Tag: January

Dry January: what it is and why Macron doesn’t agree – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


Emmanuel Macron does not agree with the Dry January: the French president said no (once again) to proposal of doctors and scientists to institutionalize theI invite you to eliminate alcohol for an entire month. For him, known lover of good wine (he once declared that a dinner without a glass is a “sad dinner”), there is no need for the government to support a campaign to encourage people to abstain: it is better to focus on prevention policies that make the French even more aware .

Many accuse his executive of supporting the wine industry in this way too – which in France is worth 15.6 billion dollars according to the research company Ibis World – but Macron should still be given some credit: thanks to the controversy he has aroused his position, those who had never heard of it before are now starting to familiarize themselves with the idea of ​​Dry January.

What is Dry January

An entire month without drinking, in fact, not so much to recover from the revelry of the holidays (as some do by participating in the vegan month, veganuary), but to experiment the positive effects on physical and mental health. The idea of ​​Dry January was born thanks to the English activist Emily Robinson who, to prepare for a half marathon, decided in 2011 not to drink alcohol for the whole of January. Two years later – in 2013 – with the association Alcohol Change UK, British body that raises awareness of the effects of alcohol, its initiative has begun to be noticed, even beyond the United Kingdom.

What are the risks of alcohol

The New York Times writes that in recent years the Dry January involved between 15 and 19% of Americans. That is almost two out of ten people, habitual drinkers. Awareness of the risks certainly contributed to this renunciation. The IARC, it is always worth remembering, classifies alcohol as a type 1 carcinogenic agentthat is, among those substances certainly capable of causing tumors. The risk is always there: it is reduced but not eliminated even if limited to moderate consumption which, for the record, equates to two units of alcohol per day for men and one for women. According to the WHO, over 3 million people die every year due to alcohol abuse: in addition to cancer, 200 incidental pathologies and other consequences linked to abuse, including mental alterations which immediately a exposes you to risks such as road accidents.

What happens to our body when we stop drinking alcohol

Several scientific studies (among many, one of the most complete is in the National Library of Medicine) have proven that the benefits of abstinence are felt even in the short term for those who drink moderately. A separate discussion, in fact, must be made for those who suffer from alcohol addiction, who need much longer periods and also have to follow very tortuous paths.

For simple enthusiasts of good wine and excellent drinks, therefore, stop drinking alcohol even for just a month helps reduce intestinal inflammation, regulate the heartbeat, lower bad cholesterol levels (which rise due to free radicals stimulated by alcohol). It also helps to sleep better and – last but not least – with just thirty days of abstinence for those who drink moderately but regularly lose weight and also find benefits for your mood.

Experts also agree that a month can be enough lower the tolerance level of alcohol and therefore reduce consumption overall in the long term. As he pointed out to New York Times Sara Jo Nixon, neuroscientist and director of the Center for Addiction Research and Education at the University of Florida, this dry month can make people reflect and push people to ask themselves questions like: «Why am I drinking so much? How does what I drink affect the way I feel? Do I really need it?”.

How to participate in Dry January

It is told by those who have tried and try it, many on social media, confirming the fact that ten years after the launch of the initiative, the Dry January is a consolidated trend. On Instagram while we write posts just for the hashtag #dryjanuary is close to 600 thousand, and videos on TikTok garner millions of views. Content posted by influencers and ordinary people who talk about their month sober, who give advice on resisting the temptation of alcohol and offer alternative recipes. A good race, also stimulated by Alcohol Change UK which, to bring those who want to try it online, has also created a free application and a newsletter (you can sign up on the alcoholchange.org.uk website) which gives useful information every day, one more reason to say no to alcohol alcohol even just for a little while.

Why participate in Dry January

It’s a good thing that Dry January is talked about so much online, because alcohol consumption is growing especially among the first users of social media: young people. The 2023 report from the National Alcohol Observatory of the Higher Institute of Health says that there are approximately 1 million and 370 thousand children aged between 11 and 25 who drink alcohol uncontrollably in Italy. Often minors, not always aware of the risks they face, they need to be educated, sensitized and intrigued by showing them that they can and should drink well, that there are alternatives, and that they are very valid.

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The news for January 2024, from Befana socks to cooking – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

The news for January 2024, from Befana socks to cooking


What’s new for January 2024? Very greedy. The first month of the year should be that of good intentions, of nutrition without mistakes, and instead on the supermarket shelves we will find new specialties that will most likely be difficult to resist. Lots of sweets, first of all, also because January is the month of the Epiphany and Epiphany stockings which are no longer just for children, but also for adults.

There are also new products to prepare quick and easy desserts in an even simpler way, new spirits for those who love tasting surprising cocktails, and other delicious ideas to eat and drink to experiment and have fun in the kitchen.

What’s new for January 2024

Are there supermarkets open on December 31st and January 1st? – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


This is important to know which supermarkets are open on December 31st and January 1st, and at what times. Whoever has to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner and the New Year’s Eve lunch needs to organize themselves to do the last minute shopping for those fresh products that cannot be bought beforehand (such as fish), to stock up on all those small and large things necessary for preparation, but also to recover those ingredients forgotten in the previous shopping but essential for the recipes on the menu.

But not just for them: those who have the privilege of being among the guests also need to know which supermarkets are open on December 31st and January 1st. Maybe to buy a dessert to bring as a gift, or some bubbles to toast since there are never enough on New Year’s Eve. Here then where to go and information on the opening hours of individual stores and possible exceptions.

Supermarkets open on December 31st and January 1st

Esselunga On December 31st the closing in Esselunga supermarkets will be brought forward to 7pm. On January 1st, however, the sales points in all the Italian regions where the chain is present will be closed.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on www.esselunga.it

The giant

Il Gigante closes early on December 31st between 7.30pm and 8pm. It closes on January 1st.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on ilgigante.net

Hyper La Grande

Iper La Grande keeps its stores open with reduced hours and early closing between 7pm and 8pm on December 31st. On January 1st, the restaurants in its supermarkets will also close.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions click on www.iper.it/punti-vendita

Aldi

On December 31st Aldi supermarkets open on Sundays (8.30am – 8.30pm), while on January 1st they are closed.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on www.aldi.it.

Carrefour

Each of the Carrefour stores – Iper, Market or Express – will have specific opening hours on public holidays. However, they will all be open on December 31st.
For details on each point of sale click on www.carrefour.it.

Conad

They will all be open on December 31st, but for the rest there is no univocal indication: each Conad store will observe different opening times and closures during the holidays of the Christmas period.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions on www.conad.it.

Pam

Pam supermarkets will remain open on December 31st from 8am to 7pm and closed on January 1st.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on www.pampanorama.it.

Lidl

On December 31st the supermarkets of the LIDL chain will be open with reduced hours, i.e. from 8am to 8pm, and will remain closed on January 1st.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on www.lidl.it

Coop

For Coop supermarkets the general rule is to remain open on 31 December with reduced hours – 08:00-18:00 – and to close on New Year’s Day, 1 January.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions, click on www.coop.it

Family

Famila supermarkets follow the same rule: opening with reduced and different hours depending on the store on New Year’s Eve, and closing on December 1st.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions click on www.famila.it.

Bennett

Bennet supermarkets will be open on December 31st. Closing is scheduled for January 1st.
For details on each point of sale and any exceptions click on www.bennet.com.

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