ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the top five new year’s resolutions is to give up drinking, or at least slow it down a little. Too much alcohol can wreak havoc on your health.
Research shows excessive alcohol use can lead to cancer, heart disease, liver disease, digestive problems, depression, and more.
That’s why many Americans are starting the new year with a resolution to abstain from alcohol for a month. The trend is called, “Dry January.”
If you’ve had one too many drinks this holiday season, you might want to consider a dry January. Studies show a month long fast from alcohol can improve sleep, reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, aid in weight loss, and reduce liver fat by 40 percent.
“During this pandemic, a lot of patients are being freer with their alcohol use or allowing themselves to have a worse diet than usual. All of this can damage the liver in the long-term,” Elizabeth Hwang, MD and gastroenterologist at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center said.
If you are thinking about giving up alcohol, try writing down your goal and posting it somewhere you will see every day. You can even enlist a buddy to join in your efforts. Next, try getting rid of all the alcohol in your house and finding alcohol alternatives.
Mocktails are popular choices in social settings and bars. They’re cocktail-style beverages made without alcohol. You can also try nonalcoholic beers, wines, and kava drinks. Kava is a plant that can be brewed into calming tea or other type of beverage. Lastly, try kombucha, a type of fermented tea.
Don’t give up if you slip up. Just keep doing your best.
Going dry in January also means you won’t experience dreaded hangovers. A UK survey done a couple of years ago found that the average adult spends two years of their life hungover.