This Is Why Doing Dry January Is Bad For Your Health

Are you doing Dry January? Us, too.

How’s it going for you? For us it’s been okay….but on the down low, we’re getting a little bored.

We would never pressure anyone into drinking – whatever you do is your choice. But if you’re getting itchy feet, have a party coming up or are just plain old don’t think Dry January is working for you, we have something that might change your mind…

You’ll probably drink more after it’s over

It might not even be that good for you

Apart from one small study conducted by the New Scientist, there’s really not that much evidence that suggests that not drinking for a month does you much long-term good. In the study, which included only ten people, found that the month-long abstainers had less fat around their livers and lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Other benefits such as improved sleep were self-reported. We think more research is needed.

Your friends might ditch you

If they do, you might want to think about finding some better friends – but still. In the New Scientist study, it was reported that the participants had less social contact with others than normal.

It doesn’t improve liver disease

Your liver only takes a few days to recover

A short period of not drinking won’t help a heavy drinker who’s been on the sauce for several decades. And if you only drink moderate amounts, your liver needs only a few days to recover, not a month.

Consider a more moderate, long-term approach instead

The NHS recommends having several days a week where you don’t drink at all. Don’t use this month as an excuse to drink most days for the rest of the year – think longer-term, and setting achievable goals for the year ahead instead.

It won’t change your habits permanently

According to the smarties over at the UCL psychology department, it takes 66 days to form a brand new habit – which means that your 31 days won’t cut the mustard.

Consider your other organs

If your drinking is stressing you out or making you question yourself, don’t just follow the first advice you come across. It’s worth speaking to a doctor or mental health professional about tackling whatever you’re feeling head on, rather than going along with a media sanctioned version of sobriety.

You want to help your whole body, and that takes more than not drinking

The British Liver Trust has a campaign called Love Your Liver, which advocates eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, making portion sizes smaller, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly if they want to keep their liver in tip-top shape. You might not be drinking, but are you spending all your January weekends lying on the sofa eating Doritos and not leaving the house? That’s not healthy either. Don’t let sobriety excuse you from improving your general health.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.