A little encouragement to try Dry January.
Some new year's resolutions, such as gaining
muscle and decreasing weight, can take more than a month to see benefits.
However, if you quit alcohol for a month, you will notice some significant
changes after just 31 days.
"Dry January," or avoiding alcohol
during the first month of the year, is a resolution with many advantages. (You
can even make significant progress in increasing your weight-loss chances!) We
asked nutritionists for some of the side effects you can see if you keep your
wine bottles on the shelf or your beer in the fridge till the end of the month.
Continue reading.
1. You may feel happier.
"Alcohol is technically a depressant,"
explains registered dietitian Lauren Manaker,
MS, RDN. "Including alcohol in your diet may cause some people to
experience poor mental side effects once the initial effects of the booze wear
off."
"You may
actually feel happy and have greater mental health if you give up alcohol for a
month," Manaker explains.
2. You may lose weight.
Alcohol has more
calories per gram (7 calories per gram) than protein and carbohydrates, both of
which have only four calories per gram. "And since taking in too many
calories can contribute to weight gain, cutting the alcohol may support your
weight loss journey—especially if you tend to sip on super-sugary and caloric
drinks like a fruity pina colada, cutting your alcohol may save some
significant liquid calories," says Manaker.
Cutting down
alcohol for a month can help you lose weight in several ways. Evidence suggests
that persons who drink alcohol consume more calories from food, resulting in
weight gain; nevertheless, studies have failed to establish a clear
cause-and-effect relationship between alcohol use and weight.
3. You may sleep better.
While a glass of wine before bed may seem like
an excellent way to relax and fall asleep faster, alcohol harms sleep quality.
"Excessive alcohol use interrupts regulation of circadian proteins and genes, which can take weeks to fix. In
other words, when you party, your beauty sleep is the victim and pays the
price, "Daina Trout, MS, MPH, the Co-Founder and Chief Mission Officer at
Health-Ade and a Master's degree holder in nutrition and public health, adds.
According to Trout, it takes time for your sleep routine to return to normal after a long period of drinking, so if you avoid alcohol for a month, you might experience more peaceful sleep after 31 days!
4. You may reset your digestion.
Have you recently been suffering from bloating and other digestive issues? Cutting alcohol from your diet for a month could help you feel better.
"Excessive alcohol affects the normalproduction of digestive enzymes, preventing them from breaking down the food you eat. As a result, food sits undigested in your stomach. Not only does this harm the stomach lining, but it also causes gas, bloating, and indigestion—no fun! "explains Trout.
5. You may calm your joint and skin
flare-ups.
When you stop drinking, the side effects of
inflammation, such as skin problems and joint discomfort, may disappear over a
month.
"When excessive alcohol comes into contact with the intestinal wall, it causes inflammation both locally and across the body," Trout explains. "A few bad nights can cause chronic and persistent inflammation in your body—so what you thought was aging and bad skin could actually be the booze!" One research of over 3,000 women indicated that those who consumed more than eight alcoholic drinks per week had considerably greater upper facial wrinkles, under-eye puffiness, midface volume loss, and blood vessels than those who consumed less or none at all. While a month of abstinence may not result in a total anti-aging reversal, taking this month off may motivate you to limit your alcohol consumption to improve healthy aging.
6. You'll strengthen your ability
to fight infection.
By cutting alcohol from your diet, you can help your body's natural immune defenses. "Extreme alcohol consumption has a negative impact on the gut flora in your microbiome and does so quickly. These changes weaken your body's defenses, putting you at greater danger of disease! "explains Trout.