99 bottles of non-alcoholic drinks on the wallll...!

Today I am 99 days alcohol free! I have to say, I feel as fantastic! At this stage, after over three months with no booze, I'm looking forward to the next 99 days without it more than to going back to losing chunks of my time to hangovers. SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST 99 DAYS! First of all I got engaged, so that's a big occasion to celebrate! When my sister came out for a visit she got a few bottles of Martinelli's sparkling cider we drank by the fire in champagne flutes! My skin is so much happier without wine. My mom used our Nikon and took engagement photos on the beach, normally I'd be a little puffy from wine or champagne but I loved all the photos! The non-alcoholic beverage game is pretty strong down here in San Diego. Sprouts has a delicious range of sparkling probiotic teas, kombuchas and tonics that are all much cheaper than wine or beer. California also offers a delicious range of cannabis drinks I highly recommend (I love these grapefruit and rosemary flavored fizzy sodas with 2mg THC and 4mg of CBD). With wine I usually would have 2 glasses for a standard occasion like happy hour, but these cannabis drinks I usually only ever drink 1 at a time. Oh, and the tea kettle is also almost always on these days! Maybe one day in Oaxaca I'll want some mezcal but for now I'm cool as a non-drinker. I definitely feel different being hydrated all of the time, and ditching the booze absolutely improved the quality of my sleep (I got an Oura ring a few weeks ago but only have data from nights not drinking :) ). After day 45 I stopped wavering on if it was worth it to drink again or not… and at that tipping point I realized for me right now, alcohol takes waaaay more away from me than it adds. I've been booked and busy lately so I'd say I still have a booming social life without the booze! I splurged on a pair of red bottoms to treat myself and I get to wear them to a black tie wedding in Beverly Hills tomorrow :)

Since I ditched the vino, I added a lot of other things into my life. I've kept a daily gratitude journal for the past 3 months, meditated every morning and exercised (at least a gentle walk or yoga) everyday. I have so much energy, my mood is stable and I feel peaceful which can all be attributed to a number of variables, so I think I've found a combination of habits that work for me! Waking up naturally at the same time every morning is a fantastic experience I did not know I was missing out on for so many years! Never will I ever go back to that iPhone alarm (you know that dreadful sound..). Over the past 3 months I have vacationed in Mexico, attended 2 destination weddings, hosted family, started this blog, completed creative projects at work, went to concerts and pool parties and more! I've also read a ton of books which is a great way to occupy your new free time on Sunday mornings that used to be reserved for hangover rituals. Deciding to give quitting alcohol a go for at least an extended period of time is a really interesting experiment to do for your health. If you’re curious, I recommend reading about alcohol so you have a lot of reasons to stay motivated and see what improvements come your way! I love googling the benefits and then noticing them along the way! Personally, I've been researching a lot about benefits for brain longevity and improved gut health.


Book Recommendations:

Allen Carr's Quit Drinking Without Willpower: Be a happy nondrinker by Allen Carr

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray  

The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Can Transform Your Life by Janice Kaplan

The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living. By New York Times Bestseller Clare Pooley

 

 

 


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