A year after I quit alcohol, this is what has changed
By ABC Everyday / By Flip Prior on
"Will you go back to drinking?" It's a question I've faced a lot lately.
I don't blame people for asking; after almost 12 months of publicly not consuming a drop, the question of "What next?" has just as frequently crossed my own mind — especially as we hurtled through the festive season and into early 2020.
The answer? Right now I'm still leaning towards… probably not? Highly unlikely? I doubt it? It's not quite a hard no — but definitely not a yes.
At times, I have had a sense that some people think I've white-knuckled my way through this year, stubbornly refusing all offers of alcohol to prove a point, looking forward eagerly to the day I can pick up a shot glass and knock it back.
But reaching my original goal now feels more like an...
Eat well to make the most of Dry July
By Anne Finch on
Taking a break from booze is absolutely one of the best things you can do for your health. Not only are you giving your liver (and other organs!) a break, but you can expect these benefits:
- Better sleep – alcohol might help us fall asleep, but it leads to poorer quality sleep
- Less bar snacks – drinking stirs hunger, and can also lead to sub-optimal food choices (I’m looking at you late-night doner kebab)
- Less hangover remedies – greasy bacon and eggs, sugary drinks and fast food are pretty common on Sunday morning, meaning the effects of your weekend drag on
- More movement – not being glued to the couch recovering means more opportunities to get out and about
If you’re looking for even more ways to treat your body right, we’ve got some...
Ditch the diet pressure and think health this year
By Gael Myers on
It's that time of the year when we frown at the string of festive feasts and resolve to lose 20 kilos. We sign up for the gym, throw money at the fad program with the fastest weight loss claims and vow that this year will be different. Come the end of January, reality sets in and the only number going down is our bank account.
LiveLighter have shared three tips to refresh your New Year's resolution thinking and help you feel great in 2021.
1. It's not you, it's them
Most of us can stick to a crazy-restrictive diet for a while and lose a little weight. When we go back to our lifelong habits the kilos spring back on and we beat ourselves up about our lack of self-control. The truth is that being overly restrictive about what we eat does...
Healthy Foods on Supermarket Shelves
By Cindy O’Meara on
It’s easy to feel confused by the labeling on foods these days. And especially with products in organic grocery stores. They bring up more questions than they answer. Are they really worth the money? Are they actually a wonder ingredient? Will this overhyped product solve all my problems, make me super healthy and save me from Friday night’s alcohol binge? With this in mind, let’s step away from the bright lights and clever packaging, and look at some of the basic foods found in regular supermarkets, and how they can supercharge our health. Here’s some you’ll find in my basket:
1 - Cauliflower
A member of the brassica family, cauliflower is rich in sulfur containing nutrients and glucosinates, to reduce inflammation and support liver...
Mindful drinking; How to sip less and enjoy it more
By Paula Goodyear on
Signing up for Dry July - or just need more dry days in your drinking week? Either way, neuropsychologist Dr Nicola Gates can help. A researcher with the University of NSW and author of A Brain for Life, Gates also has a track record of helping people manage their alcohol use - including workers in industries like aviation that demand strict sobriety during working hours.
But whether the goal is an alcohol free month or the two alcohol free days each week recommended in Australia's alcohol consumption guidelines she suggests first getting a handle on how much you really drink.
"It's something most of us underestimate," says Gates, recalling the time she asked a group of people in one of her mindful drinking seminars to pour what they...
Why am I always tired
By Claire Obeid on
An easy example – I aim to practise yoga five mornings out of the seven. Initially I thought that a daily practise would work to rejuvenate my body and mind. It took a while, but eventually I realised that in fact practising five morning straight actually sapped me of energy. Now I break it up throughout the week, which reignites my body and therefore I avoid feeling strung out and anxious.
So, do consider all the stressors in your life, especially if you are...
12 Healthy Snacks for Work
By Cindy O'Meara on
Most people take a briefcase to work, but I’m more likely to take a bag filled with healthy goodies. When you eat healthy foods, you not only improve your physical health, but you will also help your mind and body deal with stress.
When preparing snacks for work, the key is to be organised and prepared.
With the right nutrients, the brain performs better and stays alert during the day. Your thinking will be clearer and you will get tasks done faster, and the morning and afternoon slump will be a thing of the past!
Here are some examples of things I take on a regular basis to work. Pick and choose different ones during your week, to make sure you're getting a variety of healthy, nutrient rich, satisfying and delicious foods.
1. Morning...
Blueberry, Mint & Lime Mocktail
By The Mindful Mocktail on
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 10-12 blueberries
- 8 mint leaves
- Juice of 1 lime
- Sparkling water or kombucha
- 1 tsp sweetener of choice (opt)
Method
- Place blueberries, mint, lime and sweetener (if using) into a glass.
- Muddle together for about 1 minute to release the juice from the blueberries and lime, and the flavour from the mint. If you don’t have a muddler, use the back of a wooden spoon or similar.
- Top with sparkling water or your favourite kombucha and stir gently.
- Add ice and garnish with some extra blueberries and mint.
For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram
Managing Sugar Cravings
By Peter Rule on
We all seek the taste of sweet foods naturally in our diet, however it can be easy to crave excess high sugar foods for many varied reasons.
We have 5 basic recognised tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (savoury) however we can become imbalanced in our food choices due to stress, low energy, eating on the run, looking for psychological reward or treat or nutritional deficiencies, just to name a few.
When assessing a person’s current eating plan, it is not uncommon to discover the following habits which can cause imbalances and sugar cravings to occur:
- Missing breakfast
- Added sugar in breakfast cereals
- Lack of protein and/or excessive complex carbohydrates during meals
- Dependence on alcohol, consuming 1-3 units per night
- ...