January is by definition the month of good resolutions. Of the "I'm going back to my diet", “back to the gym” and many other promises that are difficult to keep after a playground experienced between Christmas Eve and Epiphany. Among the many good intentions there is also that of abstaining from alcohol consumption and there are those who, precisely on this aspect, have built an increasingly well-known campaign on an international level: Dry January.
Dry January: what it is and the benefits
Dry January it's ainitiative created by the British organization Alcohol Change UK, registered as a trademark in 2014. The aim of this campaign, which has attracted 130,000 participants in 2022, is to invite people to abstain from alcohol consumption for the entire month of January. The goal is clear: to ensure that people experience the benefits of an alcohol-free diet on their bodies, after a period of abuse during the holidays. The benefits concern our entire organism: from the liver, which has the opportunity to detoxify itself, to the skin, which becomes shiny, up to the brain, which in this way gains in concentration and energy, to the blood, in which there is a reduction of blood pressure and cholesterol, and to sleep, which becomes more regular.
The disadvantages of Dry January
If there are many benefits of Dry January, there are just as many disadvantages that this month can imply on the health of our body. First and foremost, the biggest risk is that of a rebound effect, leading to increased consumption of wine and other alcohol before or after Dry January ends. Secondly, as dietician Giorgio Calabrese explains to Fanpage, abrupt withdrawal from alcohol can lead to a double effect: digestiveor, because wine contains enzymes that aid digestion, and psychological, because drinking makes you feel good.
The alternative to Dry January
Following this overview of the benefits and disadvantages of the Dry January, we would like to give our opinion on the Dry January. In addition to the quantity of alcohol to be taken within a day, emphasis should be placed also on quality, just as we are committed to communicating every day on the blog and in the paper guide. Rather than abstaining from alcohol consumption for a month, it would be more advisable to consume alcohol moderately throughout the year, without avoiding excesses (binge drinking) which, as in the case of food, only lead to damage to our body. Looking at the situation from another perspective, our hope is that the Dry January be a warning to pay attention to the search for bartenders even more and more low alcohol and non-alcoholic. Because, if there are those who want to abstain from alcohol for just one month, there are also those who, by choice or obligation, are unable to drink it. And it is right that, like all customers, he is satisfied with a mocktails which has nothing to envy of a conventional drink.
