It's that time of year again- everyone's talking about the excesses of Christmas, New Year Resolutions & pledges to cut out the booze for a month.
A huge 9 million people are estimated to try dry Jan this year, which is incredible, but raises the inevitable questions.. helpful or harmful?
- Does dry Jan help us achieve our health goals?
- What is the real impact of a month off?
- Is it for me?
- And if so what am I going to drink all month?
All good questions. Let's look ay each question a bit closer...
Does this help me achieve my goals?
A few benefits of Dry Jan:-
- Increased energy levels
- Better quality sleep
- Increased mental focus
- Potential weight loss
- Improvement to skin, heart & organ health
From looking at this, yes it can help, however what will happen when the month ends? Will you go back to usual habits? Or adopt a longer term mindful approach to alcohol?
If it's the latter then this could be for you. It's also worth bearing in mind that going cold turkey after heavy alcohol consumption can lead to withdrawal symptoms, in which case, weaning off it could be a better approach or consulting with your GP.
What is the real impact of a month off?
As above, dry Jan can help in the short term, however if your body adjusts to a month off, then normal habits resume, this could shock the body after a time out. Or the feeling of 'a month of good behaviour' can lead to even higher drinking levels in December & Feb. Or if the month is enough to help you decrease everyday alcohol levels then this month off can certainly help.
Is it for me?
Only the individual can decide whether this will help achieve their goals & lead to better habits. I unfortunately fell into the former category who overdid it either side of January and felt lousy once normal habits resumed. This was all before I stopped drinking full stop. Whilst this isn't necessary for everyone, my mission was to provide drinks for those going tee-totel- long term or short term.
What will I drink all month?
If you're taking alcohol out of a drink, why not put something good back in?
There are so many great options for AF days of the week, but how many actually give something back to us, let alone give back to the environment by giving 10% back to UK charities?
And how many actually have a more adult taste profile vs the sweet fruity waters on most supermarket shelves?
That's why I created Catalyse, designed to do good for you & the planet whilst giving a refreshing, more savoury taste profile.
If you are thinking about giving Dry Jan a try, or considering more mindful drinking a long term solution you'll need everything you can in your corner to help you through!
Good luck & thank you for taking the time to read this!