I'm celebrating! 6 months into my (largely) alcohol free experiment :)

I've recently returned from the Homeopathy Research Institute Conference in Malta where I was working for the HRI. I had a wonderful time, and feel the need for a blog update around the conference in general very soon. But I'm currently feeling proud of myself and thought would share it here in case it struck a chord with anyone else. 

So, back at the end of December, just after (but not like the morning after the night before kind of thing) my solstice gathering, I thought I'd like to have another wee drinking challenge. This time, to not consume alcohol for a year. Later in the year, on the 27th March to be exact, I shared this with my daughter - that I was going to do this. "I don't think you'll be able to do that mum" was her encouraging response. Well, this mama loves a challenge, so, so be it - my dry year started again* (I'd had a sip of red wine and that wasn't good enough apparently for my 10 year old setter of protocols).

I've just been through what I had flagged up as my biggest test, the conference, with prosecco and wine flowing freely, many good friends drinking alongside me, music and dancing, and am happy to say I passed. I danced barefoot under the stars, swam under the full moon, laughed, chatted and enjoyed every minute of it. Less sleep than perhaps maybe I needed, but that's life and it was exciting to be there. And no hangovers. No feeling ropey, and really just feeling pretty great.

I'm excited to be continuing with it, and had a lovely chat with a friend around it all whilst in Rome, which it may help to share here - my feeling is that it's a challenge, a game, something to play with and experiment with, as opposed to a fixed need to comply with anything. It makes things easier for me to do; to see it as this, rather than a direct instruction, which I may be prone to resist and move away from (even my own - I can be that obstinate!).

​There's different views, some feel that alcohol is helpful in preventing dis-eases, others it enhances our great time (but I want to have a great time consciously?!) and I feel here isn't the time and place for that discussion. From what I've read I'm unconvinced about the evidence around the reduction in dis-ease. If Malta has taught me nothing else it's that your research needs to be a high standard, replicable too, and I'm not sure what I've read so far has shown me that. I would be intrigued to read much further, but there is a large pile of fascinating books in the way, and I'm enjoying experimenting with my own health (and I feel good for it!) first before I delve into the research around this more.

I think this may continue for me, in a flexible way, like my whole food plant based lifestyle does. I can eat whatever I want to but happily choose to do it this way. Should there come a time I change my mind, then I change but for now can't see it being anything other than how it is for now. Kefir, of course, with its probiotic and fermented qualities does not count.... ;)

​I know I've mentioned it already but if you wanted to try it out then perhaps to set it up as a game, a challenge, which always helps me. We're all different though so if that doesn't sound good and you want to have a go, work out what would work for you and have a play. Clearly I'm not referring to people with a serious addiction issue and always professional help should be sought in these cases.

With love,

Em x

​*Celebrating the initial dates not the re-start - gotta be proud of each bit!