Being sober curious doesn’t mean giving up alcohol. It’s about being more conscious of what, why, when, where and how you drink. Part of that may include discovering non alcoholic drink options. They’re a great solution for anyone who wants to drink but doesn’t always want to drink alcohol. But we know you need details, so here’s 10 reasons why non alcoholic drinks are good for you…
1. Non Alcoholic Drinks Taste Good
Non alcoholic drinks are not the poor cousin of alcohol and they’re not like soft drinks - they’re a legitimate and separate drinks category. The ingredients and techniques used to create them are complex, as is their flavour. Some non alcoholic drinks, like beer, can be similar in flavour to alcohol because of how they’re distilled. While others are incomparable, creating brand new tastes to try. Bottom line is, soft drink and alcohol are not the only options anymore. You can now enjoy complex drinks without sugar and health risks.
2. Non Alcoholic Drinks Don’t Give You a Hangover
Hangovers feel terrible and get in the way. It’s an obvious reason not to drink, but not one to be underestimated. The difference now is that it doesn’t mean abstinence. Simply change what you drink. Not only that, you now have the option to exchange alcohol for drinks that are pretty damn decent. Non alcoholic drinks offer the same ritual, satisfaction and social engagement of alcohol with none of the physical, mental or emotional downsides.
3. Non Alcoholic Drinks Save You Money
When you drink non alcoholic drinks you tend to savour them more. That’s because your tastebuds aren’t being dulled the way they are when you drink alcohol, so you don’t need as much to feel satisfied. You’re also more in in control of your choices when you drink alcohol alternatives, so you’re unlikely to buy things you don’t need, like more drinks. Hello cost savings.
4. Non Alcoholic Drinks Are Low in Calories
Most non alcoholic drinks are low in calories or contain no calories at all. We don’t need to school you on what that means. Suffice to say, your body and wellbeing will thank you for choosing a healthier option.
5. Non Alcoholic Drinks Are Low in Sugar
As above, most non alcoholic drinks are low in sugar or contain no sugar at all.
6. Non Alcoholic Drinks Give You Back Your Mornings
You can stay up late drinking alcohol alternatives if you want to, but they aren’t going to affect the quality of your sleep or be the reason why you can’t get up in the morning. They’re not even going to interfere with your productivity and cloud your decision making like alcohol does. So if you want to increase your chances of waking up fresh as a daisy and sticking to a routine, then zero proof drinks are a good choice.
7. Non Alcoholic Drinks Don’t Lead to Bad Decisions
Hands up if you’ve looked at the messages and photos on your phone in horror after a big night out. It’s a sobering moment. Not so sobering that you have to commit to never drinking a drop of alcohol again. But if you’d like to space out the blinders, yet not sit out the fun on your own at home, then get up, get out and drink something different. Bonus: wake up next to someone you remember.
8. Non Alcoholic Drinks Make You a Better Listener
We seem to think that alcohol softens us up to a have these deep and meaningful conversations with each other. But they’re usually with a stranger in the toilets. And you can’t recall what was said. And you probably did most of the talking. So basically, you had a conversation with yourself. Why oh why does our craving to connect with each other need to take so much confidence that we need to get hammered before we can let it all out? That’s a whole other blog post. In short, a way to circumvent this is to listen. When we listen to people, we can take a break from ourselves, gain greater perspective, process our own thoughts through the input of others, and generally feel good. Better even. It’s an enriching experience that pairs nicely with non alcoholic drinks.
9. Non Alcoholic Drinks Give You More Quality Time
Life is busy, thanks in part to phones, work and social media. Finding moments of real substance can be challenging. Alcohol alternatives allow you to relax and be present at the same time. Love that. They also make aspects of life - the ones we like and the ones we don’t like (fitness, friends, family, faith, vocation, community and so on) – more manageable. We’ll take the win.
10. Non Alcoholic Drinks Don’t Affect Your Sex Life
‘nuff said! Show me the drinks!
Image courtesy of Thought Catalog