Dry January

Hey there and Happy New Year!!

I am so freaking happy to check out of 2022 AND 2023. Bring on this new year filled with good health and happiness all round.

I hope you all had a great Christmas spent with family and friends, building new memories.

We did not go home this Christmas. We have not done so for the past few years and we are missing our family and all of the magic that comes along with the season. Next year we will go back to the way we used to celebrate the season and return home for the first three weeks of Dec.

My son Andrew and his girlfriend Michelle made it down for a vacation on Christmas Day. This is the first time that we have spent any amount of time getting to know Michell and she is simply lovely.

The weather wasn’t 80 and sunny, but it WAS 65 and a mix of sun and cloud. 😊 Their planned excursions happened to be on the nicer days so all was good.

Andrew went on his annual fishing trip at Sweetwater here in Bonita Bay. He and Captain Steve have been doing this trip for a number of years. I am talking about an actual captain named Steve, not to be confused with my husband Steve.

Andrew caught a large trout and some Triple Tail. He made Ceviche and he grilled the rest. If you are not familiar with the art of making Ceviche it is ‘cooking’ fish in citrus juice. I happen to have a lime tree in the front yard which provided plenty of fresh, juicy, limes for this dish and also for Andrew’s famous Margaritas.  It is a joy having him here in my kitchen. He cleans ups too 😉

I am not starting the new year off with any resolutions at all. Why? 😂 I don’t know about you, but me and 80% of people can’t commit. I cut and pasted this from Google  “Just 9% of adults keep their resolutions all year long. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 80% of New Year’s resolutions are forgotten by mid-winter, while many adults(23%) quit the first week of the year”

Instead I am choosing to reflect on what I learned and what was important to me  in 2023. Here is some of what I wrote in my journal.

• I am stronger than I think
• I am weaker than I think
• I slowed down and simplified things
• Colitis is hard work – having my hips & thighs back is a blessing. Who would have thought? 😂
• I did a lot of healing mentally
• My dog is a complete goof ball, full of fun energy, that makes us laugh everyday.
• Some things are not worth my energy. Tanks energy is excluded from this. 😊
• I am so grateful that Steve is still with me 😅 Whew, close call.
• I don’t take the important people in my life for granted. ❤️
• I love my naps
• I found more joy in the little things 💕

Nothing very deep 😆 …I’m no Oprah with big ‘Ah ha’ moments…but there have been definitive moments this past year that have filled pages in my journal, that I will leave on those pages.

Having said all of that…I am doing dry January. It’s not a resolution. It is just a thing that I am doing. This Christmas season was filled with parties, afternoon cocktail hours, dinners out and just too much social drinking. My liver needs a break. My brain needs a break and my digestion needs a break. I am calling it hang-xiety!

I put it out there to a group of friends that I am doing dry January. Out of 17 people on the text, 6 ladies piped in to say that they are going to join me. I was surprised to learn that this is a thing with other people too. It’s always amazing to have a group of supportive family and friends when doing something new or out of the ordinary.

I did some research on what to expect physically by going on a 30 day no drinking journey. Improved sleep, improved moods including a decrease in depression and anxiety. Healthier skin. A healthier gut.  Improvements in insulin resistance, weight maintenance and blood pressure. Not to mention what we all know about the affects of alcohol on our livers!

Long term alcohol use…which being 60 has to fall into the long term use category, can cause so many health risks like high blood pressure, heart disease and liver disease. An increase in certain types of cancers. It can weaken our immune systems and can impair the function of our brain too.

Doing research on how alcohol affects me made my decision to give it up for at least a month a no brainer. Research is showing the gender gap closing in with women now raising their glass almost as often as men. A government survey found that 49% of women drank the prior month compared to 55% of men.  Women in their 30’s and 40’s are now drinking more than men. (Stats from National Geographic) I wonder how much of this is because of all the marketing geared towards women having mommy drinks, drinks after work and all of the IG stories about women enjoying a glass of wine with their friends. I just signed up for two ‘paint and sips’. You paint a picture while enjoying a glass of wine. I went to a cooking class and was invited to BYOB. Partaking is everywhere we look. Every fun event is associated with alcohol.

OK…I feel I have shared enough about this whole no drinking thing. I will end with a delicious non-alcohol drink recipe following  Andrew’s recipe for Ceviche and a full on yummy Margarita. 😂

Here is the link to the Ceviche recipe that Andrew makes. He did not use cucumber or avocado. I have meandered around this site and it looks beautiful. Great information over and above the recipe with lovely photos too.

Margarita Recipe

• 1 wedge of lime
• 1 tsp course sea salt
• 1 glass full of ice
• 2 oz favourite tequila
• 1 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1 oz fresh lime juice – come and pick them from my tree!
• 1 slice of lime

Directions:

For the perfect amount of ice, fill your margarita glass with ice then dump into a shaker.

Add in tequila, triple sec and lime juice,

Place the lid on and give it a good shake.

Rim your glass using the wedge of lime and salt the rimmed edge. You can use a flavoured salt if you prefer some heat/spice.

Pour the contents of shaker into the glass and add the slice of lime as a garnish. I like mine with the dirty ice on the side to add into my drink as I sip. Keeps it nice and cold. And as a new tequila drinker it waters it down a bit. 😂

Lastly our non alcohol drink

I was at a health seminar here in Bonita Bay and they served these drinks in champagne flutes. Very tasty and definitely something I can drink throughout Jan. Very refreshing 😋

What’s on your new year agenda? Are you a resolution girl or a reflection girl? Whatever you choose I pray for  lots of health and happiness to all of you that stop in to say hi and let’s all continue to pray for peace on earth.

I would love to hear back from you in the comments below.