In the new year, things will finally get better! No to alcohol, no to unhealthy food – that’s how many people imagine it in practice. But already on January 17th of each year, “Break Your Resolution Day” is waiting for you: the average day on which New Year’s resolutions are thrown overboard. Such a day doesn’t have to be necessary – after all, New Year’s resolutions are there to be kept!
Anyone who decides to change their diet for a period of time, perhaps even completely, is doing nothing more than detox: Detox is the abbreviation for detoxification and means detoxification: the body is supported in excreting harmful or unwanted substances. These can be absorbed externally through certain foods, or they arise in the body itself as by-products of metabolism.
The idea behind a detox treatment is to free the body from these stresses, which should lead to improved well-being and increased health. Methods to promote detoxification often include changing dietary habits, such as eliminating processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol, and favoring fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of fluids, especially water and herbal teas, and certain nutritional supplements.
What challenges are there?
Well-known detox trends in January include “Veganuary” and “Dry January,” which are movements emerging at the start of the new year with the goal of helping participants rethink their lifestyle and develop healthier habits. “Veganuary” is a campaign that encourages people to try a vegan diet in January. This means giving up all animal products for a month, i.e. not consuming meat, dairy products, eggs or honey. The motivation behind Veganuary is not only personal health, but also environmental and ethical considerations.
Dry January is an initiative that encourages participants not to drink alcohol for the entire month of January. This trend is primarily intended as a reaction to the holidays around the turn of the year, when more alcohol is often consumed. Abstinence in January is intended to help raise awareness of one’s alcohol consumption and experience potential health benefits.
Benefits of Detox
Both trends, Veganuary and Dry January, present an opportunity to rethink habits and make positive lifestyle changes. The benefits of such challenges are obvious: improved health. For example, Dry January leads to improved liver health because abstaining from alcohol, even for a short period of time, can help the liver recover from the effects of alcohol consumption. Better sleep is also a positive side effect of abstaining from alcohol.
Because alcohol can affect the quality of sleep, which can result in fewer deep sleep phases. Even improved skin health can occur in Dry January. Alcohol can cause dehydration, which means the body (and therefore the skin) is deprived of fluids. Not exactly ideal for the complexion. All the better that you can counteract this by avoiding alcohol.
Veganuary also has a number of positive health side effects: For example, a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, especially by reducing the intake of saturated fats, which are mainly found in sweets or red meat. Better digestive health is also a positive side effect: a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains promotes healthy digestion and can therefore reduce or reduce the risk of digestive disorders.
There are also studies that prove that a vegan diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Because Veganuary also avoids meat, many people experience weight loss when switching to a vegan diet, as plant-based foods often contain fewer calories but more fiber. But be careful: if you want to, you can of course consume (too) much sugar with vegan chocolate. It is therefore a good idea to combine Veganuary: For example, with not consuming sweets for a month.
Disadvantages of detox
The vegan diet as part of Veganuary carries the risk of deficiencies in certain nutrients, particularly vitamin B12, which is mainly found in animal products.
Social and practical challenges are additional factors that need to be taken into account. Dry January participants may experience difficulty at social occasions, especially when available drinking options are limited. The following applies here: communication is king. If others know beforehand or during it that you are doing a detox treatment, there will be fewer questions about why you are giving up the glass of wine. Shopping and cooking can also be more challenging as they require careful planning to ensure all necessary nutrients are included.
Psychological pressure is another important aspect. Strict dietary restrictions, such as those often associated with Veganuary or Dry January, can cause stress. The rule here is: only implement what you feel comfortable with! If you feel too stressed by the new change, you shouldn’t approach the cut so strictly.
How do you implement the detox?
In order to implement the cures successfully, it is crucial to set realistic goals and commit to gradual change. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, you shouldn’t take on too much, otherwise the stress might be too much. A clear plan, preferably written down, is helpful here! You should also ensure that all required vitamins and minerals are consumed during the treatment, especially vitamin B12, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. With an alcohol-free challenge like Dry January, it can be helpful to explore alcohol-free alternatives and be aware of the situations in which alcohol consumption has previously played a role in order to plan targeted alternatives.
It is of course possible to start such a detox treatment at any time, whether January, February or even June: There are no fixed rules, so everyone can set the framework as they like – it is also possible to shorten the treatment. if four weeks or a whole month is too much for you. The main thing is that you just try it!