It’s been a real tradition for 3 years now, several million people challenge themselves tostop drinking alcohol throughout the month of January thanks to the Dry January. Launched in France for the 1re times in 2019, this challenge is today frankly encouraged by several associations such as the league once morest cancer or even theAssistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris.
Why not drink alcohol for a month?
The Dry Januaryserves primarily to become aware of their alcohol consumption on a daily basis and intervenes, strategically, just following the holidays during which excesses are (too) often legion! As a result, as we feel guilty for having let ourselves go during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, we are often more motivated than ever to take up the challenge. It is therefore a good time to take stock of his relationship with alcohol and to observe any changes in his quality of life. Moreover, the practice of Dry January falls within a context of prevention, at a time when alcohol consumption is the cause of 49 000 death every year in France, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention.
What are the effects of alcohol on the body?
Consume alcohol and consuming too much increases the risk of contracting cancers of the liver, mouth, larynx, esophagus or even the colon and even the breast. Alcohol raises blood pressureand, from the stronger, le risk of hypertension or develop diseases of the nervous system, it promotes strokes and increases the risk of developing psychic troubles.
What are the benefits of a month without alcohol?
Several people have seen benefits to their quality of sleep, according to a study conducted by the University of Sussex1 in 2019, more than two-thirds of Dry January participants feel fitter and claim to sleep better! Others have noticed an improvement in their skin quality, their ability to stay focused, or even observed weight loss. According to an English study2l’stopping alcohol demonstrated in some patients a weight loss of 2 kga Rreduction of diabetic problems of 30% and a decrease in blood cancer-related factors. Another not really negligible asset, in addition to having health benefits, Dry January also saves money. It’s always taken!
The challenge may seem insurmountablenotably if you have ever had physical and psychological symptoms while trying to stop drinking (tremors, anxiety, nausea, hallucinations, sweats, etc.). Nor is it easy to quit on your own if you regularly exceed the maximum recommended doses (two glasses a day for a woman, three for a man, no more than five days per week). In these cases, it is better get help from a pro (general practitioner, shrink, etc.) or a specialized organization (alcool-info-service.fr). To better understand the month without alcohol and continue to have a social life, it is recommended to take care of the mind by engaging in physical activity or indulging in other gustatory pleasures. If one is afraid of not being able to resist the temptation, one can always join friends in places where alternatives to alcohol consumption are offered. Fruit juice cocktails, soft drinks, flavored waters and others mocktails : there are dozens of ways to indulge yourself with a non-alcoholic drink!
I failed to hold the Dry January?
If you crack following a few days, it’s not the end of the world! We forget the skid and we start once more for the remaining time, even we extend if we want to. Good to know: following the challenge on social networks swells the chances of success. Registration on dryjanuary.fr.
1. University of Sussex study: How ‘Dry January’ is the secret to better sleep, saving money and losing weight
2. English study on the relationship between stopping alcohol and weight loss: Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study
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Dry January: what is it?
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