You all know I love my vino but after the excesses of Christmas and well, the past year I’ve decided to take part in Dry January. 31 days without alcohol!
I want to do it to feel a bit better, save a bit of cash and also to raise a bit of money for Dementia UK. I know a lot of people are doing the same thing for Cancer research but Demential UK is such a fabulous charity. They are committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia.
If you could spare any money to sponsor me then I’ll be so grateful…
My page can be found HERE
Why give up alcohol for 31 days? Well that’s enough time for you to give your liver a rest, bloating should go down, skin will get clearer and that wine fog should clear!
Sarah Wilson (who is a patron for the Australian equivilent FebFast) had gives some good reasons to quit:
- Eliminating alcohol from your diet is a quick way to lose weight. One beer is the caloric equivalent of a meat pie. Two glasses of champagne is one fifth of your recommended energy intake for a day. Ouch!
- If you have an autoimmune disease, or any health concerns, alcohol makes things way worse. It’s highly acidic stuff, and disease can only be cured when we alkalise our systems. Less acid and we heal faster. Having a month out will really give your body a chance to heal.
- I believe in rest. Pausing. We go so fast, so hard, we get stuck in ruts. To pause, to take time out from anything gives our bodies and psyches a chance to recalibrate. Breaking a drinking habit (however strong or weak) refreshes…so that when you have your first drink in March, you choose it and you enjoy it and things feel new.
- Just doing something different, seeing what you’re capable of when you don’t revert to a “drink after work” or a “night at the pub” is special. It gets you creative, alive to yourself and your friends and partner.
- And if you’re quitting sugar: Wine, spirits, champagne and beer ARE low in fructose (it’s the sugars that ferment to become alcohol). However, the toll on your liver is HEAVY and while you’re detoxing sugar, it’s VERY much worth assisting your liver as much as possible.
I’m going to do an audio diary for BBC Radio Wales so you can keep up with my progress if you’d like…I’m also going to be uploading it to audioboo (details to follow)
Are you with me??
I’m with you!!! Need to start a day late though (i.e. today) as had our family get together yesterday …. Let’s do it!
Not sure if I believe this one but what I do know is that years ago we just led more physical lives it was harder to live because we physically had to keep our bodies and brains involved now everything has been made so easy we just dont need to use our brains and bodies so much. We sit and vegitate in front of a computer or tv rather than having to go out and fine our own entertainment like playing cards or bridge or even bingo! Now we sit in front a computer and play these games and it just isnt the same. I think you have to keep your mind and body stimulated and moving as much as you can for as long as you can. Look at all the older people that keep working or use their time to volunteer they rae more lively and show no signs of dementia or alzheimers. If a cocktail helps a little bit then so be it!