Here we are halfway through January and you might say it's dry around here. Not because of the dry Arizona climate but rather a phenomenon simply known as Dry January. People voluntarily giving up alcohol for a month. Why?

About 1 in every 10 people in the United Kingdom (UK) drink according to a recent poll. Every hour one person dies of alcohol related issues. That's why a UK group started Dry January. The group is not anti-alcohol but if the stats for the UK are similar to those in other countries, they hope drinkers will recognize that alcohol is not as harmless as it may seem. In fact, their research shows people who gave up alcohol for a month noted amazing health benefits, even in that short amount of time.

Fibromyalgia (FM), as most our readers know, is a condition that involves widespread tenderness, elevated perception of pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties on a persistent basis. As there is no cure for FM, those with FM look for options to manage their ongoing symptoms.

One very common suggestion (besides medication) is exercise. I can hear the groans. When you are dealing with ongoing pain, you're not going to be particularly eager to add exercise even if studies show both aerobic and resistance training help with FM symptom management.

Vacation time should be relaxing and free from pain. Having fibromyalgia (FMS) can make vacations extremely stressful since it does not distinguish food stress from bad. In FM, they can both hurt. There are many reasons why vacations cause paradoxical flare-ups: happy stress, a hectic schedule, increased physical activities (walking, hauling luggage, etc.), and changes from our proper posture. In our eagerness to take our vacation, we often forget our necessary daily routine for controlling fibromyalgia. Since we are bringing our FM with us, we have to make sure our fibromyalgia has a good time too!