Dry January Recap
As our month of going alcohol free comes to an end, I though it would be beneficial to look back and review how it went.
As a recap, Dan and I both Participated in Dry January this month together. We had a few friends participate as well, so it was fun to check in.
I asked us both a few questions and summarized our answers below…
Overall, how did the month go without alcohol?
Dan – Overall, it went good. During the first half of the month I got in a lot of fitness. I noticed a big improvement in my run times, fitness levels and increased run speeds. I saw a drastic improvement in my resting heart rate by not drinking. I also found myself really productive, especially at night. I finished lots of little projects and am halfway finished with getting my Real Estate and Pilot’s license.
Brynn – I liked it overall. I felt like I was much more productive, especially at night. I also felt like I slept so much better and woke up less sluggish in the mornings. I drank so much more water than usual, which is something I really hope to keep up with after the month is over.
What was the hardest part?
Dan – The days when I was outside, in the sunshine, watching the kids play is when I missed having a beer. A cup of hot tea just didn’t cut the mustard on those days.
Brynn – The weekends were hard to adjust to in the beginning. It was hard in my mind to separate the weekday (work, helping the kids with school, chores, etc) with the weekend without enjoying some wine while watching a movie on Friday night or enjoying a beer with the neighbors on a Saturday afternoon.
Did you accomplish your goals of Dry January?
In general, our goals were: increase productivity, better health, better sleep and save money
Dan – Overall I’d say I met my goals.
Brynn – Yes on all except save money. I did find that to make up for the fact that we weren’t drinking in the evenings that I did so much more snacking! So our grocery bill went down a bit but I feel in general that I just used the money I would ordinarily use for wine to buy snacks.
Would you do it again?
Dan – I wouldn’t do a full 30 days without alcohol more than once a year. However, I do like the idea of not drinking Monday thru Thursday but being flexible if your buddy wants to meet up for a beer on a random Tuesday night and not feeling like you have to have anything other than that.
Brynn – I would definitely do it again and can see myself doing another month free of alcohol again later this year. I also like the idea of having a dry week and saving a glass of wine or Sunday mimosa for the weekends. However, I like the idea of scaling the drinking back on nights we do drink to just a glass or two of wine.
If you are thinking about participating in an alcohol free month or are just looking to cut back, here are some resources we found helpful.
Health Benefits of 30 Days without Alcohol
While it is true that Red Wine can be Heart Healthy, it’s no secret that no alcohol is better than any alcohol when it comes to health.
According to a study summarized on Medical News Today, the positive effects of 30 Days without Alcohol can also include –
- A sense of achievement
- More in control of drinking habits and better sense of awareness of relationship with alcohol
- Better quality of sleep
- Better overall health
- Higher energy levels
- Improvement of skin, hair and nails
- Weight loss
- Improved concentration
It is important to note the health benefits of abstaining from alcohol for 30 days also depend on how much you drank beforehand. Moderate and occasional drinkers might not see a vast improvement after removing alcohol from the diet for a month.
What We found ourselves Drinking Instead
In addition to drinking a lot more water throughout the day, we had a few favorites that carried us through our Dry January.
Hot Tea
Neither of us were huge tea drinkers before but we’ve become big fans now. I’d estimate that we currently both drink between 2-4 cups of tea daily now.
Some of our favorites include –
Organic Baked Cinnamon Apple Tea by Tazo
Peach Tranquility Tea by Teavana
Blackberry Elderberry Tea by Tazo
Matcha Mate Grapefruit Tea by Tazo
Please note that the links above are affiliate links and if you chose to purchase the items from the links that I may make a small commission.
Mocktails
Most of our “mocktails” were simply just sparkling water + pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lime. We did find that serving it in a fancy glass made it more fun.
However, we did really enjoy this Mock Whiskey Sour made with Ritual Whiskey and this Sparkling Grapefruit Mocktail.
Check out this collection of 15 Refreshing Mocktail Recipes if you are looking for more alchohol free cocktail inspiration.
Great write up B