Dry January - it’s a popular New Year's resolution. But choosing non-alcoholic drinks is growing in popularity as well.

From losing weight to better mental health, there are perks to a Dry January. It is possible to keep up whatever momentum you’ve gained in terms of a healthier you beyond this first month of the year. 

Chaya Lee Charles, a registered dietitian and associate teaching professor at Syracuse University, joins Spectrum News 1 to chat about some of the benefits of Dry January.

She says improved sleep, better mood and decreased cholesterol and blood pressure are just some of the benefits. You’ll see changes within a matter of days for some of those, like your mood. Your blood pressure could take a couple of months.

Charles says the issue with alcohol for a lot of folks is weight gain. That's because tend to eat food with higher fat and sugar when drinking. Plus, there is no zero-calorie drink. 

"The truth is that no alcohol is zero calories," Charles said. "When we consume alcohol, it's seven calories per gram. So those are a bit of marketing loopholes that companies can get through. And so depending on how much someone's regularly consuming, then they could be consuming two, three, 400 calories when they're consuming alcohol. And if you take away that, you know, a few hundred calories in anything, you're likely to see some impact in your weight."

You must also be mindful of what you're using for that mocktail. Those contain a lot of juice, which equals a lot of extra calories too. You can add seltzer or low-sugar juice to those drinks to help.