Real talk; more than a few of us have gotten into some pretty suspect habits when it comes to alcohol over the past 3 years. The stress + boredom created during the pandemic resulted in a reliance on a cocktail or glass of wine to calm the nerves & alleviate ennui. After the government basically forced alcoholism on us as a by-product of lockdown policy (>7 drinks / week is officially considered alcoholism ladies, sorry to tell ya) they’ve now launched an aggressive campaign warning us of the dangers of alcohol and are currently recommending no more than 1 drink weekly! While I can’t say I agree with some of the gov’s decisions on how we should be approaching our health I do actually support this new messaging around alcohol intake, especially for women.

There are many benefits to taking the steps needed to drastically reduce alcohol use including a lower risk of developing cancer, heart disease & mental health issues. For us Replete women, aka gals interested in healthy hormones, beautiful skin, great gut health & optimal fertility, it’s especially important to let go of habits that are taking us away from the goal of ultimate wellness. A glass of wine after a long day at work may feel good, but it’s definitely not helping you stay well. While a cold chablis or dirty martini from time to time is fine for most women, over-doing it (ie; > 4 drinks weekly) can be seriously detrimental to your health goals. To put things into perspective and provide additional motivation to cut down we’ve assembled the most compelling clinical evidence as to why it’s time for a sober-ish spring;

• Alcohol can decrease female fertility; a recent review has shown that light drinking reduces fertility in women, and fertility is reduced even further in women drinking moderately or heavily. One compelling, large-scale study showed that >4 drinks weekly (split between the couple trying to conceive, so that could be 1 drink for her, 3 drinks for him, or 4 for her, none for him) has serious impacts on your chances of getting pregnant
• Alcohol ages your skin; alcohol is a serious diuretic, meaning your skin loses fluid every time your drink resulting in tired, dull, wrinkled skin with more fine lines. Alcohol also creates oxidative damage in the skin and depletes nutrients that are vital for healthy-looking skin.
• Your gut on alcohol; a single heavy episode of drinking (ie more than 2 drinks in 1 sitting) can damage the lining of your digestive system and induce serious gut inflammation. Alcohol can also delay stomach emptying, resulting in a slower metabolism so that greasy hangover breakfast is going to cause even more damage. It’s also terrible for your gut bacteria – alcohol kills bacteria which is why we use it to clean skin before a blood draw, your gut bacteria are important for your hormone health, acne prevention + metabolic rate so please don’t murder them, you guys!
• Alcohol messes with your hormones; alcohol raises estrogen and testosterone levels, which in turn increases breast cancer risk (estrogen) & can cause major breakouts (testosterone) and worsen hormonal conditions like PCOS & endometriosis. It also raises insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 which contributes to acne, breast cancer and weight gain.

Spring is a time for renewal, rebirth & a fresh start; it’s the perfect season to re-evaluate and release any habits that are no longer serving us post-pandemic. This is why we’re taking on a ‘sober-ish’ spring challenge over at replete headquarters. We’re implemented a 2 drink / week maximum rule (1 drink = 5 oz wine) which gives us a little flexibility to enjoy a glass or two socially on the weekends while still allowing for healthy hormones & skin.

We know nightly wine can be a tough habit to break, so here are a few of our non-alcoholic favourite drinks & habits to help ‘take the edge off’

• herbal tinctures, in a wine glass! herbs like lemon balm, kava, st. john’s wort, chamomile and passion flower give the same relaxing benefits of alcohol with none of the sugar, hangover, breast cancer risk, etc. We mix 1/2 – 1 tsp of our replete zen drops in wine glass over ice and top with a splash of pomegranate + tarte cherry juice (metabolism + sleep benefits, yeehaw)
• Sparkling water + bitters; sometimes all you really want when you’re craving alcohol is the comfort of a ritual. Pour your favourite flavour of sparkling water into a tall glass with ice and top with bitters aka small bottles of spirits infused with botanicals (herbs and spices) that help make your drink feel & taste more special
• CBD drinks! there are lots of wonderful, sugar-free options available at cannabis stores. We love the quatreau cucumber or passion fruit flavours with 20g CBD and 0g sugar. These are a great options for those of us that drink to take the edge off of social situations (we see you, shy queens), since CBD is relaxing to the nervous system.
• Sleepy tea; there are so many great organic sleepy tea options available commercially. Look for one that contains passion flower, valerian, chamomile + cinnamon for evening blood sugar regulation to help you chill out in the evenings. We’re working on a very special new sleepy tea blend for you sober-ish gals, check back end of April for more details.
• Distract. Replace weekday alcohol with a positive wellness practice like a yin yoga class or yoga nidra, a hot bath, guided meditation or listen to a wellness inspired podcast while on an evening stroll.

Let us know how your sober-ish spring is going!

Book an initial virtual consult with Dr. Sarah (serving all of Ontario, virtually!) if you’re looking to up-level your wellness in other ways this season.