I’ve never done a dry January, but am curious about the idea. Is anyone aware of good research on the topic? I’ve seen lots of stuff on the benefits of periodic fasting, but nothing alcohol specific…
It’s pretty universally accepted in the academic world that the optimal amount of alcohol to consume is zero. Any benefits can be obtained from other foods without the toxifying effects that alcohol has.
Thus the simple conclusion is that dry January makes you healthier than non-dry January. All things equal.
I’m not sure I’d even call this periodic-fasting, but what I usually do on most days is just limit all eating to about an 8-hour window, usually 10am-6pm, with dinner being pretty small, like an appetizer portion. That’s pretty much it for me.
This is one where “let me Google that for you” really is the best response. It totally depends on what you want out of it, what you can tolerate, what works for you (every body is different), and what works for your schedule. There are many different approaches, tons of great articles and books on the subject, and hundreds of blogs/discussion groups. I’d start with Dr. Jason Fung.
I personally try for between 12 and 16 hours every night without eating. But I am a breakfast eater, so I don’t sweat it too much. A nice break without any food is good for sleep and for keeping insulin levels low. If you want the benefits of autophagy, which is a little like cleaning at the cellular level, you need to fast longer. I do that every once in a while, but there’s evidence it isn’t as good for women.
In the interests of total transparency, I will actually be starting my Dryuary on the 2nd. My oldest daughter is getting married in May, and her fiance’s Mom & Dad invited us over for a get together on the 1st, so I’m bringing the wine, and it would be rude not to taste
Thanks to Covid, I had effectively a dry-cember. No alc from 2nd to 25th due to loss of smell/taste.
'Proly the wrong thread to say this, but will be doubling down in January in order to make things right with my karma in the wine world.