Starting the New Year off Successfully...One Step at a Time

New Year's Fireworks

Happy New Year 2024! As with any new year come new goals and self-expectations, as well as things to let go of. I am sure, like many, these goals can be or feel big, I mean there are fireworks welcoming in the new year and who doesn’t love a firework to bring forth that change…but with anything it’s like that old Johnny Cash song as he’s building his car…it’s “one piece” or rather step at a time.

As I share with you my crush on health and all it has to offer, my path is one simple step at a time. Health is a broad topic and one that I just love diving into, but today, I’m going to share what many do to start a new health goal, which is changing one weekly or daily habit. Since it’s January, they call it “Dry January” or “Dryanuary” although any new month is a good time to start a significant habitual change. So, here’s a simple one that anyone can do, forego that evening or multiple time a week adult beverage habit where you can start an alcohol free month.

But like everything, moderation is key....

Alcohol does get a bad reputation and I have to agree with many scientists, we often indulge too much into these tasty cocktails, another glass of “health benefiting” wine or even a few extra beers with friends. Although alcohol does have its place in the world…I mean, seriously, Jesus miraculously created wine from water! There is a purpose in supporting what nature and Jesus provides, 😀 , but like everything…moderation is key and a good way to kickstart a practice of moderation is to eliminate something you maybe have more often for a spell.

But as we tackle starting the health track year with taking back control and not over indulging into really…any one particular thing. Alcohol can be a relatively easy first start to let go and a welcome change. As the first few days of any change, you will start to notice that habits sure have a way of making things, well, sticky. Skipping that evening alcohol drink may make it harder to relax, unwind, fall asleep, or let all the noise of the day disappear. I hear you! I have two busy and active girls with crazy schedules and I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders. What can I do relax?!

Take a moment to unwind with a cup of healthy tea

Removing alcohol from your diet and daily life will bring up some detoxing physical effects. Now some effects may be stronger than others, especially if you have more than a few drinks a night, symptoms such as cold sweats, racing pulse, digestive issues like an upset stomach and slight nausea, intense anxiety, etc. At any level of drinking, please consult with your medical health care provider to ensure you are fully supported in your health decisions, especially if you are experiencing more severe withdrawal symptoms like vomiting or intense shakes, which can be very dangerous. Some of these side effects may seem intense at first, such as restless sleep due to becoming a bit dependent on a depressant to help you sleep. Moodiness and crankiness can occur as you adjust to being back to your full present self as well, but generally in a manner of days you’ll start waking up more refreshed, enjoy deeper more restful sleep (reaching that lovely REM state and remembering those dreams), and overall, an improved health all around. Your body and especially your gut will be less inflamed, lower blood pressure, decreased toxic load on your liver, and more. Plus, let’s remember, that the liver is the one organ in your body that can regenerate, so it’s well worth giving that toxin clearing liver a little R&R.

Jumping into this new routine of alcohol free days does pose the question…what do I drink? This is a fun answer and one I am so excited to share because these suggestions offer additional health benefits! You can make some, purchase them, and share them for the entire family to enjoy.

Let’s start with probiotic rich beverages to help not only replenish some gut friendly bacteria to your body, but also deliver some fun flavors, zingy tastes, and these can even be used with those fancy glasses that you may have drunk from. So, it’s kind of like a mocktail, but healthy and a simple way to take that first step to your health goal!

Hello Healthy Mocktail

Kombucha is one of my favorite beverages as it packs a punch of flavor, probiotics and can be enjoyed any time of the day and night. It is also a nice way to ease into sans alcohol because some kombucha may contain trace amounts of alcohol due to the fermentation process. Now, not all kombucha has this so please check out if it is pasteurized. Another beautiful thing to check out, my friends at Essential Stacks and I created an entire series on fermented beverages and we paid a great deal of time to specifically kombucha. You can learn more about what ranks best in brand, flavor, cost and ingredients and I even have a recipe where you can make it at home.

Kombucha

Other options to try are sparkling or flavored bubbly water like La Croix, creating your own bubbly water from a Soda Stream and adding in citrus slices or fresh fruit, and my favorite... plain bubbly water with sipping vinegar over ice. My favorite local sipping vinegar is Wild Heart,  which may be harder to find in some areas, but many specialty grocery stores have some varieties as well as even a splash of apple cider vinegar (now just a splash of it with water— sparkly or not — to help protect your esophagus).

Another great evening option, is tea. Now…this has been my constant companion for almost 20- years! I LOVE tea and it has so many options I don’t want to overwhelm you, but know that you can enjoy herbal tea, replenishing tea, caffeine-free tea, caffeine-packed tea, and so on. There are many, many varieties, options and flavors. So, my advice, have fun trying and enjoy the process. If you have a local tea shop, find a time to talk to the attendant there or book a session with me and I can help direct you to an Ayurvedic, gut replenishing, healthy, satisfying, and/or delicious tea. One of my favorite tea varieties is made by Anima Mundi, they have a number of different options such as stress relieving Calm Tea or Dream Tea (with a hit of kava that will give you a little bit of a buzz and relaxing effects similar to alcohol without the toxic load), Market Spice Tea (a local Pike Place Market Seattle Tea shop), Sunset in Seattle herbal tea, and my favorite organic tea company, The Art of Tea. You can also find a large number of sustainable, local, and delicious teas from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are a go-to for many of my teas, herbs, spices, aromatherapy and more!

Jasmine Tea

When you make this beverage swap, you may notice you have more energy as well as changes to your body such as improved hydration. Having a better hydration status has a huge impact on your health. These include many benefits, such as thinking clearer, decreased brain fog, improved bowel habits, eased tension, the aforementioned improved sleep, clearer complexion, more motivation and focus during the day, and overall, you’ll just straight up feel better and have more energy.

As I recap this simple change to a healthy lifestyle be mindful of what your goals are and how you can apply one change for a better you. If you already don’t drink alcohol, maybe you drink something with sugar or a sugar-free product like a diet soda. Maybe switching this beverage to more water, or a probiotic beverage mentioned above like kombucha, or even a tea can still provide a way to achieve improved hydration at no risks while also managing a healthier gut microbiome.

Below is a quick and easy recipe for a sipping vinegar mocktail! Cheers to a healthier you…one step at a time.

Sipping Vinegar Mocktail

Sipping Vinegar Mocktail

1 ounce sipping vinegar

4-5 ounce sparkling water

2 ice cubes

Garnish with a sprig of thyme (because we can all use more time, 😉)

Stir and enjoy…in that coupe glass for extra effect

Bye for now,

Richelle

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