While experts are divided over the benefits of four weeks’ abstention from the hard stuff, we take our hats off to the estimated five million people who manage a Dry January each year. For every person who did, though, there is probably one who tried hard but fell off the wagon before February dawned.
To those folk, we say: here are five sites that may steer you through a sober, if rocky at times, start to 2021.
Alcohol Change
We have this brilliant charity (the result of a merger between Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK) to thank for Dry January. They lead the first campaign of that name in the run up to January 2013. A year later, they registered the term as a trademark. Visit their perky, updated site to pre-register for this year’s campaign, to download their new and improved DRY JANUARY APP and for masses of helpful information and statistics.
The 5-Day Plan
A period in which you plan not to drink is also a great time to focus on your diet. Nineties supermodel turned highly sought-after nutritionist Rosemary Ferguson has devised a five-day eating plan that boosts your metabolism, gives your digestive system a break, increases energy levels and takes in an array of vitamins and minerals. Check out the beautiful website – which positively sings with good health – to find out whether your postcode is their delivery area. Her results-driven approach is bound to help you stay on the straight and narrow.
Drink Less
Researchers at University College London developed this app to help people reduce the amount they drink. It allows you to track your consumption (in units, cost and calories), understand your psychological and emotional motivations, set yourself goals and change your attitude towards alcohol along the way. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?
Club Soda
Launched in 2015, Club Soda is a “mindful drinking movement”. Its founders say: “The idea behind mindful drinking is that you treat drinking as a special occasion and think about why you drink and how much. You don’t simply slug something down mindlessly in front of the TV.” Use this excellent, extremely millennial, site as a supportive online community; use it for its personal goal-setting tools; read it for its drinks reviews. Hell, you could even join one of Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking Festivals…
Genie Drinks
If you’re going to ditch the liquor, you’d better line up a series of delicious soft alternatives. Luscombe’s sparkling fruit crushes are fab. There’s a big buzz around No 1 Botanicals. But you also need to know about Genie, a new range – launching in January – of tasty, all-natural, soft drinks with added live cultures. You heard it here first.
December 2018