A short guide to non-alcoholic beer – plus five of the best
By Tom Hallett on
Whether it's a couple of cans of beer in front of the TV or a few pints down the pub with friends on a weekend, it's the rituals associated with booze many moderate drinkers miss the most when they reduce their alcohol intake.
And while many pubs, bars and restaurants have been slow to take advantage of the non-alcoholic beer revolution (the market grew 39% in 2018 alone), your choices are no longer limited to a dusty bottle that's been lingering for years on the back shelf behind the bar.
The situation away from pubs, bars and restaurants is even more rosy. Supermarkets and off-licences have upped their non-alcoholic beer game significantly, while there are dozens of online stores that specialise in non-alcoholic drinks.
Why...
Tropical Green Mocktail Recipe
By Camille Vidal on
Camille Vidal is a wellness advocate, a yoga teacher, a drinks & cocktail expert and the founder of La Maison Wellness, the home of the healthy hedonist and an online inspiration for Living Well.
Tropical Green
This delicious and refreshing cocktail will lighten up your taste buds and give you the opportunity to support a good cause by going Sober for Macmillan.
Ingredients
- 20 ml passion fruit juice
- 30ml cucumber juice
- 10ml agave syrup
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
- Kombucha
Method
Cucumber Juice
- Peel cucumber
- Juice fresh, or blend & sieve to remove pulp
- Store in the fridge- it will keep 2 days
Technique
- Build ingredients into the glass minus the kombucha
- Add crushed ice, then take your spoon & “churn” the...
I gave up alcohol ten months ago and here’s what’s happened since
By Scott Pearson on
I used to wake up with a feeling of dread. You know, that feeling that you’ve said or done the wrong thing in a drunken stupor? Sometimes I’d have to do my best Poirot and piece the night together from stories others told me of my behaviour, along with Uber email receipts and transactions on my banking apps. After too many years of making the same mistakes, and realising I only had myself to blame for my rising anxiety, poor fitness, and debt levels to challenge those of a small country, I knew something had to give.
In October 2018 I woke up one morning with the worst hangover of my life, and from that point on I knew my relationship with alcohol was over. The important thing to mention is, that even when I was drinking, my life wasn’t...
Mocktails by Olly Smith
By Olly Smith on
Olly Smith is a multi award-winning drinks expert and broadcaster, and publisher of 'Fizz', a book with over 80 joyful cocktails and mocktails for every occasion.
Sherbet Fizz
- 25ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 20ml Oleo Saccharum
- Ice cubes soda water
Method
- Pour all the grapefruit juice and Oleo Saccharum into the wine glass filled with ice cubes
- Top with soda water and stir gently
- Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
Garnish
- Large grapefruit peel
Glass
- White wine glass
Honey and Ginder Julep
- 1 tbsp just-boiled water
- 8 mint leaves
- 4 tsp honey crushed ice
- Ice-cold ginger beer
Method
- Mix the freshly boiled water with 2 fresh mint leaves and stir to wilt.
- Stir in the honey and then remove the mint leaves. Leave to cool completely.
- Place 6...
7 Tips For Getting Through a Wedding Sober
By Millie Gooch on
Despite the fact that weddings are supposed to be the happiest day of some people’s lives, if it’s a) not yours and b) you have to do it sober, you can begin to think that, in fact, quite the opposite is true.
There are two main reasons why weddings are notoriously difficult to navigate without a drink. The first is that nuptials are a kind of an ‘all in’ package deal. With a lot of social events, you can simply leave if you’re feeling horrifically bored or out of sorts, it’s simply much harder to stand up during your second course or in the middle of the Best Man speech and declare that you’ve actually just had enough. There’s a certain level of expectation as a wedding guest that you’re more or less locked in for the duration and that...
A Sober Night's Sleep
By Clare Pooley on
It's Saturday morning, and I've bounced out of bed, leaving the children still slumbering away happily. One of the very best things about being sober, the one I never tire of (please excuse the pun!), is sleep.
For at least a decade, I was a terrible sleeper. I would look at the rest of my family, who'd be happily out for the count for hours, and think how do you DO that? I would get to sleep easily enough, but then I'd wake up at around 3am tossing and turning and unable to drop off again until about ten minutes before my alarm went off.
I blamed my insomnia on the inevitable stresses and strains of modern life. I tried everything to cure my lack of sleep – relaxation and meditation, exercise, aromatherapy pillows and various...
What Your Body Does After One Month Off Alcohol
By Chloe Mcleod on
We all love to indulge in alcohol every now and then, but a night out with friends brings social pressures in regards to frequent drinking. It can feel impossible to dodge having a drink when you want to be part of the group vibe - and before you know it, you’re waking up with a dry mouth and a nasty hangover again.
Go Sober is a great way to reassess your relationship with alcohol consumption and see the health benefits of taking a month off. If you’re signing up to raise money, you’ll also be helping people with cancer.
Here are a few ways the human body can benefit from abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.
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#1 Improvements to mental health
Alcohol may seem like a mood elevator when you’re dancing and having a great time with your...
How to avoid the sweet-tooth when giving up alcohol
By Juliet Hodges, Bupa UK on
Bupa UK’s behaviour change advisor Juliet Hodges has shared her top tips to how avoid sweet treats during a booze free month.
Overindulging with sugary treats is a really common antidote to giving up alcohol or taking a break. Sugar is a particularly potent replacement because it has a similar effect on the brain as alcohol, releasing dopamine which gives us a feeling of pleasure. So how can you beat the odds and avoid sugar while you Go Sober?
Try “if-then” planning
If you’re determined to keep the sweet treats at a minimum, one technique you could try is “if-then” planning, which has been shown to be an effective tool for changing behaviour. For example, you might find it difficult to refuse the dessert menu at a restaurant when...
One Pint Work Out with Georgie Okell
By Macmillan Cancer Support on
The One Pint Work Out is an exercise program that’s been designed to help burn off the amount of calories found in an average pint of lager in the time it takes to drink one. Personal Trainer to the stars Georgie Okell takes you through a 10 minute sweat-fest guaranteed to get you burning body fat.
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3 x rounds
30 x seconds each exercise
30 x seconds rest between rounds
-
High knees
Hands above your head, drive knees up higher than your waist, light on your toes
-
Squat jumps
Use your arms to leap...
