The Benefits of Dry January & How to do it in The Doldrums of Winter

LifestyleWellnessTravel

Jan 10

Written By Andrea | Chapter 50

Dry January, Benefits of dry, sober curious, Chapter 50 lifestyle

Benefits of Dry January Is Making Me Try it

WOW!

You scrolled past the crown-wearing-dancing-dog video and stopped on MY DRY JANUARY reel?!

I’m touched!

AHHHHHH - you clicked the wrong link?

It happens.
But as long as you’re here…

DO YOU WANNA TRY DRY JANUARY WITH ME?

I know I wrote last week on the UN-Resolution Year, and now I show up with this post, which is alllllmost like a resolution.

but it’s NOT

Serrrrrrr-iously! It isn’t.

This is a month-long #dryjanuarychallenge to test out which, with all the science-y stuff below, will improve our bodily lifestyle::

Better sleep
Drop a few ounces
Or stop the microcosmus stomach grumblings that awaken when spirits cross your lips

Or maybe you want door #4:: a reset from all the CHEER you imbibed during the holiday season.

🍷🤷🏻‍♀️

Join in the mystique of aging your wine another month, and leave your cabernet in the wine fridge for January.

The tequilier {sommelier of tequila} also phoned to let me know:: the worm in the bottom of your mezcal bottle will remain sip-a-ri-fic by the end of January, too...

…which merry-go-rounds me back to my first question:: Do you wanna give dry January a good ol’ college try? {OOHHH, my dear college students, give those livers a break, SAVE SOME MOOLA, feel healthier, and join in on this one! The best hangover cure is avoiding the alcohol😁}

Who Started This Anyway?

Te history teacher in me couldn’t resist looking up the origin of Dry January.

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.”

Other goodies that might come with this one-month challenge::

Better Sleep
Better Concentration
Brighter/healthier-looking skin
Drop a few pounds
More energy/motivation
Keep the stomach kraken at bay

The Science-y Stuff Behind Dry January

So you clicked into this Chapter 50 blog post to pass the time while you’re in the check-out line or sitting at the airport. As long as you’re waiting around, may as well check out science stuff too. Yes, it can be dry, but there will be ONE STAT that GRABS YOU!

I dropped my own commentary in also to lift up the drab and dull statistic-science-speak. DRAB & DULL never, in the history of ever, got anyone to read.

The Science Stat:: “Alcohol hits the neurochemical pathways in our brain and releases endorphins that make us feel good,” says Michael Levy, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of Take Control of Your Drinking.

My Take:: Sitting down with a glass of wine or your 2-for-1 margarita night at casa de Jones in your Pepto-Bismol-pink pajamas most definitely, temporarily, gives a sense of calm and comfort.

Science Stat:: A moderate consumption of alcohol for women is about one glass per day and no more than seven per week. Drinking more than that can lead to a slew of health issues. “A month-long break could be the kickstart you’re looking for in the new year,” Levy says.

My Take:: It can be easy to sip right past that number on a cozy night in; one more glass wouldn’t hurt, right? How many glasses do you drink in a week?

Science Stat {Harvard Health Medical School}:: “While drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is associated with health benefits for some people in observational studies, heavier drinking and long-term drinking can increase physical and mental problems, especially among older adults. Heart and liver damage, a higher cancer risk, a weakened immune system, memory issues, and mood disorders are common issues.”
“Cutting out alcohol for even a month can make a noticeable difference in your health.”

My Take:: I’m an easy test monkey. The first two articles I read proclaimed “BETTER SLEEP” and “BETTER CONCENTRATION”. Those four words have me saying, “Sign me up!”

Bonus Science-y Stat:: Last research stat why, even for a month, to give Dry January a dry run to see which benefits you notice.

Joining me this month?

Maybe a Dry-ish January then?

“Dryish January” — a little more dry than December. Drinking less, even if you don’t give up alcohol altogether, can help too. Ish-ing has its benefits too.

{I’ve been no-sugar-ISH for like, 4,347 days now and failed on 3,998 of those days. But I keep trying. My downfall is the chocolate and caramel combo!🥴}

What To drink in dry January?

1/ Find a substitute to drink:: fill your wine glass with fruit-infused water or flavored sparkling water.

2/ Try my oh-so-EASY Bubbly Lemon-Lime Drink

3/ Any Aperol Spritz fans in the house? {If you’re Italian, you HAVE to answer yes!}

My January substitute::

1 part Wilfred’s Aperitif {NA version to Aperol}
2 parts tonic water
orange slice in the glass + fancy extra for a cute garnish

Grab your pretty wine glass, fill with ice, drop in orange slice and pour Aperitif + Tonic to top off. Turn on some Emily in Paris on Netflix and be all fancy on a Tuesday night 🤗

4/ I found this one on the Betty Buzz site. If you like ginger beer, Bourbon mules, Moscow mules…Give this drink a stir::

Ginger Apple

Half Bottle of Ginger Beer
2 oz. Cloudy Apple Juice
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
Cinnamon Simple Syrup {‘simple’ to make + keep in the fridge}
Garnish with an Apple Fan to be fancy-ish

Combine all except the apple of your eye in the shaker, give it a shimmy-shake and pour over ice in your stylish bar glass. Only fits to watch Gossip Girl, A Simple Favor, or The Age of Adaline while you sip since Blake Lively started the company.

5/ The "sober-curious" trend has NA drinks popping up on a lot of menus, along with alcohol-free bars and events. This BBC article offers NA liquors for mixed drinks.

Dry January is Fizzing over the top in popularity

ginger ale, white grape juice, non-alcoholic drink, dry january

Restaurants are jumping on the wagon to support Dry January, and dining out with friends isn’t as big a challenge for Dry January. Gone are the days of O’Douls or “Would you like a Shirley Temple instead?”

Restaurants are seeing the surge in this trend {those brilliant little marketers} and your drink menu choices are growing in creativity, chilling right past the one-n-only Shirley Temple with a cherry on top.

But honestly, who doesn’t love a sticky-sweet, classic Shirley Temple? 😁

You know the benefits of Dry January are growing fast up the grapevine when Walla Walla restaurants {Voted Best Western Wine Country} start promoting this trend on Visit Walla Walla AND in their upcoming February restaurant month.

THAT’S BIG + DELISH NEWS!

CHEERS to better sleep + bright-n-shiny skin!