Drinks for Dry January
Like many of you, one of my goals for January is to stay alcohol-free. The older I get, the more I relish the prospect of giving my body a break from processing its weekly dose of poison. I’m being dramatic, but also speaking facts - no one lays this down more thoroughly than Huberman. As is the case with any consumable, it’s useless to try and fit alcohol into the category of good or bad, because health isn’t the end all be all of our life experience (and this is coming from me, a nutritionist!) there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ things about alcohol, and it’s less about the substance itself, but all to do with how we engage with it.
This is always the most interesting part of taking a break from drinking, each time I do it, my relationship with it changes. After going dry last January, I pretty much only drank one or two nights a week throughout the year compared to three or four the year prior (and five to six some years before that…). I also reached a milestone that feels a bit revealing to admit, but I did not once throw up from a hangover or have the spins at night - it seems I’m growing up! This year I’m anticipating another few steps forward in my journey with alcohol now that I’m outside of the city with less opportunity for after-work drinks, weekend parties, or access to cozy bars and restaurants, I have much more control over my environment - externally and internally. Maybe I’ll go past 31 days and take it all the way to Spring. It’s hard to predict that far in advance, and some of the things I want to let go of for the year ahead are ‘force’ and ‘future tripping’ so all I can do is support myself in staying in the present moment. For now, I’m enjoying the deep restorative sleep, the ability to wake up early, meditate and do morning pages before the sun rises, and all of the extra energy and clarity I have to put towards building my business in its infancy.
On a practical note, whenever I am abstaining from alcohol, I find the hardest habit to break is having a little something while I make dinner. Even though this hasn’t been part of my routine for a few years, I still romanticize a glass of red while I cook a warm meal for me and my love. Below are three of my favourite non-alcoholic beverages to consume at happy hour. Keep in mind, that these are not measured or exact recipes, so I encourage you to be your own mixologist and get experimental with ratios and add-ins
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