When Steve Byrne’s friend dared him to give up alcohol for the month of January five years ago, Byrne accepted the challenge. Now a growing chorus of experts is touting the benefits of abstaining from alcohol for an entire month. A month gives people’s psyches and brains time to “feel what’s it like without alcohol in your life,” explains Starke. “It’s hard at first, but when I get into a streak, I think, ‘I could do another month,’ ” he says. --Elizabeth Borsting, founder of Dine Out Long Beach, Long BeachI decided to adopt this as a beverage-free month.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 29, 2017 00:11 UTC