The start of a new year means a lot of people are putting resolutions to paper and it is in fact, an excellent opportunity to pair your resolution with a worthy cause. Taking place in January, WWW (World Without Wine) encourages people to give up alcohol for a month and, by donating to the Earthchild Project, you can detox your body and help the less fortunate.
Earthchild Project is a Non-Profit Organisation operating in disadvantaged schools in Cape Town, South Africa, and teaches practical skills such as yoga, mindfulness & organic gardening to over 3500 children and 300 teachers.
Through Dry January in 2016, the partnership between WWW and the Earthchild Project raised enough money to put 125 children through a year of yoga and in January 2017 enough was raised to put 181 children through another year of yoga.
WWW members are asked to make a donation to fund one (or more) children and to commit to a Dry January. During the month, they will receive a daily mail that includes tips, tools and motivation to get them through their alcohol-free month.
The challenge is open from now to the end of January so just pick 30 days in that window – for example you can choose 15 January-15 February. You can even start it on 31 January and end on 2nd March. WWW will contact you for your starting date and then send you a daily e-mail with tips, tools and encouragement to get you through your dry month.
What are the health benefits to staying dry for an entire month?
- No more hangovers
A dry month means no wasted days feeling ill and suffering from bad headaches.
- No fear, anxiety or depression
Abstaining from alcohol offers you peace and no regrets. You no longer experience fights, blackouts, regrets, guilt and self-recrimination.
- Better sleep
Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep making you feel tired and sluggish. This is because drinking disrupts your sleep cycle. A dry month should help you sleep better and give you more energy.
- Healthy liver
Giving up drinking will have a big impact on your liver and should reduce the chances of developing liver disease.
- A stronger immune system
Alcohol causes a weakened immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off illness, disease, and sickness. Alcohol makes white blood cells less effective at fighting off bad bacteria.
- Safer socialising
Excessive alcohol use can lead to risky behaviour including drinking and driving, sexual promiscuity, and drug abuse. Abstaining from alcohol limits your exposure to these behaviours.
- Stronger heart
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol damages our heart and weakens its muscles. This can lead to strokes, hypertension, heart arrhythmias and heart disease.
The start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to not only better your health but also make a difference in a child’s life. Sign up by yourself, or include a loved one and work as a team.
For more information and to sign up to Dry January, visit https://www.givengain.com/ap/dryjanchallenge2017/.
