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7 Key Reasons To Start The New Year With Dry January

Author Phil Harris
With the start of another new year, many people will intentionally abstain from alcohol during Dry January. (Photo by Prostock-Studio/iStock via Getty Images)

If you’re like a lot of people this time of year, you’ve probably been hitting the sauce a little harder than normal. My hand is raised. Some people chalk up their increased alcohol consumption to the stress of the holidays. Others get boozier in November and December simply because of all the opportunities to do so. I mean, it’s just one party, dinner, or casual Yuletide get together after another. Whatever the reason for our seasonal uptick in drinking, we all have another opportunity coming soon: Dry January.

With the start of another new year, many people will intentionally abstain from alcohol for the first month. Dry January is a chance to take a break from drinking, reset, and do something truly positive for our health. Don’t worry, you won’t be missing out on much. The Super Bowl isn’t until the second Sunday in February, so you will have had at least a full 31 days of clean living under your belt before tying one on for the big game.

So why do so many folks participate in Dry January each year? There are a number of benefits to taking a break from drinking. Women’s Health asked a team of health experts to lay out some of the sensible reasons why more people should give Dry January a try.

7 Key Reasons To Do Dry January

  1. You’ll sleep better and have more energy.
  2. Your skin could clear up.
  3. You may lose weight.
  4. Your immune system could get stronger.
  5. You may have less anxiety.
  6. You’ll have less headaches.
  7. Your overall health will improve.

You can read more about each of the health benefits in greater detail HERE. I was really taken aback by the definitions of binge drinking and heavy drinking included in the Women’s Health article. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking is defined as having more than four drinks within two hours. Heavy drinking is when you have more than eight drinks in one week. Unfortunately, both are far too easy to do during the holiday season.

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

These 8 Healthy Habits Could Add Decades To Your Life

Can you imagine actually adding years to your life? I’m not talking about one or two years. According to CNN, new research shows that it’s possible to add a couple of decades to your life. Adopting eight healthy habits at the age of 40 could add up to 24 extra years to your life. If you start by the time you’re 50, you could still extend your life by up to 21 years. Even if you don’t do it until 60, you could gain almost 18 years if you add all eight of the lifestyle choices.

A new health study analyzed data on more than 700,000 U.S. military veterans and the findings were presented in Boston on July 24th at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. “There’s a 20-year period in which you can make these changes, whether you do it gradually or all at once,“ says lead study author Xuan-Mai Nguyen. “The earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it still is beneficial.”

Adding just one healthy behavior at age 40 could add 4.5-years to a man’s life and 3.5-years to a woman’s life. Adopting additional habits adds more years and doing all eight gives you an “added boost to extend your life, but any small change makes a difference,” Nguyen explains. So what are these life-extending habits? They’re all things we’ve heard before that are actually attainable for most people.

Add Years To Your Life With These 8 Healthy Habits

  • 1. Exercise

    The study’s authors find that working out is one of the most important behaviors anyone can do to improve health. It can lead to a 46% decrease in the risk of death from any cause compared to those who don’t exercise.

    Woman running in winter

    (Photo by BartekSzewczyk/Getty Images)

  • 2. Not becoming addicted to opioids

    Opioid addiction became an epidemic in America beginning in the 1990s, largely due to nefarious marketing tactics and over-prescription. Avoiding a dependency on opioid drugs can reduce the risk of early death by 38%.

    Oxycodone tablets spilling out of a pill bottle

    (Photo by BackyardProduction/Getty Images)

  • 3. Never using tobacco

    The study finds that never smoking can lower the risk of death by 29%. However, even if you have used tobacco products, stopping at any point in life comes with major health benefits.

    Close-up of person smoking a cigarette

    (Photo by Zhang Rong/Getty Images)

  • 4. Managing stress

    While some amount of stress will always be with us, especially during our working years, it behooves us to find ways of reducing its effect on our health. Managing your stress can reduce the risk of early death by 22%, according to the study.

    Woman meditating to manage her stress

    (Photo by Dima Berlin/Getty Images)

  • 5. Eating a plant-based diet

    This is one of the most challenging ones on the list. Shifting to a plant-based diet requires real commitment, but it appears to be worth the effort. The study shows doing so could raise your chance of living longer by 21%.

    Person eating a plant-based bowl of food

    (Photo by Natalia Gdovskaia/Getty Images)

  • 6. Avoiding binge drinking

    Not having more than four alcoholic drinks a day reduces the risk of death by 19%, study results show. As with opioids, alcohol addiction can lead to devastating outcomes, both for the user and the people around them.

    Two men, one of them drunk, leaving a bar

    (Photo by SeventyFour/Getty Images)

  • 7. Getting a good night’s sleep

    Along with managing stress, it pays to be mindful of one’s sleep. The study’s authors say that at least seven hours a night can reduce early death by 18%. I think it’s even worth investing in some things, like a humidifier, that can help with your sleep quality.

    Older woman sleeping in room with humidifier

    (Photo by microgen/Getty Images)

  • 8. Having positive social relationships

    The COVID-19 pandemic showed what social isolation can do to a person’s well-being. Loneliness has actually been called an epidemic of its own, especially among the elderly. We all need supportive people in our lives. Those healthy relationships with family and friends can help boost longevity by 5%.

    Elderly man and his son sitting on stairs and drinking coffee together.

    (Photo by Inside Creative House/Getty Images)

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