’s not to love? It’s always so much fun spending time with family and friends. It’s also a time of the year that is filled with copious amounts of delicious food and drinks. Every year I say that I’ll watch what I eat and drink but unfortunately, every year I tend to overindulge.  

So when the new year arrives, I know it’s time to kick myself back into gear and get my eating and drinking back under control. 

One of the ways that I do that is I participate in an initiative called “Dry January”.  

"Dry January" is a campaign that originated in the United Kingdom in 2013. The idea behind the campaign is to encourage people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month of January. The campaign was initially launched to promote awareness of the effects of alcohol and to encourage individuals to reassess their drinking habits and last year, about 25% of people over 21 in the US successfully participated and completed the campaign. But what is also interesting, is that the majority of those that do participate are under the age of 54. Only 14% of those 55 and over participate.

There are some good reasons why someone might want to participate in Dry January. Some of these are; 

Improve Your Health: Abstaining from alcohol for a month can lead to better physical health. It may help to contribute to improved liver function, reduced blood pressure, and better overall cardiovascular health. 

Promote Better Sleep: Alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns. Many people find that eliminating alcohol for a month improves the quality of their sleep and helps them feel more rested. 

Increase Your Energy Levels: Alcohol can be dehydrating and contribute to fatigue. Taking a break from drinking may result in increased energy levels and improved concentration. 

Support Weight Loss: Alcoholic beverages often contribute to extra calories in the diet. By cutting out alcohol for a month, you might experience weight loss or maintain a healthier weight. 

Improve Mental Clarity: Some people report improved mental clarity and concentration during periods of alcohol abstinence.  

Improve Emotional Well-being: Alcohol can impact mood and generate feelings of anxiety or depression for some people. Stopping drinking alcohol may help reduce this. 

Save You Some Money: Cutting out alcohol for a month could save some money. You just have to look at the following alcohol cost calculator to find out how quickly the cost of drinks can add up. 

Also, as we age, drinking alcohol can pose some additional risks.

Our bodies are not as young as they used to be and don’t react and respond to things we ingest the same way. So how we metabolize and tolerate different foods and drinks has also changed. 

Being older, we may now feel the effects of alcohol much quicker which may then leave us at risk for increased falls, slips and other increased injuries. 

As well, given that almost 90% of older adults regularly take at least 1 prescription drug, close to 80% regularly take at least 2 prescription drugs, and 36% regularly take at least 5 different prescription drugs can pose some additional risks when it comes to alcohol. Depending on the drug being taken, mixing it with alcohol could be extremely dangerous – and potentially even deadly. 

Also, as shared by the National Institute on Aging, drinking alcohol over a long period of time can potentially lead to some of the following problems; 

• "Lead to some kinds of cancer, liver damage, immune system disorders and brain damage

• Worsen some health conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, memory loss and mood disorders

• Make some medical conditions hard for doctors to accurately diagnose and treat. For example, alcohol causes changes in the heart and blood vessels. These changes can dull pain that might be a warning sign of a heart attack

• Cause some older people to be forgetful and confused - symptoms that could be mistaken for signs of Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia." 

This will be my third year participating in Dry January and through my experience, I discovered that this activity helped to re-energize me after the holidays along with supporting my ability to reset my focus on my plans for the upcoming year. 

But as much as this activity may be a good fit for me, it might not be for someone else. So as with any new health related activity, it’s always best to consult with your own healthcare professional about your personal situation to make sure that whatever you plan to do is the right thing for you. 

So as we head into this new year, I’m looking forward to all that it has to offer and hope you are too. I wish you and all those close to you a wonderful year filled with great joy, health and happiness! 

Cheers!