What is Dry January?

Let’s face it, many of us have too much to eat and drink over Christmas and New Year.  It’s a fun time and there’s lots of celebrating to do but come the first few days of the new year, we can feel a bit hideous.  A good detox works miracles but another idea that has come along is called Dry January.  But what is it and how can you take part?

Dry idea

The Dry January idea started in 2015 and saw over 2 million people cut down or cur out their drinking for the 31 days of the month.  Because we often manage to stick to a resolution if we have a little help, you can sign up on their website to take part.  The benefits include feeling better, potentially losing weight or sleeping better and even having a little more money in your pocket.  The campaign is run by Alcohol Concern who also work to raise money to dealing with the problems caused by alcohol on families and society as a whole.

What to drink instead

So if you are laying off the alcohol this January or simply want to replace it with something a little softer on the body, what are the best alternatives?

One of the best drinks around is always said to be water but there’s something a little lacking in a plain glass of water.  Next on the list is green tea which has a range of health benefits that are particularly useful at this time of year.  For example, it is known for sorting out problems in the digestive system right through to helping protect the body against serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.  There are no calories in a mug of green tea and it is simple to make.  Get yourself a teapot, add the hot water and wait until it is just past boiling then pop in a green tea bag.  There are also varieties including green tea and peppermint or green tea with citrus to help adapt to the flavour.

Another tea drink that helps the digestive system after all the excess of Christmas is mint tea.  It helps food process through the digestive tract so is a perfect drink for Boxing Day!  It also helps to relax muscles so after all those nights standing around at parties, it is great to relax the body and allow it to feel better.

Soy milk may be a love it or hate it drink but it can be used in smoothies or other shakes to add ingredients to disguise the taste.  Soy milk has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease as well as lowering the bad cholesterol in the system.  You can even buy soy milk fortified with vitamins A and D as well as calcium to sneak in some of the benefits of full fat milk.

Cranberry juice is a great one to combat all those sugary treats over Christmas as it has been shown to help combat gum disease.  It also has antibacterial properties that can work again urinary tract infections.