Alcohol is a tricky subject isn’t it? I love a good margarita or glass of wine occasionally but I also am very aware of the impacts it has on my brain health and sleep. The “mom” drinking culture is something that I am deeply troubled by and always have been.
We have family members who are alcoholics and we have friends who have chosen not to drink at all. I think we all have witnessed the whole spectrum, right? Anyway, this is not a 30-day challenge to take the place of any treatment programs you may be under or a substitute for AA meetings and the like.
This is simply a 30 day challenge to not drink alcohol and take notice of how you are feeling - how you are sleeping, how your energy is, how your relationships are. After a summer season filled with a few too many happy hours and drinks on the deck, I’m ready to take a break!
A few tips to make your month long no alcohol challenge a success.
- Let your friends and family know you are doing it (encourage them to join you).
- Have healthy mocktail ingredients ready (see below for some of my favs).
- If you are at an event or restaurant, prepare ahead of time for what you will order (soda water with lime for example) or ask about their mocktail menu.
- In the evening when you would typically reach for a glass of wine to chill out, try going for a post dinner walk, doing some yoga or reading a book.
- Try to limit eating out and special events this month as much as possible. While it is of course possible to go out with friends and not drink, I have found it more difficult. The peer pressure is real.
Here are some of my fav mocktail recipes. And if all else fails I’ll just do some sparkling water using my soda stream with fresh lime, lemon & mint or a dash of blueberry juice or I’ll grab my favorite canned non-alcoholic beverage.
We recently had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and I loved that they had a mocktail menu - the one I had was super tasty - sparkling water, frozen mixed berries, fresh blueberries, slice of lime and fresh thyme. I've been recreating it at home. I hope more restaurants continue to offer mocktail options as well.
This book is also on my TBR stack.
Download our free 30-day No Alcohol Challenge here.
