BURLINGTON, VT (WCAX) – The new year is fast approaching and some are starting 2023 alcohol-free. The trend is called “Dry January.”
The folks at Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace didn’t seem too familiar or excited about Dry January.
“If someone has an alcohol problem, giving them a break for a month seems like a good idea,” said one person.
“I’m not particularly interested in participating, but I can understand why some people do,” said another.
However, Brandon Lawson prefers to use this as an opportunity to check himself in and says it will be dry in January of his second year.
“It worked very well. In the end, I was a lot better physically as well as mentally. It actually worked so well that I continued until February of last year,” Lawson said. .
According to the food and research firm CGA, 35% of legally seniors in the US will do so in early 2022.
Health experts say there are benefits to putting a bottle down, even for just a month.
Dr. Peter Jackson, Psychiatrist at UVM Health Network, said: .
Generally speaking, Jackson says a dry January is a good thing. For those struggling with mental health, abstinence offers an opportunity to uncover underlying issues and find out how you really feel. is.
“It’s toxic to our bodies,” said nutritionist and nutritionist Laura Biron.
Biron says many of her clients have stopped drinking just to feel better.
Calories aren’t necessarily bad, but calories from alcohol and sugary mixers don’t do much to your body.
“It’s alcohol that can cause some excess calories with no nutritional benefits at all,” Biron said.
She says it’s a diuretic and depletes water and sodium.
“We spend a lot of money on cosmetics and moisturizers, and cutting down on alcohol consumption can show up in more hydrated skin,” Biron said.
It can also wreak havoc on your gut microbiome, causing bloating and reflux, stimulating irritable bowel syndrome, and triggering the urge to eat.
Putting down a hard drink and picking up something like seltzer allows your tummy to thank you.
“Overall, it definitely makes digesting food more comfortable, eliminates bloating, absorbs nutrients from food, and improves excretion,” Biron said.
Note that if you have a pattern of heavy drinking, you can experience withdrawal by quitting cold turkey. I say accept it.
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