10 minute read
healing ways
Buzz-Free Drinking
THE HEALTHY RISE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
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by Ronica O’Hara
SOUR MOCK-A-RITA
1 cup and 2 Tbsp lime juice ¼ cup and 2 Tbsp orange juice 3 Tbsp agave nectar, plus more to taste 2½ cups and 2 Tbsp coconut water Few dashes of salt Lime wheels for garnish Lime wedges and sea salt to rim the glasses To salt the rims of four to six lowball or margarita glasses, pour a thin layer of salt onto a plate or a shallow bowl. Slide a lime wedge around the rim of the glass to wet it, or use a finger to apply the juice to the rim, then dip and twist the glass in the salt. Combine all of the drink ingredients in a pitcher. Stir. Fill the rimmed glasses with ice. Divide the margarita mix among the glasses. Garnish with lime wheels.
From Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion, by Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi.
photo courtesy of Kerry Benson and Diana Licalzi As a former bartender, Katie Cheney enjoys mixing drinks for friends, and one night recently, in her San Francisco apartment, she tried out something new: an alcohol-free “Noquila Sunrise” made with a distilled, plant-based spirit. “I was actually pleasantly surprised. Even though we were drinking non-alcoholic drinks, we still had just as much fun as usual!” recalls Cheney, who blogs at DrinksSaloon.com.
In New York City, Marcos Martinez has begun drinking virgin piña coladas when out on the town with friends. “The feeling is surprisingly great since I don’t wake up with hangovers. More importantly, I’ve realized that I don’t have to use alcohol as a crutch for my social anxiety,” says Martinez, who owns the black gay lifestyle blog TheMenWhoBrunch.com.
At Chicago’s Kumiko Japanese cocktail bar, owner Julia Momosé offers a menu of what she calls “Spiritfrees,” crafted without alcohol and with ingredients like yarrow, ume—a Japanese fruit—and cardamom. “Folks comment on how they appreciate that it is ‘more than just juice,’ or how surprised they are at their depth, texture and complexity,” she says. The “sober-curious”—people experimenting with alcohol-free beverages as a way of prioritizing their health and fitness over a short-lived buzz—are changing America’s drinking culture. For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking, reports Gallup, and tipplers are drinking measurably less than they did 10 years ago.
No longer stuck with a seltzer while dodging questions from inquisitive imbibers, today the sober-inclined can sip from a vast array of sophisticated choices—from faux vodka in exotic, crafted drinks to
prize-winning sparkling wines to low- and no-alcohol craft beer. No-booze options can be easily ordered at restaurants, picked up at supermarkets or delivered at home with a few online clicks.
“The best part about having a fun, non-alcoholic beverage in hand is that you get the taste and experience of a cocktail or beer, just without the alcohol and potential negative side effects,” says dietitian Kerry Benson, co-author of Mocktail Party: 75 Plant-Based, Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes for Every Occasion. “You have your wits about you, you can drive if necessary, you are less likely to say or do something you might regret and you won’t have a hangover the next morning. And alcohol-free drinks are usually less expensive than their alcoholic counterparts.”
Sober-curious strategies range widely. Some people start tentatively, but increasingly turn to non-alcoholic drinks because they prefer the taste, price and lower calorie count, as well as the diminished risk of heart and liver disease. Others may go cold turkey for a month or two to break a pandemic-induced habit, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at a game or bar to avoid getting tipsy, or drink a Bloody Mary for a weekend brunch and virgin versions during the week to enhance work productivity.
The sales of non-alcoholic beverages shot up 33 percent to $331 million in 2021, reports Nielsen, and online sales of non- and low-alcoholic beverages skyrocketed 315 percent. To compete for the Millennials-heavy market, distillers like Seedlip, Suntory and Lyre’s have created beverages evoking tequila, Campari and vodka; breweries like Guinness, Budweiser and Carlsberg and small crafters are offering robust-tasting near- and no-alcohol beers; and wineries are using distillation and reverse osmosis to produce fine, low-alcohol Cabernets, Chardonnays and other varieties. Niche products are growing: for example, Los Angeles-based Optimist Botanicals bills its gin-, vodka- and tequila-like botanical blends as being vegan, gluten-free and paleo- and keto-friendly.
On the home front, people are making their own concoctions, often with natural and herbal ingredients, such as pears, tomatoes, cilantro and spices. “Garden-grown produce, windowsill herbs and farmers market finds are the ideal foundation for recipes, from tea sangrias to shaken mocktails,” says New Jersey cooking instructor and recipe developer Vanessa Young, creator of ThirstyRadish.com. As an example, she says, “A slice of brûléed fruit gives a non-alcoholic drink a touch of smoky sweetness, plus it is so appealing in the glass.”
Substance abuse counselors caution that beverages that mimic alcohol may not be a good route for recovery from serious alcohol abuse because they can reawaken destructive patterns. And consumers are advised to look carefully at labels. “Alcohol-free” beer contains 0.0 percent alcohol. “Non-alcoholic” beer can contain up to 0.5 percent alcohol, but some have been found to contain up to 2 percent—not desirable if pregnant or in recovery.
Still, says Karolina Rzadkowolska, author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You, “The popularity of alcohol-free drinks is changing a culture. We are going from a culture that glamorizes drinking at every social situation, with little valid excuse to decline, to a culture that gives people healthier options.”
Health writer Ronica O’Hara can be contacted at OHaraRonica@ gmail.com.
Check out this local booze-free bottle shop, Gem Life+Bar, 5 S. Broadway, Pitman, NJ. 856-270-5195. Visit GemLifeCollective.com
MAPLE PEAR SPARKLER
½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup filtered water 1 rounded tsp fresh pomegranate arils (about 12 arils, or seeds) 1 tsp fresh lemon juice ½ oz maple simple syrup 2¼ oz pear juice 2 oz sparkling mineral water Bartlett pear slices for garnish For the syrup, whisk to combine ½ cup maple syrup with ¼ cup filtered water in a small saucepan, and heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In the meantime, to prepare the jewel-like pomegranate arils, score a fresh pomegranate cross-wise. Twist to separate into halves. Loosen the membrane around the edges and tap firmly with a wooden spoon over a bowl to collect the pomegranate arils. Continue to loosen the membrane and tap to release all the arils.
For each drink, gently mash the pomegranate arils with lemon juice in a muddler, then add the mixture into a cocktail shaker, along with the syrup, pear juice and ice. Shake to chill, and strain into a glass to serve. Top with sparkling mineral water. Add a slice of ripe Bartlett or brûléed pear.
Courtesy of Vanessa Young of ThirstyRadish.com.
Sustainable Self-Care
IN OUR LIVES AND FOR THE PLANET
by Julia Snyder
The World Health Organization defines selfcare as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” One of the biggest myths about self-care is that it is selfish. Actually, selfcare is the love we give ourselves, that allows us to influence our families and communities with love and positivity. It is in nourishing ourselves that we are more capable of compassion, creativity and spreading well-being. The opposite is also true: When we are feeling stressed and unhappy, it also can influence those around us negatively. Evolutionarily, humans align with the mood and behaviors of people around us. Because of the strong influence our mood and behavior can have on others, author Dennis Prager believes happiness is a moral obligation. Not only do we benefit from taking care of ourselves, but those around us are positively influenced by this unconscious alignment. When we are taking care of ourselves, we have a greater capacity and energy to take even better care of ourselves and the planet. We all know the saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Physically, it is important to rest and restore through sleep and healthy food choices. Emotionally, it is important to give ourselves the space we need to heal and grow from the many stressors coming at us every day. When we feel stressed, it is like our guard dog is out and its focus is only on protecting us. It is only looking for the threats. When we can calm the guard dog, we are much more able to use our hearts and brains to see and feel the situation from a different perspective and can then start to recognize grace. We can see new solutions for ourselves and others. Self-care is different than self-indulgence. Self-indulgence can be selfish and unsustainable. Self-indulgence might be staying up late to binge watch our new favorite TV series or drinking another glass of wine. Self-care would be watching one episode and then going to bed to get a good night’s sleep. Self-care is what makes you feel happier and healthier in the long run, instead of just in the moment. It might even mean a little tough love in this case. It is also okay for self-love to feel like an indulgence sometimes, like purposefully setting aside time and money for a massage, or to spend the afternoon in the luxury of a nap, or basking in the sun at the beach or working on the project that sparks our passion. The key is deciding what’s for our highest good, not just for instant gratification.
Industry is marketing self-care in a big way right now. It is beneficial that the awareness of self-care is more pervasive, but the message that we need to buy a fancy bubble bath is misleading. Ideally, self-care is something that can be sustained; it sustains us and is sustainable for the environment. A bubble bath with harmful chemicals is neither healthy for us or our planet. Socializing with friends with alcohol is also heavily advertised. Enjoying a bath and connecting with loved ones are both wonderful ways to gift ourselves peace or connection, but just be mindful about what is being sold alongside them. Julia Snyder, MD Start small if need be. Even if it means the gift of focusing on our breath while we are brushing our teeth. Build up to more as you feel ready. The good news is that there is a positive feedback loop. The more we do, the better we will feel, and the more confident we will be about the benefits of continuing to incorporate the time and space we need to recharge. It’s all about taking a pause and allowing the peace of a greater perspective. Here are some ideas to get started with sustainable self-care at home: n Go outside - connect with nature, “stop and smell the roses” n Move the body - walk, run, dance, jump, stretch n Journal, write a poem or story, draw or color n Plan time with a pet or loved one n Look up at the stars n Take a bath n Go to bed early n Read a favorite book n Sing, hum or play music n Play, build or allow for one’s creativity to flow n Give yourself a hug, and say, “I love you” n Stay well-hydrated with at least 60 ounces of water each day. n Trade giving each other a massage with a friend or loved one n Take a break from the phone, news and social media n Gratitude - say “thank you” to yourself, others and a higher power. Julia Snyder, M.D., specializes in Whole Person Care at Golden Light Integrative & Holistic Medicine. Location: 703 E. Main St., Moorestown.. For more information, visit www.GoldenLightMD.com.
