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Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being with me on this ride! You'll now hear from me each week with some topic of discussion. THEN, each month, you'll get a big, juicy newsy newsletter like this one.

My review of the Zero Proof Experiences event is probably just what the organizers dreamed of. I made new connections and I got out of my comfort zone. I laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a long time (including about some things that went wrong and that’s ok!) and I cried, having vulnerable conversations with some old and new friends. I tried ecstatic dance which actually felt trippy and both relaxing and energizing at the same time which was kind of cool. It has a weird-ish name but could just be called “moving however the music moves you.” You feel really embodied and alive, but ultimately, very relaxed. My intention for the whole weekend was to feel playful and I accomplished that (notice how my intention/expectation was something within my control, rather than what others thought of me or something that I couldn’t control!). There was so much talent and expertise in the room that my joint-presentation with my friend Teri became not a “talk” but a hands-on participatory brainstorming workshop on opportunities for collaboration in the NA space. Check out their upcoming events in Tampa and Bali.

Two Free Sunday Sessions
This is very spontaneous….I’m just feeling it as I pack my bags to head back over to Paris tomorrow!! Let’s do a few FREE Sunday Coaching Sessions, with a Luscious Fall Reset theme! We’ll talk about mindset shifts, adding sensory pleasure (rather than basking in deprivation), tips for finding fun and activities we enjoy, what to drink when you’re not drinking…..anything you want to talk about…all while coming together with other supportive women on the same path. On Zoom, Oct 8 and 22 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. Register here.

Following, Reading, Liking

This is my must-listen podcast recommendation of the month!! You’ve got questions about psychedelics? Dr. Hillary McBride has the answers in this brilliant interview with Glennon Doyle. I can’t imagine a clearer, better articulated, more knowledgeable discussion of what therapeutic psychedelics are, how it works and how it is best approached, what can be expected, and more, including her own personal experience, her backstory with disordered eating and what was revealed during her journey. Fascinating!

Ozempic might curb alcohol-cravings. Is the liquor industry ready for that?

The US drug czar will consider revising the current health guidelines around alcohol next year, putting them more in line with those recently updated in Canada.

"Step aside, wine pairing." A few years ago, I made a prediction in this newsletter that eventually even wine lovers would regard wine-only meal pairings as limited and showing a lack of creativity. The truth is, many chefs are not knowledgeable about wine at all. And it’s the chef him/herself that understands best their own dishes and what beverage profiles will complement them. Check out this Food & Wine Magazine critic's experience with an NA pairing not to miss!!

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the latest to share the differences she’s noticed after two years alcohol-free and how she formerly used wine to manage the stressful demands of the modeling world.

Refreshing NA beers, ranked.

I used to believe alcohol was helping my digestion! Even though I was occasionally getting stomach ulcers and acid reflux! This is our digestive system on alcohol!

I first met Laura Silverman on Instagram and then via a course we both took during the pandemic on Reimagining Night Life, with Listen Bar in New York. Laura has been an early and active force, contributing so much to this space, including her new comprehensive map (the first-ever!) of dedicated NA spaces across the globe.

With its abundance of good clean water, hops, berries and other resources, the Pacific NW is emerging as one of the cool epicenters of NA action, explored here in this piece from OPB. In other PNW news, check out this boozeless brunch pop-up….this is certainly a great idea that will spread!!

Four years ago, there were scant articles on the subject of questioning drinking and those that existed were hesitant and self-conscious, apologetic even! Not anymore…the headlines just keep coming, such as this one from the NY Times How To Mitigate The Risks Of Drinking (which reads to me more like a story of why you might not want to drink), and this one about recommended book titles if you want to drink less. 

It was fun to get out on the Wild & Scenic White Salmon River, with my wild and free friend Shelley, co-founder with her husband of For Bitter For Worse NA cocktails!! Post-hike, in our cabin, we enjoyed a yummy tasting of her Saskatoon cocktail which is a great red-wine replacement. Or you can even blend it with another NA red to add body and spice notes. I never liked the "rules" of the wine biz when I was part of it (don't blend these, drink it at this exact temperature, in this glass...). NA is more relaxed! Make your own blend. Stage your own tasting like we did. You can even add a dropper of NA bitters (from El Guapo or All The Bitter) to add complexity to NA wines.

Pictured behind the snack board is the new fake ancestor I bought that morning for $80 at an antique store!!) 🤣

And if you missed it in the last newsletter, here are my tips for Savoring Wine Country AF!!

Savor some delight this week and I'll check in next week from Paris!! 

Like this newsletter? Please forward to a friend! Merci!!

From my hometown of New Orleans to working with Food Network chefs, to the vineyards of Oregon...food, friends and flavor figured centrally in my life - and got ALL tangled up in alcohol! I didn't want a wine habit running my life, but I was scared that giving up wine meant living with a "glass half-empty." When I got certified as a sobriety/mindful drinking coach, trained in the neuroscience of habits and behavior and did a deep dive in the health benefits of cultivating joy, I realized I didn't have to give up places and rituals I had enjoyed! I could double-down on them! I invite you to visit my site and book a free call because
I believe you deserve a juicy life, not a dry one!