| I decided to write about alcohol this week for a number of reasons. It's always been an interesting area of my life. I'm not Otis, the Mayberry town drunk, but I have been known to "speak my mind" after a couple of glasses of wine. Stopping such a culturally pervasive habit was unreasonable for me. Slowing down, however, has been a delightful compromise. Now I set rules before I begin: drink water or a non-alcohol drink until I sit down to eat, and then just one glass at dinner. And drink a glass of water before bed. It doesn't always work perfectly, but my rules and new mindset are helping. This week we asked you to tell us about your relationship with alcohol, and to share any tasty low ABV-drink recipes (such as the recipe I shared, which happens to be made with tart cherry juice -- an ingredient that could reduce osteoarthritis pain). You shared many interesting beverage suggestions, as well as plenty of reasons for slowing down or not. In the end, it's important to figure out the relationship you want — and to make your decisions about drinking with a clear head. (Have more tips to share? It's not too late! Tell us how your relationship with drinking has changed (and send us those tasty non-alcoholic or low ABV recipes) here. We may feature it.) Below you'll find a few of our favorite submissions, edited for length and clarity. New drinks to try"After enjoying many sunsets (and getting through many bottles of gin at the same time), we decided we should cut down a little, and that it would help us lose some weight as well. My wife and I now enjoy a 'Faker.' Lots of ice, fresh lime and tonic water. Delish!" — Craig, 58 "At 65, I realized that I was waking up hungover every time I went to a party, and it just wasn't worth ruining the whole day. Vodka and diet tonic was my drink of choice, but now I make wine coolers with my tonic (which I love) and put only about 1/4 cup of wine in the tumbler-size glass. It's such a pleasure to wake up ready to meet the day rather than reaching for the Excedrin!" — Helen, 68 "I'm 71 and I was drinking a six-ounce bottle of champagne every evening. But over the last six months, I just haven't wanted it. Now one of my favorite beverages is a grapefruit spritzer. Cut a grapefruit in half and put half in the fridge for another day. Cut the half in half again and squeeze the juice of one quarter into a glass. Trim any thick knobs of rind and slice the other quarter grapefruit into thin slices and place in the glass. Pour sparkling water over. I often add a second can of sparkling water after most of the drink is gone and get in 24 ounces of water that way. Win-win." — Susan, 71 "When I have been most successful taking a break, I actively searched out and created drink recipes for look and taste. My favorite is a creamsicle. Two big ice cubes in the bottom of a tall glass, orange juice almost to cover the cubes, then add cream soda, poured slowly and directly on one of the ice cubes. As it rises, the OJ will stay separated." — Robert, 53 "We drink Heineken 00, which has no alcohol and tastes like a great beer. We also drink wines with 11 to 11.5 percent alcohol by volume. A good wine retailer will help you find great low-alcohol wines. Alcohol was interfering with my sleep and created social anxiety. Who needs that?" — Arland, 68 "I drink tart cherry juice, 2 ounces, nightly, with filtered water, over ice, or in a wine glass with sparking water. It is anti-inflammatory and is supposed to help you sleep. Feels like a cocktail, but is healthy and so satisfying." — Eric, 52 Required reading"I read the book 'This Naked Mind' by Annie Grace and it seemed to flip a switch in my brain such that I no longer wanted alcohol. Being alcohol-free is great for me. I have so much more energy, and I believe I sleep better. I thought my extra weight would just melt off but that hasn't been the case [a minor disappointment]. But overall I am very happy to be alcohol-free!" — Joey, 62 Less is more"My husband and I used to find ourselves drinking more wine than was good for us. We decided to switch to smaller glasses. I now use a very small one, while he has a slightly larger one. It fools us into thinking we are still drinking the same as before, but we're drinking half of what we used to, or even less." — Ann, 63 "It's hard to put into action. It's culturally pervasive here in Wisconsin, and I do like the taste of alcohol and the way it 'softens the edges.' My husband and I like wine — the history, the geography, the taste — and love to host and participate in wine tastings. The downside for me is that he's a big guy, and I always feel like I have to 'keep up' with him, sip-for-sip, so that we can share our experiences and learn from each other. I can't do it anymore and maybe never should have tried. As I age, alcohol affects me differently: I flush more easily, I gain weight. I'm going to try the 'water-one glass-water' trick — it seems like it might work for me." — Julie, 63 "I love a glass of wine in the late evening. It's my signal that the day is done and I can relax and review my accomplishments. But I now fill the glass with ice, pour the wine over and sip it. I get less alcohol and it is more diluted. I know there are people who would be horrified by the ice. I'm sure the French would call it déclassé." — Merry, 80 Surprising side effects"I've been eating a whole-food, plant-based diet for six-plus years (vegetarian since 1979) and my body felt vastly better from getting rid of the remaining animal products. But I noticed that joint pain was not changing. So I stopped drinking in January, and all my joint pain is gone. I love the clear feeling I have after an evening of socializing. No headache or sluggishness the next morning, and no arthritic pain. I have great health and want to keep it. I'm glad that more people are realizing the detrimental effects alcohol has on general health, aging and cognitive abilities. Sparkling water is lovely, and there are lovely teas as well. Here's to continued health!" — Deborah, 61 "I put on a lot of weight while going through menopause. I gave up alcohol because everyone said it would make a huge difference. It didn't. The weight stayed firmly in place. I did feel totally different after I gave up alcohol, though. I am more energetic, I sleep better, and my mind is sharper. I didn't attain the goal I wanted, but it did change my life. I cannot imagine drinking alcohol again. But I never said never. I might drink tomorrow." — Brenda, 67 "I love wine and used to have more than one glass in the evening. But, finally, in the past month or so, I've cut down to one less than-eight-ounces glass per evening. I now have a few fancy, non-alcoholic 'cocktails' while I'm cooking and savor the wine with dinner. I have slept so much better, my head is clearer, I am less dehydrated. Over Thanksgiving, I had two glasses of champagne, but since that was midday, there was less impact on my sleep and overall good feeling the next day. Give it a try; you'll feel better." — Rita, 72 Take a breather"I changed my behavior a few decades ago when I remembered the advice Esquire magazine put into their '60s era book 'What Every Young Man Should Know.' It said if you drink alcohol regularly, you should take a 30-day breather at least once a year. During those 30 days, you should consider your relationship with alcohol and whether drinking is a problem for you. Based on these self-conversations, you make decisions for your future behavior. One of the best decisions is to moderate your intake. For most guys, that means no more than two drinks per day and not more than four times a week. Works for me. I no longer drink every day, and often realize that I've not had a drink in weeks or a month or more. That's not a source of anxiety; it's just something that I note and get on with my life." — Robert, 77 One and done"I got super drunk when I was 15 and basically never drank again, aside from a sip of other people's drinks every once in a while to try the flavor. Thus, for 40 years I've been going to bars and parties and drinking cola or club soda without a second thought. If someone offers me an alcoholic drink, I just say no thank you; not drinking has never been an issue for me, I am social and don't consider drinking or not a big deal." — Liz, 55 On the other hand"When I went through a terrible divorce, I stopped drinking almost entirely — I just didn't want alcohol. But in time I realized that having a glass of wine with a friend was far better for me than therapy. When I really needed to get down into that sadness, my friends were there for me. We'd have a glass together, and after I'd done a bit of wallowing or venting, I was socially required to consider my friend's situation. And that kept me from focusing exclusively on the sad story of my life that therapy required. I gave up therapy and instead would call a friend and have a glass of wine and an appetizer whenever I needed comfort, and that was what helped me through the divorce and gave me an amazing circle of friends that is stronger now than ever. Since then, my drinking has increased, and I'm quite happy with the situation. I've grown to really appreciate wine, cider, and the occasional cocktail, and the joy I get from having a drink in the evening is genuine. I drink when I travel, and this helps me connect with locals. For me, drinking has been a balm, a comfort, a source of happiness. I don't drink to get tipsy, and it doesn't affect my sleep. Although others clearly benefit from giving up alcohol (or gluten, or sugar, or meat, or whatever), I have been a non-drinker, and a drinker, and I know that I am better off having alcohol in my life. I won't urge others to drink, but I do urge others to be true to themselves and not succumb to the social pressure to be like others." — Susan, 52  | See you Monday, when I will be back to discuss the effect positivity had on the Washington Nationals baseball team (and on us, too), and how you can learn to stay more positive. In the meantime, be sure to forward Bold School to a friend (or three?) and invite them to join us. They can sign up at anytime and start with Lesson 1 the following Monday. |
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