Take a Break From Alcohol
Written By Kelly Dodds - Masters of Nutrition and Human Performance
Many of us set resolutions for healthier habits in the new year, and a popular resolution is to avoid alcohol for the month of January– “Dryuary.” Though this may not apply to those who rarely drink alcohol, for those who consume even low to moderate amounts, avoiding alcohol can have positive effects on both physical and mental health. Whether you’re trying to reset your habits after the holiday season or seeking to improve overall well-being, a month of sobriety can offer several health benefits.
While moderate alcohol consumption can be part of social life for many people, it's important to recognize the negative impact alcohol can have on your health when consumed regularly, even in moderation. Here are several evidence-based reasons why alcohol may be adversarial to health:
Disrupts Sleep Patterns While alcohol may initially make you feel drowsy, it significantly disrupts the quality of sleep. Alcohol interferes with your sleep cycle, particularly by reducing the duration of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is the restorative phase of sleep. Poor-quality sleep over time can lead to fatigue, decreased cognitive function, mood swings, and a weakened immune system.
Increases Risk of Chronic Diseases Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of several chronic diseases, including liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver, and overconsumption can lead to liver damage, including fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Moreover, alcohol increases blood pressure and can damage the heart muscle, which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke. Alcohol also interferes with the liver’s ability to regulate blood glucose levels.
Affects Mental Health Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression. While some people may drink to cope with stress or emotional challenges, alcohol can worsen mental health issues over time. Regular drinking can alter brain chemistry, leading to mood swings, anxiety, and even long-term cognitive decline and dementia.
Impairing Weight Management Alcohol is high in “empty calories” and provides little to no nutritional value. A standard drink contains around 100–150 calories, and these calories can quickly add up, leading to excess body fat if consumed regularly. Additionally, alcohol impairs your body’s ability to burn fat, disrupting metabolism and leading to increased fat storage, particularly in the abdominal area associated with inflammatory visceral fat.
Weakened Immune Function Chronic alcohol use weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and cancers. Alcohol suppresses the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off illness. Taking a break from alcohol can help restore immune function and promote better overall health.
Abstaining from alcohol for just one month can offer several health benefits. Here's what you might experience when you give your body a break from alcohol in January:
Better Sleep Without the disruptive effects of alcohol, your sleep patterns are likely to improve. Many people report better quality sleep, feeling more rested and energized after abstaining from alcohol. This can lead to better mental clarity, improved mood, and increased productivity.
Weight Loss Eliminating alcohol can lead to a reduction in calorie intake and help with reductions in body fat. Without alcohol to slow down fat metabolism, the body can more effectively burn fat.
Improved Mental Clarity and Mood Abstaining from alcohol can significantly improve mental clarity, focus, and regulation of mood. It’s also an opportunity to break any patterns of drinking that might be negatively impacting your mental health and find new, healthier, stress management strategies.
Increased Energy Levels Many people experience an increase in overall energy and focus during a month of sobriety. Especially with improved sleep and circadian rhythm, you may feel more alert, productive, and motivated throughout the day.
Improved Liver Health The liver is responsible for detoxifying the body, and it works overtime when alcohol is consumed. A month without alcohol allows the liver time to repair and regenerate. Studies have shown that even short periods of alcohol abstinence can improve liver function and reduce fat buildup in the liver.
Reduced Risk of Chronic Diseases A month of alcohol-free living can help lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like liver disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Taking a break from alcohol may seem challenging if it’s a regular part of your lifestyle, but committing to this month’s challenge can offer both immediate and long-term benefits. By giving your liver time to recover, improving sleep quality, enhancing mental clarity, increasing energy levels, and reducing the risk of diseases, this change can have a profound impact on your overall well-being, provide an opportunity to learn more about how alcohol affects your life, and can set you on the path to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. Finally, you might find that you don’t want to add alcohol back into your lifestyle after January, or you’ll at least have more insight into how alcohol affects your lifestyle and health.
Take Action:
Start This Year With a Scientist Mindset: Scientists are curious and rational vs. closed-minded and judgemental. Being closed-minded and judgmental often keeps us in the same habit loops and prevents us from growing and evolving throughout our life. Be experimental, try new challenges, see what works and doesn’t work to help you achieve more out of life.
For this month’s challenge: ask lots of questions, like, why do you drink alcohol when you do, how often do you drink alcohol and how much, how do you feel when you’re consuming vs abstaining from alcohol, what role does alcohol play with your short term and long term goals, etc? Try to be unbiased with your observations, viewing your experience from a non-judgemental or emotionally-biased perspective to find facts about your relationship with alcohol.
Commit to the Challenge: Be curious about what you’ll discover after a month of no alcohol– what are you interested to find out about during this month’s challenge? Also, identify a few reasons why you will personally benefit from this challenge– to use as motivation– then, commit for the month of January. Committing for a month will offer insight into your life with vs. without alcohol.
Find Alternatives to Alcohol: For instance, order non-alcoholic beverages when out, and/or fill your time with activities that don’t involve drinking– like hobbies or socializing in alcohol-free environments.
Track Your Progress: Keep a journal of how you feel throughout the month. Jot down your daily energy levels on a scale of 1-10, track sleep, monitor body fat, and notice changes in performance at the gym to document metrics during the month with no alcohol to see measured differences and benefits. You can also use this data to compare to future times if/when you do drink alcohol.
