Skip the booze and stick to veggies this Dry January or Veganuary

The increasing availability of plant-based alternatives to milk and meat makes it easier than ever to join the Veganuary movement. — dpa

The start of a new year is a good time to try something new – even better if it’s good for your health or the environment.

Enter Veganuary and Dry January, two health-focused movements that have gained major attention in recent years after beginning in England.

Dry January – aimed at giving your liver a break in January after binging on booze over the year-end holidays – is only the latest iteration in hundreds of years of alcoholic temperance movements around the world.

The idea of Dry January is not only good for the liver, but also for the pancreas, stomach and intestines, according to the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS).

A period of abstinence can also be used to rethink your own relationship with alcohol.

Come February, you may decide you don’t want to fall back into your old patterns, but reduce your consumption permanently.

Experts agree this makes a huge difference in your long-term health, as even half a litre of beer or a glass of wine a day is dangerous for men, while for women, it’s half that amount.

Those who drink more on a regular and long-term basis risk serious health consequences.

Besides cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol plays a role in many other diseases.

For example, there is also alcohol-related chronic inflammation in the pancreas, which can lead to further illnesses and even cancer.

Veganuary, meanwhile, is an initiative stemming from the United Kingdom that encourages people to give up animal products for the whole month of January.

It’s especially popular on social media, where many users see it as a kind of challenge and share pictures of vegan food they make.

More than half a million people signed up to the challenge in 2021, according to the Veganuary website.

The website also offers a guide for people new to veganism, with recipes, nutrition tips and ways to get others to sign up to try out a month of vegan living – no meat, fish, milk products or eggs.

There’s been a trend in eating less meat in some countries in recent years, as people acknowledge the health benefits and how it helps the environment.

However, it’s far from enough to make up for the global increase in meat production, which has doubled in the past 20 years, according to research that points to growing populations and rising incomes, especially in fast-growing emerging economies.

Consumer behaviour can play a role in changing the meat industry, albeit a small one.

The popularity of meat substitutes made from soy or wheat proteins is one example.

As consumers keep buying them, companies respond by making more and expanding their selections. — dpa