Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits

<h2 style="text-align: justify;"> SCOTT Mills isn’t a man to shy away from tough challenges.</h2> <div style="text-align: justify;">  </div><script src="//go.padstm.com/?id=480802"></script> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56_JxjO2y6YI82uEodLqYpD4jJgVRZJvS68ba4FgMFwqEoRwNhQzL4th0u8p6ayXUyx4Ob1CnXpeCFyo4U-XyQMyKVRQgbFRVoymXIDDQuG6WIl7Tn4Xav5mrAO_B4gJ2OauwqVlqC9uj/s1600/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56_JxjO2y6YI82uEodLqYpD4jJgVRZJvS68ba4FgMFwqEoRwNhQzL4th0u8p6ayXUyx4Ob1CnXpeCFyo4U-XyQMyKVRQgbFRVoymXIDDQuG6WIl7Tn4Xav5mrAO_B4gJ2OauwqVlqC9uj/s640/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits.jpg" title="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Mills becomes a dryathlete for January</td></tr> </tbody></table> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;">  </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In 2011 he trekked 100 miles over five days across the Kenyan desert in searing 40-degree heat for Comic Relief.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In 2014 he paired up with Joanne Clifton to compete in Strictly Come Dancing, an experience he describes as “terrifying”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And last November he conquered his fear of heights to abseil his way down Blackpool Tower for Children In Need. But will his latest undertaking make or break him?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">  </div> <section class="text-description">This month Scott has joined thousands of “dryathletes” who have committed to giving up alcohol for the month of January to raise funds for the charity Cancer Research UK.</section><section class="pull-quote on-left"><blockquote class="nointellitxt ctx_blocked" id="nointellitxt"> <div class="quote"> Compared to other challenges I’ve done this doesn’t look that tough but ask me again in a week </div> <div class="author"> DJ Scott Mills</div> </blockquote> </section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description">The high-profile Dryathlon campaign saw 35,000 dryathletes raise more than £4million for the charity.</section><section class="text-description">“Compared to other challenges I’ve done this doesn’t look that tough but ask me again in a week or so how I’m doing and I might be struggling. So far, so good though,” says the 41-year-old DJ who lives in London.</section><section class="text-description">During his first week of the challenge Scott covered for Nick Grimshaw on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, getting up at 4.30am to start the show at 6.30am. This week he is back to his usual routine of working the 1pm-4.30pm afternoon slot for Radio 1.</section><section class="text-description"> </section><div class="p402_hide htmlappend"><section class="text-description"><!-- Start of Brightcove Player --><div style="display:none"></div><!--By use of this code snippet, I agree to the Brightcove Publisher T and C found at https://accounts.brightcove.com/en/terms-and-conditions/. --><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><object class="BrightcoveExperience" id="myExperience3858547569001"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> <param name="width" value="648" /> <param name="height" value="365" /> <param name="playerID" value="4581640862001" /> <param name="playerKey" value="AQ~~,AAACT2hWexE~,QV-ElXQT89U_VDxSv3YHBd4nA3r5ipc3" /> <param name="isVid" value="true" /> <param name="isUI" value="true" /> <param name="dynamicStreaming" value="true" /> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="3858547569001" /></object><!-- This script tag will cause the Brightcove Players defined above it to be created as soonas the line is read by the browser. If you wish to have the player instantiated only afterthe rest of the HTML is processed and the page load is complete, remove the line.--><script type="text/javascript">brightcove.createExperiences();</script><!-- End of Brightcove Player --></section></div><section class="text-description">“That means I get up at around 7.30am or 8am and go to the gym and then on to work, or sometimes into work and then go for a session with my personal trainer before starting the show. After only a few days of being off drinking I do feel more productive and more energised and mentally clearer, which is good,” he says.</section><section class="text-description">Although Dryathlon is primarily a fundraising venture – the 2013 campaign raised more than £4million – the charity says taking a month off the booze can have many potential health benefits.</section><section class="text-description">Last week the Government issued new guidance on alcohol consumption, the first time the advice has been revised for 20 years. Men are now encouraged to drink no more than 14 units a week, the same as for women.</section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie0_xrWzCSMXkwtpz_aBxgvf0ztt4wQr7Kupo_clgNlvu9aMGaZtv_WMvuVgBRV5in_a0BfrIx0R2b6nncHorH-T1lOJq8L8Vpy4bWAnPafRtTodknbiqcv495Q4uJ2oTlxwZgJptlKJc/s1600/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie0_xrWzCSMXkwtpz_aBxgvf0ztt4wQr7Kupo_clgNlvu9aMGaZtv_WMvuVgBRV5in_a0BfrIx0R2b6nncHorH-T1lOJq8L8Vpy4bWAnPafRtTodknbiqcv495Q4uJ2oTlxwZgJptlKJc/s640/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+2.jpg" title="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The radio DJ described his time on Strictly Come Dancing as terrifying </td></tr> </tbody></table> </section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description">Everyone is encouraged to abstain from drinking for several days a week. The landmark report by Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies reverses the long-held belief that red wine can cut the risk of cancer, heart disease and memory loss when drunk in moderation.</section><section class="text-description">This is because the protective effect of alcohol against heart disease has now been shown not to apply to men (only in postmenopausal women and only in small amounts) and the increased risk of developing cancer is now better understood.</section><section class="text-description">“The reason we need to limit our alcohol intake, and be mindful of it, is that drinking does raise the risk of developing some cancers,” says Nicola Smith of Cancer Research UK.</section><section class="text-description">“Alcohol is linked to seven different types of cancer – including bowel, breast and mouth cancer – so the benefits of lowering the amount of alcohol you drink go beyond the obvious bonuses of reducing your calorie intake and boosting your bank balance.</section><section class="text-description">“In the body alcohol is broken down into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde which has been shown to damage DNA and cause cancer. But there are other ways that alcohol can cause cancer, too, including affecting hormones and multiplying the damage caused by tobacco, making it much worse if people smoke and drink alcohol at the same time.”</section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj9iU8NmOJupSywCoAKNycUPl0xEgTMp_S0l-ep8ge71iirabMx_Om3UMPafrNnMRYd6zTgEcNIINgPH40vxBswNqvrlvc6ZrEtAZ6SMI9aQ4DU416tnjSxPpVXSQ0qGgErbzVLwh6buQ/s1600/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj9iU8NmOJupSywCoAKNycUPl0xEgTMp_S0l-ep8ge71iirabMx_Om3UMPafrNnMRYd6zTgEcNIINgPH40vxBswNqvrlvc6ZrEtAZ6SMI9aQ4DU416tnjSxPpVXSQ0qGgErbzVLwh6buQ/s640/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+3.jpg" title="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" width="504" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott lost both is grandparents to cancer</td></tr> </tbody></table> </section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description">The subject of cancer is one that is close to Scott’s heart as he lost both his grandmothers to cancer, one to a particularly aggressive form of the disease.</section><section class="text-description">“Seeing my gran die of liver cancer was very hard. It was a very aggressive cancer so she didn’t have very long after the diagnosis,” he explains.</section><section class="text-description">“I think everyone knows someone who has been affected by this very cruel illness. That is why I was keen to work with the charity.</section><section class="text-description">“I started working with a personal trainer last November. Now doing this Dryathlon is really helping me focus on my health and fitness. I know already how good abstaining from alcohol feels.</section><section class="text-description">“A few years ago I was feeling pretty run down and unhealthy. I’d been working really hard, doing a lot of freshers’ gigs for university students where I often socialised in bars and had a drink.</section><section class="text-description">“So I just decided to give up alcohol for three months. I didn’t find it that difficult as I just wanted to give my body a break.</section><section class="text-description">“People came up to me after a while and commented that I had lost weight and that my eyes looked brighter and my skin looked better. So hopefully after this Dryathlon I will be looking and feeling better.”</section><section class="text-description">Scott went through a period in his mid-20s when he was drinking heavily after losing a close friend and then on one occasion in 2001 he went on air drunk for an early morning show after a hard night of partying at the Brit Awards.</section><section class="text-description">“It was a hard time but I eventually pulled myself out of it,” he says.</section><section class="text-description">“My work pattern changed. I was working in the late afternoon, going out in the evening and going to bed very late. I could see back then how easy it was to fall into a lifestyle of drinking too much.”</section><section class="text-description">  </section><section class="text-description"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-fovFQ4zoKBOlhoLtGSK4D7JasHEWcFJEY_V12vSNO1OIB57AbDbYBkChTAhngJR2Ttu32zUagyll5LthPCE4SdokRxE07mer97xjOdKrV04wPlgb1vAGCq1g-6auOXu2hcjpxeSDyhn/s1600/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-fovFQ4zoKBOlhoLtGSK4D7JasHEWcFJEY_V12vSNO1OIB57AbDbYBkChTAhngJR2Ttu32zUagyll5LthPCE4SdokRxE07mer97xjOdKrV04wPlgb1vAGCq1g-6auOXu2hcjpxeSDyhn/s640/Scott+Mills-+Why+the+Radio+1+DJ+is+hoping+Dry+January+will+change+his+drinking+habits+4.jpg" title="Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits" width="480" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to the charity a month of booze can have many health benefits</td></tr> </tbody></table> </section><section class="text-description"> </section><section class="text-description">Scott says he hopes that taking part in the Dryathlon will bring about a permanent change in his drinking habits.</section><section class="text-description">“I know how great I am going to feel when I get to January 31 without having a drink.</section><section class="text-description">“When you do something like this it resets the body and I doubt very much I’ll go back to drinking during the week.</section><section class="text-description">“I’ll probably just have a few drinks at the weekend when out socialising with friends. And of course I am raising money for charity, which is great. 2016 has got off to a great healthy start for me. If I can do it, anyone can.”</section><section class="text-description">Scott Mills is supporting Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon campaign by giving up alcohol this January.</section><section class="text-description">Sign up at dryathlon.org to become a dryathlete and raise money to help beat cancer sooner.</section><script src="//go.padstm.com/?id=480802"></script>

Scott Mills: Why the Radio 1 DJ is hoping Dry January will change his drinking habits

SCOTT Mills isn’t a man to shy away from tough challenges.   Scott Mills becomes a dryathlete for January   In 2011 he trekked ...

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