BYE BYE BOOZE!

Here’s why giving up alcohol could be the best decision you make this year

- KIM ABRAHAMS

MANY of us do it by choice at this time of the year – so much so, Dry January has even become a phenomenon around the world. It’s seen as the perfect time to give our bodies a break after the excesses of the festive season and start the year on a clean, flushed-out slate.

But when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced yet another ban on booze under adjusted alert level 3 lockdown, we were forced to go dry even before the new year kicked off.

And at the rate Covid-19 infections are going, we might have to forego our tipples for a while yet. The current lockdown level has been extended to 15 February and it could go beyond that if hospitals are still being overwhelmed by the sick.

It’s by no means easy to cut out booze. But try to think of it as a glass-half-full situation: the no-booze ban could be the best thing for your body.

Experts agree ditching the drink, even temporarily, can transform your mental and physical health, provided it leads to moderate and mindful drinking. A study done by the University of Sussex in 2018 found that 70% of its participants who took part in Dry January were still drinking considerably less seven months later. So, instead of berating the booze ban, consider all the benefits there are. The experts weigh in on what alcohol can do to you – and it’s pretty sobering stuff.

YOUR BRAIN

Alcohol has short- and long-term effects on the brain. It blocks signals between the brain cells, or neurons, which leads to common immediate effects such as slurred speech, poor memory and slow reflexes.