-:
00:22
Hello darling heart and welcome to the drink less, live better podcast. This is the podcast that helps you to see that drinking
-:
00:30
less doesn't need to be stressful, lonely, or boring. I'm your host, Sarah Williamson, and I decided to have a year alcohol
-:
00:38
free as a little life experiment and haven't looked back. With my experience and training, I now help other women with their
-:
00:47
alcohol free or drink less adventures. I'm here to tell you that you can relax, connect and have fun without alcohol in your
-:
00:57
life. Join me here each week to find out how. Today I'd like to tell you a story about what I chose to drink instead of alcohol.
-:
01:06
This episode is inspired by my chat with Lee from Glow Sober last week. If you didn't catch it, go back and listen to episode
-:
01:15
10. It's a doozy. When I first decided I was going to drink less, I happened to have a box of 6 bottles of rose wine in my
-:
01:23
house. At the time, this was one of my favourite things to drink. I took it round to my neighbours to store, and then I only
-:
01:30
went and picked up a bottle if I was going to take it to a party or go round to a friend's house. This really helped to stop
-:
01:40
me from drinking it at home. When that wine was gone, I never replaced it. Once I had decided on my totally alcohol free experiment,
-:
01:51
I took a slightly different approach. Whatever alcohol was in my house back in December 2019, I poured away. I felt really
-:
01:59
odd doing that, and it took me quite a while to build up to getting it done. Now there were random bottles of Ouzo, limoncello,
-:
02:08
cherry brandy, and other slightly random purchases or gifts which were easier to pour away because I wasn't really emotionally
-:
02:17
attached to them. But the half bottle of gin, vodka, and Pimm's, I struggled to get rid of. Perhaps it was because I didn't
-:
02:25
want to let go of the thought of not drinking them for a whole year. Perhaps it was because it felt like a waste. Perhaps
-:
02:34
it was because I liked the bottles, or a combination of these reasons. By this stage, I had come round to accepting that alcohol
-:
02:42
was a toxin and wasn't helping my physical or emotional state, so I took a deep breath, poured them away, and put the bottles
-:
03:02
out for recycling. I suppose I felt a bit safer. The only alcohol that was left in the house from then was my husband's beers
-:
03:12
and his whiskey. Because these drinks have never appealed to me, I'm not at all tempted to drink them, so they are safe. The
-:
03:22
alcohol was gone, but what now? I knew there was water and I knew there was juice, and that was fine to start with. One of
-:
03:30
the issues I'd come to realize over time was that I've never drunk enough water. When I'd got stuck into a glass of wine at
-:
03:38
the end of the day it was always in part as a thirst quencher, which is never a good thing, so starting to drink more water
-:
03:47
during the day was a brilliant starting point. It meant that come 6 o'clock I wasn't dehydrated. The first thing I missed
-:
03:55
was my Thursday night g and t, and part of what I loved about my g and t was the ritual of getting a nice heavy glass out,
-:
04:03
cutting up a lime, clinking the ice into the glass, and then pouring the drink before leaning back on the counter and taking
-:
04:13
a large thirsty gulp. So I made a really simple switch to a non alcoholic gin. I get the same feeling of the Thursday night
-:
04:22
ritual, but with none of the negative side effects of the alcohol. Perfect. Have you ever heard of kombucha? I hadn't. It's
-:
04:30
a fermented, lightly sparkling flavoured tea drink, and there are loads of brands and flavors out there, or you can make your
-:
04:39
own. I started drinking it from time to time as a replacement for white wine, and now I really love it. In a pub, I love a
-:
04:46
ginger beer or an alcohol free lager if they have one. If I'm out with my girlfriends, I'll quite often have a flavoured tonic
-:
04:55
in a fancy gin glass so I don't look like I stand out as a non drinker. I found lots of nice flavoured waters, iced teas,
-:
05:04
alcohol free fizzes, and I've also loved making my own alcohol free mocktails over the last 18 months. I've never felt deprived,
-:
05:12
which, in a way, I'm quite surprised by. I used to be a massive cocktail drinker, and whenever I'm out on a cocktail night
-:
05:20
now we always make sure we go somewhere where there is a nice choice of alcohol free options. It's the atmosphere, the company,
-:
05:28
the fun times that I crave and not the alcohol. If you're struggling to think of what you might replace your alcoholic drinks
-:
05:38
with, please do check out Lee's Instagram page at glow sober for inspiration and honest alcohol free reviews, or drop me an
-:
05:47
email at sarah@drinklesslivebetter.com and tell me what you like and I'll give you some recommendations along with some where
-:
05:55
to buy tips. Thank you for listening to this episode. Please listen in again next time. You can sign up to my 5 day drink
-:
06:05
less experiment and find out about working with me one to 1 at drink less live better dotcom. It would make me happier than
-:
06:13
a Buddhist monk. If you would please subscribe, 5 star review, and comment on my podcast on whatever platform you listen.
-:
06:24
Imagine it like the tasting notes on the finest wine I am never going to drink. Thank you and, PS, I believe in you.
