AFTER a tipple-heavy festive period, Dry January might seem like your shot to undo the wrongs of the past few weeks.
While your liver might thank you temporarily, staving off booze for 31 days won’t help you hit rewind on the effects of your Christmas drinking.
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Your single month of sobriety will offer very few health benefits if you continue to drink heavily for the remaining 11 months of the year, experts warn.
To reap the benefits, you’d need to significantly cut down on alcohol in the longer term, Dr Alasdair Scott, a medical expert at Selph, said.
He likened partaking in Dry January to starting a crash diet – you might feel energised and refreshed but you’ll probably bounce back if you resume your usual drinking habits.
“When it comes to dry January, there is a perception that this is an opportunity to give your liver a ‘break’, to make up for the excesses of December and the New Year,” Dr Scott explained.
“But the reality is, you can’t simply reset or detox the impacts of alcohol on your health in a month.
“It’s a bit like a crash diet, in that you do it for a short period of time and you lose some weight, but it’s difficult to keep up so you just end up going back to what you did before and the weight goes back on.
“Whilst cutting out alcohol for one month will leave you feeling much more energised and will help you to sleep better, there is very little benefit if you then continue to drink heavily once January is over.
“For example, for someone who drinks at the upper limit of UK guidelines – 14 units or seven drinks a week – will drink 728 units a year.
“If they stop drinking entirely in January, but resume average drinking behaviour afterwards, they’ll be down to 672 units for the year.
“In contrast, if they just cut down to 10 units a week, their consumption for the year will be 520 units – a far better outcome.”
Cutting down on booze is about more than escaping agonising hangovers – alcohol can take a toll on your health in many ways.
Dr Scott pointed out exactly how booze affects our bodies: “Alcohol has negative effects on many organs and tissues throughout your body, such as your bowel and brain, not just your liver.
“For example, alcohol increases the risk of bowel cancer, breast cancer and dementia.
“The negative effects of alcohol are from cumulative exposure – so the more alcohol you drink over a longer time period, the more likely you are to experience related health problems.
“Cumulative exposure leads to a continuum of risk. There is no such thing as a ‘safe level of alcohol’ – only gradually increasing risk of health problems, from negligible, to low, to high.”
This isn’t your sign to not attempt a month of sobriety at all.
Instead Dr Scott said it could help lead you in the right direction for the rest of the year.
“Dry January could be the start of a new lifestyle in which less alcohol is consumed,” he explained.
“If those new behaviours are maintained, it doesn’t even need to be ‘dry’.
“Life is for living, and low-level alcohol use, particularly in social settings, can absolutely be compatible with a healthy lifestyle.”
Dr Scott shared his top tips for cutting down on booze this January and making the change last.
1. Only drink with a meal
Many of us throw back a few drinks at bars or pubs.
Oftentimes, these types of social gatherings will be booze-centric, with no meal involved.
But making sure to only drink when you’ve had some food can be a handy way to start consuming less alcohol.
Dr Scott said: “Changing your mindset on alcohol and enjoying it as an accompaniment to a delicious meal you have worked hard to cook, or a treat meal in a restaurant, will help you to drink less in the long run.
“Educating yourself on the best wines to accompany certain foods for example, will mean you have a better understanding and appreciation for the taste of the drink, rather than just the ‘feeling’ alcohol gives you.
“It will also mean you drink alcohol less often, as these are usually viewed as ‘special’ treat meals which you don’t have every day.”
How much is it safe to drink weekly?
Research shows that drinking regularly and too much can damage your health.
It used to be said that moderate drinking was good for the heart – but newer studies suggest otherwise, linking the habit to a higher risk of several diseases, including heart disease, liver disease and cancer.
To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level:
- Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
- Spread your drinking over three or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
- If you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week
But it’s important to note that there’s no “safe” amount you can drink each week – 14 units and under is considered “low risk” drinking.
Not sure how much 14 units is?
A shot of spirits – like gin, vodka or whisky – is about one unit, while a standard glass of wine is just over two, according to the NHS.
Meanwhile, a pint of low strength lager, beer or cider is also two units.
Source: NHS
2. Block off certain days for booze
Though a few tipples might be an end of the week treat, many of us find ourselves drinking consistently throughout the week.
Designating alcohol-free days and only allowing yourself to drink on certain days of the week is another useful way to cut down.
Dr Scott said: “If you’re used to drinking most evenings, it can be a good idea to cut down on the number of nights you do this, for example a Friday and or Saturday night.
“However, it’s important you also monitor the amount of units you drink, as you could easily end up binge drinking by consuming a large volume of alcohol in a more condensed time period.
“Having one or two small glasses of wine on a Friday and Saturday evening is much better than having one large one every day of the week.”
3. Book a weekend exercise class
Working out while hungover is a pretty nightmarish prospect.
If you tend to drink large amounts at the end of the week, preemptively book yourself an exercise class could serve as an easy way to curb your excesses.
“Many people binge drink more on a weekend because they know they don’t have to get up for work in the morning,” Dr Scott said.
“However, booking in an exercise class for a Saturday or Sunday morning, will mean you’re less likely to drink the evening before as you’ll know you need to wake up and feel refreshed.
“It’s a good idea to book these in with a friend too, so you both have some accountability, and you can enjoy exercising together too.”
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4. Try alcohol-free drinks
Dr Scott explained: “A lot of people struggle to quit or cut down on drinking for the social aspect, as they fear the peer pressure of not drinking alcohol at an event will be too overwhelming and difficult to justify to friends.
“Choosing alcohol-free versions of your usual drink can help to overcome this, so you’re still holding a drink in your hand and will help you to feel more comfortable in social situations when others are drinking.”
Plus, the land of booze-free drinks doesn’t have to be boring.
He added: “These days, there are plenty of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks available in bars and in supermarkets, so you can spend some time finding the ones you like the best.”
5. Enforce the 20-minute rule
Once we finish drink, it can be tempting to immediately pour yourself another or order a second round.
But Dr Scott recommended pausing your drinking for short amounts of time to be sure you need that second, third or fourth beverage.
He said: “Taking a 20-minute break after finishing one drink, before pouring your next, can make a big difference to the amount of alcohol you drink.
“Having this time to pause in-between drinks will allow you to process whether you are in fact craving more, or if you actually feel tired and as though you’ve had enough.
“It also just slows down your drinking generally, so over the course of a night, you will automatically drink less this way.”
