REGAIN AND RECLAIM YOUR ENERGY
The adage ‘you are what you eat’, – and I’d like to add ‘consume’, – came home for me recently when I decided to cut out alcohol for a bit.
It was part of a plan to be healthier and shed some unwanted kilos that were beginning to put pressure on my joints and hamper my day-to-day movement and happiness.
I committed to three months without alcohol, and then a funny thing happened.
I regained so much energy that I’ve kept riding the wagon because I’m loving how fantastic I’m feeling.
It’s like I’ve reclaimed a part of me that I thought had gone on permanent vacation, and any glumness has vanished. I didn’t even realise I was feeling glum until I stopped drinking alcohol. We celebrate with alcohol around so many fun events that we forget it’s actually a depressant.
I’ve also been grateful that I haven’t had to give up my winddown ritual of pouring at drink at the end of the day thanks to the abundance of great-tasting zero-alcohol beverage options now available (see more on pages 48-51).
Good reader Stephanie, who is currently on a sober curious journey, also partly inspired this story after writing to me asking for more articles about alcohol-free options in New Zealand. We love hearing from you, our loyal readers, with your suggestions for topics to include in the magazine.
Another reader, Carolyn (we share the same name), wrote to me about her “fructan intolerance” which means she has to follow a low FODMAP diet. So, for starters we share some great low FODMAP recipes in this issue (see pages 80-85).
There’s no doubt that tweaking or changing our eating and drinking habits really can have profound effects on our happiness, wellbeing and energy levels, as I’ve recently been reminded. And at the risk of sounding like an evangelist, I hope anyone who is struggling like I was, can do the same and reclaim their energy!
Coincidentally Wendyl Nissen has been on a similar journey, motivated to avoid suffering like her mother who had type 2 diabetes (pages 24-28).
Hayley Holt, whose beautiful smile beams on the cover of this issue, shares how her life is back in balance, and better, after giving up the booze, and how she finds energy as an “older mum” (pages 16-23).
While exploring the pages of this issue you’ll find energy-giving tips and inspiration, from yoga poses to try at home, how to get a better sleep, tap into your chakras as well as practical science-based strategies to help bring your mojo back. Good columnist Dr Alice Boyes poses the question, ‘who doesn’t want to feel more energetic?’.
I’d like to raise a zero-alcohol glass of craft beer to that!