BI Today: No alcohol, no problem

04.01.2025 - 13:29 / insider.com / Cleveland Clinic

Happy New Year! Since many are focused on their health goals this month, we designed a special Saturday edition. Enjoy our best fitness reads to help you keep your wellness resolutions .

On the agenda:

But first: It's mocktail season.

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When the clock struck midnight, Rihanna — yes, the billionaire beauty magnate and pop superstar — proclaimed to her 150 million Instagram followers that she "didn't drink all year."

Rih Rih joins so many celebrities and mere mortals alike who are giving up alcohol for one reason or another.

The singer's announcement came days before US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an advisory that alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable cancer in the nation, behind smoking and obesity.

We took a deeper look at the data from the four studies cited in the Surgeon General's advisory . It's worth noting one of the healthiest ways to eat, the Mediterranean diet, includes wine in moderation .

Still, if you want to join Rihanna and go alcohol-free for the month of January, here are some tips to get you started.

Your mid-20s are tricky enough, but graduating during a pandemic is another challenge. As the traditional goalposts of homeownership and parenthood get pushed further back, many are looking for other ways to measure their progress and regain a sense of control.

Young people in their 20s are pursuing intense physical fitness challenges, from ultramarathons (yes, races longer than 26.2 miles) to Ironman triathlons. They're also inspiring their peers to follow suit. Why now?

Some are calling it their quarter-life crisis .

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to cut out the foods you enjoy or endure tough workouts you hate just to lose weight. Research shows this rarely works in the long term and can have unintended health consequences, like malnutrition and disordered eating.

Take it from three people who lost weight sustainably after years of yo-yo dieting. From prioritizing health over appearance to adding a social element to their journey, they shared the advice that helped them succeed.

Their weight loss lessons .

Ultra-processed foods, which contain additives, made headlines in 2024 for their potential health risks. Last year, nutritionist Rob Hobson tried eliminating them from his diet, instead cooking everything from scratch.

Hobson found cooking three times a day is too time-consuming. Now, he incorporates "healthier" UPF options, like picking up pre-made pasta sauce from the store, to "make life easier."

How he incorporates UPFs in his diet .

Dr. Michael Roizen, 78, is the chief wellness officer at Cleveland Clinic. He's all about