You know when you find a great deal on a new pair of shoes 
or the perfect lipstick color (sorry boys, bear with me) and you wanna just rent out a billboard and tell the whole world 
?
Well, that’s how I feel about dry January.
If you have been following my podcast then you know that I did a little experiment a few months ago and decided to press pause on 
in preparation for my TED talk. I’m not gonna lie, it was not easy going to all the dinner parties, the party-parties, the kid parties (yes parents always serve alcohol at kids parties 
), and all the other places that everyone was imbibing and say “no thank you.”
But in the end it was so good that I decided to remain paused through the holidays 
without one single 
.
Here’s what I learned, and why I think you should give it a try.
1. Better sleep 
It doesn’t take much alcohol to disrupt our sleep and the effects can be long-lasting. 1-2 drinks can disrupt REM sleep up to 1 week later! And of course sleep disruption affects our mood, our work performance and can have metabolic consequences too. ( I share the nerdy science on this week’s podcast)
2. Better Mood 
The truth is that alcohol is a depressant. But it also causes the release of neurotransmitters that promote anxiety- have you heard the term “hanxiety?” It’s a thing.
3. Weight Loss 
Alcohol causes weight gain and it is not just the empty calories. Alcohol actually interferes with hormones like leptin that tell your brain that you are full so that you don’t get that “I’m full,” message and thus eat more.
4. Better Health 
We have heard a lot about all the health benefits of a glass of wine, read resveratrol 
, but not so much about the harms. Sure, heavy drinkers can get liver failure, but what about average, no big deal drinking? Well, recent studies have linked even 1 to 2 servings of alcohol most days of the week can cause health problems like breast cancer, high blood pressure as well as cognitive issues like advanced brain aging (which is linked to dementia.)
If you are still reading, I’m gonna assume that you are intrigued. I’m not promoting prohibition here, just consciousness. So, if you are curious about what 1, 2, 3 months of sobriety might do for you, give it a try, and if not, take a listen to this week’s HealthBite anyway. As I always say, knowledge is power!
Here’s to your health!
Xx
Dr. Adrienne
