To some, alcohol and the holidays go hand in hand. Maybe it’s because beer seems like the perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving football, or perhaps spiked eggnog has become your own family tradition ever since watching Chevy Chase sip his own version from moose glasses over the yule log in Christmas Vacation. And counting down to the new year without a glass of champagne just seems wrong…even if you don’t like champagne.

On the other hand, maybe it has nothing to do with yule logs or football or tradition at all.

Holidays bring with them stress; There is the stress of travel, of COVID and lockdowns the past few years, of being around family 24/7; Given the heightened stressors it’s no surprise that alcohol sales skyrocket between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Personally, I was never a big drinker and used to only enjoy alcohol on social occasions. I often cut it out completely for months at a time to focus on keeping a healthy body and mind, and whenever I did, I was bombarded with judgement and questions and pressure.

When I got sick in 2015, I intuitively cut out alcohol immediately and did not take a sip of it again for nearly 7-years. It didn’t feel right for my body. My body knew, and it was spot on.

When it comes to healing many types of health issues, alcohol is not always the best choice. Since this is really a post on moving through the holidays alcohol free, I will keep this next part short and sweet, but I do want to include it given this is a health blog and all.

Sugar: Much alcohol is high in sugar and sugar feeds Lyme and co-infections, parasites, candida, etc. It can also contribute to inflammation which can then increase pain, imbalances, symptoms, and more.
pH level: When your body is dealing with illness and dis-ease (cancer, Lyme, viruses, candida, autoimmune, etc.), your internal pH is often on the more acidic side because in part, that is how dis-ease thrives. Alcohol itself is extremely acidic, falling between 2-4 on the pH scale (anything under 7 is considered acidic). Since you want to maintain a slightly alkaline body at 7.35-7.5, consuming acidic food and beverages would be doing a disservice to your healing and all around health.
Brain health: Dr. Daniel Amen has extensively researched (through SPECT scans) and discussed the affects of alcohol on the brain. His scans have shown that alcohol can cause atrophy to the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning), reduce blood flow to the brain, and even reduce the number of new brain cells.

That’s it for now. I told you I would keep it short and sweet! So let’s get into ways to get through the holidays (or anytime) without any alcohol.

For starters, set the intention. I.E.My intention is to be alcohol free this holiday season.

Now, let’s go a little deeper. Determine why you want to be alcohol free this holiday season. What’s behind it for you?

For example you may say, “I want to be alcohol free this season so I can be more present with my family.” Or “I am going alcohol-free because that is what is best for my health and/or healing”.

Adding that extra meaning to your intention allows you to revisit it if and when needed. Doing this allows you to be really clear with your decision so that you can follow some of the next steps more easily.

Communicate your decision If drinking alcohol is a large part of your family or friend group culture, communicating your intention in advance can save you from any on-the-spot judgement or pressure that could (and even still might) come your way.

Send out a short and lighthearted email or text informing people of your decision. It’s up to you whether or not you want to include why you’ve chosen to be alcohol free. You don’t owe anyone an explanation so if you don’t want to share the why, don’t. By the way, some people may even surprise you and offer to join in on your intention.

Find a buddy Sometimes it can be easier to make changes when you have a buddy who is along for the ride with you. Just like it’s helpful to have a gym buddy, it can be equally as helpful to have a no-drinking buddy. You can not only hold each other accountable but spend time together testing non-alcoholic mixology recipes. Taste testing is key.

Host gift Before your host even has the chance to ask you to bake a blueberry pie, offer to bring a bottle or two of nonalcoholic drinks instead. You can let them know how much you’ve been enjoying this “trending market” and that you think many other guests will love it too.

Find something you enjoy I’ve tasted a lot of non-alcoholic bottles and let me tell you, there are some icky ones out there.

Do your research or talk to people familiar with the non-alcoholic space for ideas of what beverage you might enjoy best (I’m here for you.) If you live in New York City there are several non-alcoholic actual brick and mortar shops you can go into (I list them on my instagram stories). Once you find one you like, be sure to enjoy your mocktail in a fabulous glass, coup, or flute. I am a firm believer that the glass (and the ice cube) can make or break a drink.

Let me remind you that non-alcoholic does not equal clean or healthy! A lot of these non-alcoholic companies focus on being alcohol-free and only that so unfortunately still include things like natural flavors, food coloring, high amounts of refined sugar, and other chemical and toxic ingredients to their formulas.

Even though I don’t drink these that often, I opt for clean brands only. FYI, I prefer a non-sweet aperitivo style with rich botanicals or herbs. Here are just some of my personal faves:

Ghia: It has that apetitivo or digestivo vibe to it with strong notes of ginger and orange. If you opt for the cans vs the bottle, I would stick to Ghia Soda or Ghia Ginger and skip the Ghia Lime.
Wilfreds: Also has that aperitivo/digestivo vibe with a more caramely finish on the palate. The flavor of clove is strong, followed by orange and rhubarb. I add sparkling water to mine. It’s very wintery and perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Figlia: Again, this gives aperitivo/digestivo vibes. It’s similar to Ghia but has a more bitter and tarte taste to it, which I personally like. I love that it has chamomile extract and the clove gives it a festive, cozy vibe.
Noughty Syrah or SOVI reserve red: In my opinion, most non-alcoholic wines taste like apple cider and it’s just not pleasant. I prefer dealcoholized wines instead. The Naughty Syrah is a tad on the sweet side for me, but a decent alternative to actual red wine. The Sovi red is also a dryer wine and it has that homemade wine/organic wine feel to it. Both contains no grape juice or preservatives.
I’ve always loved bitters and we have quite a collection of them now. Sometimes I will just add some bitters to sparkling water, throw a citrus peel in, and call it a day. Reminder to add bitters to a tablespoon of boiled water if you truly want 0% alcohol.