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Anthea Rowan

Dry January, dryanuary, or love your liver month: they amount to the same thing, a full month with no alcohol.
For the first 31 days of 2021, 6.5 million Britons resolved to say no to alcohol. Almost half had given up by Day 6. One in five Americans made the same vow – driven especially because many were aware how much more they’d been drinking since the beginning of the pandemic – 14 per cent more, according to the Rand Corporation.
So why do we give up so soon? And would we try harder, for longer, if we really knew the benefits of a dry spell?
There are many solid reasons to have a dry January.

You’ll lose the weight you put on over the holidays
Grant Sanders, founder of Hong Kong’s Recovery852 addiction treatment centre, says alcohol consumption can cause weight gain because drinks have high levels of sugar.
A small glass of wine (who pours a small one?) contains about 125 calories, a beer a little more at 155, and a shot of spirits around 100 (without tonic or cola or anything else that might turn it into a cocktail). Three or four drinks a night and you’re adding to your daily calorie intake significantly – and probably taking in even more calories because drinking alcohol makes us feel like eating more.
How much alcohol is too much? Here’s what the experts say
A 2018 study illustrated that 58 per cent of those who stuck to Dry January lost weight. That’s not just because alcohol is high in calories; we don’t drink because we’re hungry, we drink because it’s a habit, so it is unlikely we’ll replace those calories in alcohol with something else.
You will save money
Alcohol doesn’t come free, so there’s another benefit: drink less, spend less. According to alcoholchange.org.uk, 86 per cent of participants in Dry January saved money, 70 per cent enjoyed better sleep, and 66 per cent had more energy.
You’ll look better
Yes, you’re sleeping better since there’s no alcohol to interfere with restorative REM sleep (or to send you to sleep, only to wake you up a few hours later feeling groggy). But drinking alcohol also makes us puffy-faced and isn’t good for our complexion. Skip the drinking and save your skin from all that dehydration.
I quit alcohol and I’m amazed how my mental health improved
You’ll feel better
“Mental fog, anxiety and mood swings could be relieved or lifted altogether, improving concentration and gaining more clarity. The emotional benefits can also be significant – less worry or the impending doom that some heavy drinkers feel,” Sanders says.
And …
Better anger management, more self-compassion and awareness are other advantages.
But is it worth giving up for a single month? Does that really make a difference in the long term? Absolutely it does. Many of us don’t realise how much we drink – or even why we do – until we take a step back and reframe our relationship with alcohol.
As my husband said to me of his own Dry January: “You don’t realise what a daily habit it has become until you stop doing it.”
The liver: organ that keeps on giving and how to give it a break
Ian Hamilton, a lecturer in addiction at the University of York in the UK, says: “Dry January is a good initiative, as it prompts people to think about not just how much they drink, but what their individual relationship with alcohol is.”
If you often drink to relax, it might make you think about alternative ways to relax rather than relying on that after-work tipple.
Can giving up alcohol for just 31 days make a lasting difference to your physical health? Yes, because in not drinking – especially after a period of possibly drinking too much – you give your liver a break, says Sanders, as well as your heart and pancreas. Think of it as allowing a wound to heal, or time for inflammation to subside.
Here’s why the ‘sober curious’ commit to drink-free periods
A 2018 study in the BMJ Open journal concluded that even short-term abstinence improves insulin resistance, promotes weight loss, regulates blood pressure and has an effect on cancer-related growth factors. Think of it as a holiday for your insides after the holiday.
A whole month gives the benefits of not drinking time to be felt, which means at the end of January you might be forced to face the fact that less drinking is a good thing – for your mind and your body. Forever.
Though many of those who resolve to commit to Dry January give up just a few days into the month, of those who persevere, many change their drinking habits beyond a single month and six months later are still drinking less than they used to.

Two ways to have a healthy Dry January
1. Low- and zero-alcohol drinks are a rising trend.
John Docherty, founder of Hong Kong’s non-alcoholic drinks distributor Sipfree, sees continued growth in this segment.
“You can tell just from the way the selection of non-alcoholic beers, wines and spirits has been growing across retail and restaurants, bars and online business,” he says.
Isn’t zero-alcohol wine just juice? No, says Docherty, these wines are getting better all the time. “Some people’s perception of alcohol-free wines and sparkling wines is that they are similar to flat grape juice with very little body, but the way good-quality non-alcoholic wines are produced today means they come very close to the real thing.”
The no-alcohol spirits that let you drink without gaining weight
2. Keep a journal of how much better you feel
The prospect of not drinking is daunting for some people, says Sanders, but not drinking for a month (and even beyond) “can bring more insight and a discovery of new attitudes, new possibilities and new experiences.
“We live in a beautiful city with so much to offer. I would encourage those seeking to remain alcohol-free in January and post-January to reframe Hong Kong and engage in more healthy and meaningful activities.
“People who stop drinking for more than a month often find that they lead more productive lives than before and, of course, they save money.”
I’ll raise a glass (of the non-alcoholic drink of my choice) to that: Cheers!
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


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Wellness

Dry January: could you go without alcohol for a month? It would help you lose weight, look better and save money

If you give up drinking alcohol for January, choosing non-alcoholic beverages instead of boozy ones, you could look forward to better health, better sleep and a healthier bank balance. Photo: Sipfree

Grant Sanders, founder of Hong Kong’s Recovery852 addiction treatment centre. Photo: Recovery852

 Sipfree Lyres Aperitif Dry non-alcoholic drink. Photo: Sipfree

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The Sleep Cycle app. Photo: Sleep Cycle

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Esther Fok wakeboarding. Photo: courtesy of Esther Fok

Melanie Bell (right) is the founder of The Sewing Lounge in Sheung Wan. Hongkongers like Kim Su-woon (standing), unable to travel, are taking up new hobbies like sewing. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Bell has noticed a big uptick in interest in sewing in the past year. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Kimberley Carder is a clinical psychologist in Hong Kong.

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Grieving will never be easy, but physical activity can help reduce the pain and mental anguish. Photo: Getty images

Exercise and activities linked to the outdoors are recommended, especially walking, running, hiking, canoeing and cycling. Photo: Getty Images

London-based therapist and trauma specialist Olivia James says exercise can help to stimulate your nervous system, put your feet back on the ground and help regulate moods.

If you are exercising with other people don’t be afraid to talk through your emotions. Photo: Getty Images 

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Food & Drink


Short-term sobriety promotes weight loss, regulates blood pressure and has a positive effect on cancer-related growth factors
It also saves you money, lets you enjoy better sleep, improves your skin and gives you more energy to spend the money you’ve saved



Give up drinking alcohol for January and you will feel healthier, sleep and look better, and have a bigger bank balance.


How to age well

Healthy eating

Dry January: could you go without alcohol for a month? It would help you lose weight, look better and save money

Short-term sobriety promotes weight loss, regulates blood pressure and has a positive effect on cancer-related growth factors It also saves you money, lets you enjoy better sleep, improves your skin and gives you more energy to spend the money you’ve saved

You’ll lose the weight you put on over the holidays

Short-term sobriety promotes weight loss, regulates blood pressure and has a positive effect on cancer-related growth factors

It also saves you money, lets you enjoy better sleep, improves your skin and gives you more energy to spend the money you’ve saved