Today's post is about zero proof fun. Which may seem like an oxymoron to you, but hear me out…

Drinking alcohol, if you really think about it, is such a weird thing.

I mean, for many of us, it’s one of the most fun, most festive things we do.

It’s how we welcome people into our homes and at parties.

Alcohol greases the skids on social settings where you’re feeling awkward or don’t know people that well.

And it's how we relax at the end of the day, while we make dinner, settle in to watch TV.

Hell, it even sounds fun and festive: the pop of the cork, ice rattling in a martini shaker, the clink of the glasses. Cheers!

But it feels less fun, less festive, less celebratory when we’re drinking more than we want to.

Or drinking more frequently than we want to.

When it has become an every day habit as routine as brushing our teeth or taking a shower.

This drinking-most-days doesn't have to a rock-bottom situation to give us pause. In fact, for most people, they just don't want to be drinking every night. Even if it's only one glass. That one glass, we realize, isn't in alignment with our wellness goals. And it just seems, well, unnecessary on a daily basis.

Trying to break that everyday habit

Everyday drinking certainly makes it less special. Less celebratory.

I mean, what exactly are we celebrating?

We made it to 5 o’clock? Our zoom calls are done for the day? The laundry’s done?

Now don’t get me wrong. I love cocktails and wine as much as the next rosé-all-day mama.

But I’ve gotten to the point where I’m willing to take a closer look at how alcohol on the regular isn’t serving my wellness dreams and goals.

For example, I've set a daily reminder on my Habit List app for 5 o’clock: “0 drinks Sun-Thu.” And I love checking it off when I’ve had zero.

I also love sleeping better — no sweaty toss and turning.

And I love that moment when I wake up. Hey, I did what I said I was going to do, and I didn’t drink last night. I saved myself some calories, and my liver's the happier for it. 

But here's the deal: long standing habits — like the unhealthy ones so many of us have been indulging throughout the pandemic — are hard to break.

Not because we’re weak or because we’re incapable of change, but because we’ve been rewarding that urge day after day. And that’s what our bodies and our minds now expect. Demand, even.

The good news: we can get out. We can pave new road over those well-worn tracks. We can replace our not-so-healthy habits and choices with something that serves us.

A new end-of-day routine

This is all to say that we might need a new end-of-day routine. Something more intentional and more nourishing to latch onto when five o’clock rolls around.

For some, that might mean creating physical distance between yourself and the wine rack: literally leaving the kitchen to go do 20 minutes of online yoga in another room.

Or scheduling a walk with a friend (ideally not your drinking buddy, who’ll just want to have wine afterward!).

Meditating.

Journaling. Prompt: “why is having wine every night so important to me?” Or, “What can I do instead that will bring joy or relaxation or stress relief into my life?”

Rewarding ourselves in different ways: a hot bath. A mani-pedi appointment. Calling a good friend who’ll make you laugh.

What’s important here is that healthy end-of-day habits look different for everyone.

And sometimes, a mocktail will feel like a good call.

Try this zero proof mocktail

On those occasions when a mocktail sounds good, you can give this booze free bevvie a try.

I’m using Figlia – a lovely zero proof blend of rose, bitter orange and clove I bought online.

Or, you can simply substitute the Figlia with some pomegranate juice.

Pour an ounce or two of Figlia or pom juice over ice, add a big squeeze of lemon, and top it all off with kombucha or sparkling water. Stir with a fancy bar spoon and garnish with an orange peel, taking in the aroma released when you twist the peel and set it into your glass.

And then congratulate yourself. Because Future You — the you of 24 hours from now, the person who’s looking back on this very moment — is cheering you on.

Because Future You knows you can do this. They know you can make positive changes. And you can pave over that road of well-worn tracks to the wine cabinet, creating an autobahn of wellness leading you to the changes you want to see in your life, your body, your world.

Cheers, says Future You.

Because that mocktail you’re having is just as fun and festive and celebratory as anything with alcohol in it.

More so, in fact, because it supports your wellness goals and dreams, and you won’t need to feel guilty about it tomorrow.

Cheers to you indeed!

I hope you found today's post helpful. Let me know what you think by heading over to Instagram @thehealthycookingcoach— I'd love to hear from you.

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