This is an anecdotal account of my own health issue and Dry January. I am not giving medical advise and I am not a medical professional.
I tend to be of the mind that being open about disabilities and chronic illness is a meaningful way to relieve some of the stress associated with living with chronic illness. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in the summer of 2000 when I had a perforated bowel that required emergency surgery which removed about a meter of my large intestine. The first ten years of living with this disease were a struggle mentally and physically. I always felt expected to push on and act like I didn't live in constant pain and exhaustion. Or the expectation that sick and disabled people are supposed to behave a certain way. If we have the energy or manage to travel, go on a hike, or do anything able-bodied people do regularly, that's a sign we are not really sick or in need of accommodations. People fail to realize that for me to accomplish any of my life goals and dreams, a team of doctors and a shitload of medicine gets me there. I've been on and off prednisone for 23 years. It's a helluva drug that has long-term consequences.
If you've seen me out and about at events, hiking with my dogs in the Dolomites, and working in any capacity, chances are codeine and imodium helped me achieve that. It has been that way for years. Over time I have learned to manage my disease and other inflammatory ailments that seem to come with it (hello, arthritis!) with diet. Through loads of research, I have learned that Crohn's disease and most autoimmune diseases are associated with reduced intestinal microbial diversity. One easy way to increase biodiversity in the gut biome is to eat a fiber-heavy diet. This doesn't mean taking a fiber supplement. The idea is to feed the gut. The millions of microorganisms in the gut like a fiber-rich and diverse diet. One that includes as many different plant species as possible and limits or eliminates animal products to no more than 5 to 10% of the diet. On this beautiful planet, there are more than 50,000 edible plants, yet most people in the western world consume just 15 different plant species. No wonder we are awash in inflammatory, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. The human body and mind crave diversity and novelty. It is essential to our health. Eating a high-fiber diet is vital to our bodies and minds.
Every January, I make a point to do Dry January. A month of not drinking alcohol. I have done this for the past five or six years despite the trolling on social media from the wine trade, who think that a couple of people not indulging in alcohol consumption will ruin the entire industry. People take breaks from a variety of activities in January, or they try to implement healthier activities. Sometimes, they fail, and sometimes, they succeed. What is most important is that there is self-reflection there to know that what I am doing is not healthy for me. People take breaks for shopping, socializing, social media, tobacco, alcohol, and even certain foods in January because it is right after a month of overconsumption of unhealthy activities. Sometimes it is for self-reflection, and sometimes it is just because we need a damn break.
In my case, by December 31st, I am just over it. I am sick of food and parties, drinking, going out, and spending money on crap nobody needs. But unlike the healthy-bodied, this feeling is manifested through my gut. Spending hours on the toilet, having explosive bloody diarrhea, being extraordinarily exhausted and anemic, and having inflamed joints are all associated with Crohn's, which would be considered a milder version of the disease. It is painful, exhausting, and certainly no way to live right. My migraines worsen when I eat incorrectly, and my skin looks dry and flaky. My body seems to beg me for a break. And so I grant it.
My participation in Dry January is a form of self-love. I spend this month doing things that are good for me, like committing to 30-day exercise programs, writing every day, and spending time in self-reflection. It's a quiet month for me. The tour season is practically null; it is cold, and I stay home, spend time with my family, and cook healthy meals. It feels good to commit to my health. Last year I decided to commit to a month without alcohol and an elimination diet of 12 days. It helped me understand what foods and drinks are my triggers, and in regards to alcohol, it helps me maintain a moderate level of consumption, which, according to the CDC, is one drink a day.
This is not just about my gut health. Research shows lower biodiversity of the microbiome in the intestines is linked to depression and anxiety, which I have struggled with for years until I started to be proactive in my gut health. The goal is to balance good bacteria over those that can damage physical and mental health. Dealing with a frail, elderly mother taught me the link between the bacteria in UTIs and dementia, and there is a link between bad gut bacteria and mental illness. When we feed the good bacteria, we can keep those unhealthy bacteria at bay, and our bodies can manage to live with them. Feed the gut and the mind.
Alcohol is not only inflammatory in the body; it depletes the gut of its precious microflora. A 2010 study published by the National Library of Medicine says, "Chronic inflammation is often associated with alcohol-related medical conditions. The key inducer of such inflammation, and also the best understood, is gut microflora-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Alcohol can significantly increase the translocation of LPS from the gut. In healthy individuals, the adverse effects of LPS are kept in check by the actions and interactions of multiple organs. The liver plays a central role in detoxifying LPS and producing a balanced cytokine milieu. The central nervous system contributes to anti-inflammatory regulation through neuroimmunoendocrine actions. Chronic alcohol use impairs not only gut and liver functions, but also multi-organ interactions, leading to persistent systemic inflammation and ultimately, to organ damage. The study of these interactions may provide potential new targets for therapeutic intervention."
Wine is many things, many, many wonderful things, but it is not a health food. Alcohol is toxic in the body, period. The key to enjoyment is moderation, and this is something that is often ignored by my colleagues. We congratulate ourselves when we post images of dozens of bottles consumed. Imagine if we did the same with cocaine or heroin. The only real difference is alcohol is legal in most places and celebrated. You may have heard that wine, particularly red wine is healthy because of the polyphenols that are linked to heart health. There are over 3000 kinds of polyphenols in the plant world, and only one, resveratrol, is found in wine. Resveratrol is found in several other plant foods, including grapes, peanuts, and soy products.
I think Dry January is beneficial for people like me who may have a serious health conditions and for regular consumers to take a step back and reflect honestly on their consumption. At the height of lockdown, Ettore and I were consuming about 1 liter a day of wine. I was not sleeping well, felt depleted, and didn't make the connection between what was happening in my bowel and my 15 to 20 toilet stops a day with the alcohol I was consuming. After all, I eat healthily. I didn't even consider myself an alcoholic. Mostly we were just bored. We drank with food, so it didn't feel out of control. The weight I gained wasn't due to all those empty calories but from having to stay home. The lack of motivation was just due to the global pandemic. Loads of excuses, not a lot of self-reflection.
So today, on this last day of January, I am thankful I had this time to myself and for friends who allowed me to either not socialize or to meet in settings that didn't involve meeting up for wine. I did drink one day, on January 28th, because I led a tasting for a birthday party, and I have to admit, I felt jealous to be missing out on some of the wines I curated. The next day, right on cue, I woke up with diarrhea and felt lethargic all day. I drank a lot of water and took a high-dose probiotic. I then had a high-fiber breakfast of oats, flax seed, hemp seed, chia seed, and banana. An hour later, I drank my usual morning psyllium, and I was mostly fine except for the dark circles under my eyes and feeling tired. This year I will focus on consuming less during the week and at home and only enjoying wine while in the company of fabulous women.
Self love is so important!!! I changed my life too.. rarely drink anything. wine or cocktails. I stopped eating pasta and bread as it made me sleepy! Keto diet.. less brain fog, lost weight, feel better. The best gift to ourselves is taking care of ourselves.