There is an ongoing self-improvement theme happening nowadays called, “Dry January”, where people are promising that they will stay away from drinking alcohol for this entire month. The idea is that since you’ve been indulging yourself over the holidays, stopping your regular alcohol consumption in January can improve your life as well as your overall health throughout the year.

But is there any truth to this?

It appears that the proponents of “Dry January” may have hit on something here as there are some evidence that cutting back on alcohol consumption for a month can improve your overall health. Here are a few that you should know of:

Improve insulin resistance

One of the benefits of going alcohol-free for a month that there is an improvement to your insulin resistance which can reduce your risk from diabetes and other health issues.

Better sleep quality

Another benefit of going dry for a month? You’ll be sleeping better compared to before. It is believed that drinking alcoholic beverages close to bed time can actually heighten your alpha waves which are similar to the brain waves that you have when you’re awake. Simply put, your mind is quite active even while you’re sleeping which means that there is a huge chance that your sleep will be disrupted.

Prevent overeating

Have you ever noticed that you eat more when you are drinking alcoholic beverages? Based on a study that was printed in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it appears that alcohol is one of the culprits to eating more than is necessary. It is possible that when we imbibe more than a glass of alcohol, our senses become heightened hence we can smell and taste better. That being said, we tend to eat more in the process too. The good news is that since you are avoiding alcohol consumption for the entire month, you won’t find yourself overindulging on food which can help you with your weight loss needs.

Better looking skin

What other benefits will you get when you cut back on booze for a month? Your skin will actually look and feel hydrated which means that there will be fewer skin issues to deal with. If you are not aware of this, alcohol acts as a diuretic which means that you will be peeing more. That ruddiness that you are sporting around your nose and cheeks will soon clear up, plus other skin conditions like rosacea, dandruff, and even eczema will slowly disappear.

Easier to quit

Another benefit that you’ll get from avoiding alcohol for a month is that you’ll find it is easier continue doing this for another month, and the rest of the year since you are starting to feel better overall. Those who have followed this trend were able to quite alcohol consumption because it became easier for them once they realize that they can enjoy life without drinking booze.

Mental boost

With alcohol out of your system, you will find that you’ll have better mental focus on a daily basis. There will be no more brain fog in the morning as you are battling with hangovers which means that there will also be an improvement to your performance at work.

The concept of “Dry January” is definitely a good one what with all the benefits linked to it. if you are thinking of starting your new year right, I think this is one trend that is worth joining seeing that many have already joined all over the world. You might be surprised to find that your health is much better afterwards.