Would you believe me if I said that healthy alternatives to alcohol do not have to come with the sacrifice of a good time, and can actually satisfy what you want?!
Think about finding a drinking alternative that's meant to produce the same effects you're searching for in drinking, just without the sacrifice of your precious health...
You find something for relaxing, something energizing, something that looks as pretty as it tastes, and more!
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As a yoga teacher, and wine drinker, I have acquired a unique perspective and expertise on finding a balance between drinking, enjoying yourself, and honoring your health and wellness.
Here you will learn the top healthy alternatives to alcohol to nourish your body, and offer lovely effects, in whichever direction you want to take your evening (number 4 is my favorite)!
This post is all about healthy alternatives to alcohol!
Healthy Alternatives to Alcohol
Alcohol Craving Symptoms
Alcohol cravings are not a new concept. You might be aware! It can be so challenging to battle cravings (you might know if you have a sweet tooth).
Alcohol craving symptoms can come in multiple different ways. From consuming content about drinking (like social media posts), from physical bodily responses, to the thought of alcohol, or even the anticipation of your bodies arousal on alcohol...
Studies show how susceptible our brains are to alcohol cues, photos, etc. Think about it like a baby who learns that saying, "Mom" results in their mom picking them up.
Same goes for us when we learned about drinking alcohol, and when we learned about the effects of alcohol (cue the first time you drank video!!). These "alcohol cues" are what our brains learn to spark those alcohol cravings.
I mention these alcohol craving symptoms because it is important to have the awareness of when you crave alcohol. That way you can quickly pivot into healthy alternatives to alcohol.
The top, proven, alcohol craving symptoms are in two categories:
- Body and mind symptoms
- Alcohol craving causes (your environment)
5 Insanely Good Alternatives to Alcohol
Lucky for us, there are plenty of healthy alternatives to alcohol to battle these cravings while also giving you the effects you might be searching for!
Ask yourself which effect or bodily response you are searching for when you go out drinking. That will determine which alternative to alcohol will best suit you.
The effect(s) you might want are:
- sedation
- relaxation
- anxiety reducing
- energizing
- activating
- or simply a delicious beverage
Each healthy alternative to alcohol below has her own thing to offer you. Whether you want calming and relaxing or energizing and activating.
1. Evening Repose Tea
My ultimate favorite hot beverage for relaxing and calming effects is a relaxing tea. This Evening Repose tea is perfectly balanced with chamomile, lavender, rose petals and more! A beautiful tea to also make iced.
Pro tip: Add in herbal hops! Hops will give you a subtle taste of beer while also being sedative. Hops have been used for a long time for their sedative effects. Can you ever tell that once you have a beer you feel tired?! That is from the hops!
Give a little squirt of lemon juice into this tea and you might as well be drinking a citrus IPA! (Kidding, it is not that intense). But, it is really delicious and a perfect healthy alternative to alcohol.
2. Magnesium mocktail
A healthy alternative to alcohol is a magnesium mocktail. A relaxing, calming, and anxiety reducing drink alternative.
If you like fruity, icy, refreshments (think cocktails, but full of nutrients!) then you are going to be obsessed with this! I love taking magnesium in the evening to relax, especially when it has electrolytes and muscle recovery properties.
Put it into a fancy wine glass with a fancy straw for the epitome of a drink alternative!
3. Organic Love Tea...
I just HAD to put this one on the list! For those seeking deeper connection, a bit of energy, and a social lubricant this organic love tea is perfect.
I heard a while ago that orange essential oil helps boost social interactions. So, if you are having people over to put orange essential oil into the diffuser...
But, what about orange tea? Does that help with social interactions? I was curious and did some digging. The nutrients in an orange actually interact with the gut microbiome to produce feels of happiness (aka serotonin)!
The organic love tea has orange peel, which can help boost social interactions through the aroma and even through your gut microbiome making it a perfect healthy alternative to alcohol.
Turn it into an iced tea and enjoy!
4. Schisandra Sparkling Botanicals
I am obsessed with this schisandra sparkling tea! It comes in a soda can and is essentially a La Croix on steroids. A perfect alternative to drinking that is relaxing, fun, and still caffeine free.
Reviews even mention that this has helped curb their drink cravings! Believe it or not, schisandra can also help balance women's hormones. A total double whammy.
5. Black Lemon Sparkling Botanicals
For the ladies who might not love an herbal flavor, or want a more energizing alternative to alcohol - this black lemon sparkling botanical tea will blow your mind.
A high caffeine drink alternative that is energizing, activating, and tasty. Not only that, she is jam-packed with antioxidants so, rest assured, you are not only drinking something that is ah-may-zing, but also getting some benefits!!
Maybe my favorite healthy alternative to alcohol since you can bring this over to dinner parties and be engaged and activated while also staying totally sober!
Now, if you are just stepping into the world of drinking less, using more drink alternatives, I have compiled a little resource below for you to check out. A place where you can get more tips and tricks on how to drink less without having to give up dinking completely (and even using wine as medicine!)
How to Drink Less...
The other issue we can run into when we are searching for healthy alternatives to alcohol is how to drink less when we’re going out. Because if you are anything like me, you do not want to give up drinking completely.
Want a FREE going-out checklist and complete drink plan?
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I am here to tell you, we can have a beautiful relationship with drinking and alcohol by learning a few things here and there and implementing them into our days.
Here I show you how to use wine as a tool for drinking less, connecting to it differently, and ways to drink less when going out:
- 13 ways to use red wine as medicine
- Tips to drink less to be in more control
- Nourishing ways to drink less when you are going out
- Early morning routine ideas for greater alignment
I hope this has helped you gain a better grasp on some ideas to drink less and given you confidence in healthy alternatives to alcohol!