The holiday season is a time for family gatherings and festivities. With all the celebrations, it can also be a time for overindulging. Eating is a big part of the holidays, and so can alcoholic beverages. It is estimated that drinking increases by almost 30% over the holiday season. 

With busy schedules, less sleep, lots of snacking, excess sugar, and more, the effects of alcohol can sneak up on you unexpectedly. Beyond alcohol unexpectedly getting the best of you, there’s also the tendency to overindulge. The standard serving sizes per alcoholic drink are 12 ounces of beer, eight ounces of malt liquor, and five ounces of wine.

Binge drinking is defined as heavy drinking and specifically, 4 drinks in a single setting for women, and 5 drinks in a single setting for men.

This holiday season consider incorporating more non-alcoholic drinks into your holiday festivities. There are many recipes for “mocktails” (mixed drinks without the alcohol), as well as pre-packaged or canned non-alcoholic craft drinks. These fun and unique beverages still provide plenty of cheer to the holiday celebrations.

Another reason to add more non-alcoholic beverages to your holiday season is in preparation for considering “Dry January”. With the New Year, many people make health-related resolutions, and especially try to correct bad habits that have been overindulged during the holiday season. Dry January is a challenge to abstain from alcohol for the first 30 days of the new year. 

Cutting alcohol back or out completely can offer many benefits such as: clearer skin, improved sleep, weight loss, more money in your wallet, and more energy. 

Start now with adding more fun non-alcoholic drinks into your mix, and see where it takes you as the new year rolls around.