I Stopped Drinking for 'Dry February' and This Is What I Learned

This post originally appeared on my blog iron-rogue.com in February of 2024.

I chose to participate in the Canadian Cancer Society's Fundraiser 'Dry February' - the rules are simple, don't drink alcohol for the month of February (or as long as you can). You can insert your own joke about it being the shortest month of the year.

What I Expected

I thought it would be when I've had a tough and stressful day that I would want to use alcohol to '"settle my nerves". I've had plenty of those sorts of days in February, but having to abstain from having a drink hasn't felt like much of a sacrifice. That's the good news.

The Unexpected Times I Found Myself Wanting a Drink

Food Pairing: Some kinds of foods I most often like to have a beer with - burgers and pizza are notable examples. For steak and some pastas (especially tomato-based sauces) a glass of red wine would have been nice. Instead I found myself with water (or maybe milk) - which are certainly healthier, but it made the meal feel like less of an indulgence

Restaurants: Beyond the obvious correlation to the above, where if I'm treating myself to a night out and the food is good, I want to pair it with the right libation, I find there's a lot of suggestion in restaurants. From my table, I can see what kinds of beers are on tap, signature cocktails get their own featured menu, as do the wine lists. Those signature cocktails catch the eye when you see one being brought to another table.

Television: Right now we're watching Inventing Anna where most of the action takes place within the world of the ultra-rich so you see a lot of partying and luxury. We also watch a British series Cuckoo and there's a fair bit of drinking on that show too, with the added bonus of making me nostalgic for my late 20s in Grad School at Leeds University. Anytime there's a scene of people celebrating, or having one of those "settle the nerves" drinks after a tough day, there's a pang I feel like a voice asking me "wouldn't that be nice?"

I don't have regular access to a bathroom scale, so I haven't been able to measure any weight loss, and frankly, that didn't interest me at the moment anyway. It's possible I'm a little more trim and fitting into my clothes is a little easier, but on the other hand, my desire to 'treat myself' has translated into a stronger sweet tooth, and I find myself indulging in sweet foods maybe more than I should. I haven't had all good nights for sleep, but at least none of them have been due to the way alcohol disturbs your circadian rhythms.

Whether it's for a good cause, health benefits or simply to discover your own patterns, I think doing a dry month (or even a couple of weeks) is a worthwhile endeavour.

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