Alcohol and Why I Don't Drink it

Disclaimer: I am not writing this to stop you from drinking alcohol if you so choose. I am writing this to tell you why, I personally have chosen not to drink alcohol. I do not expect anyone to follow in my footsteps, however, I will be providing alternatives if you wish to start taking alcohol out of your diet. 

For those of you that don't know, I no longer drink Alcohol. I think I may have had a few sips of wine

here and there since my Leukemia diagnosis in July of 2017. There are many reasons why I have chosen to no longer drink alcohol unless it is added to cooked dishes.

Number One:

I am still on many prescription medications. I've been told by one of the pharmacists that I could still have alcohol if I wanted to, but considering all the damage these pills are already doing to my organs and my body, I'd rather not add another element to that. As many of you know, excessive alcohol use can damage the liver. Considering how much I have gone through, and the fact that I have had issues with my liver throughout my cancer and bone marrow transplant experience, I think that drinking alcohol is not worth the risk to my health.

Number Two: 

Even if I felt safe drinking alcohol, I wouldn't drink it because I don't feel good after drinking. It's not worth the dehydration, the headache, or the feeling ill the next day. For some reason, even a very small amount effects me negatively. Even before I was diagnosed, I only needed to drink a small amount of it to feel an effect, and I'd often get a headache later.

Number Three:

For me, there is a spiritual reason to not drink alcohol. I believe that it lowers your vibration, meaning that it brings you down to a low space and makes you more susceptible to lower energies. Some people say that drinking helps them in their spiritual journey, if this is true, than all the power to you, for me, I really believe that it hinders me and is not helpful.

It might feel good while you are drinking it, but many who drink to much of it end up in a depressed and low space. It's not good to bring yourself to this space and stay there for a long time. Many get addicted to the initial high that alcohol brings, that little buzz that you get that gets rid of your inhibitions.

Number Four: 

I simply don't enjoy it anymore and I've figured out other beverages that are healthier and don't effect my body in negative ways. There were many summers when my husband and I would sit on our back patio and have a drink and just chat, but what I realized was that I didn't need alcohol to do that.

So, what do I do for an alternative. Sometimes, I just want a nice big glass of ice water, but for those that don't enjoy just drinking water. Here are some other options.

Herbal Iced Teas: I love to experiment with herbal iced tea. This year so far, I have made hibiscus orange mint and Chai Roibos. Both are delicious. You can really make any herbal tea iced. You can also by pre-made herbal iced tea bags that make it even easier.

Fruit Infused Water: My favorite fruit/Veggie infused waters are Cucumber Mint, Apple Cinnamon, and Lemon, Lime, Cucumber. You can try any kind you want. You just throw whatever veggies or fruit you want and then put it in the fridge to infuse and then drink it up within about 3 days or so.

If you want something more creamy, I have also been experimenting with making iced chai lattes. I do it the healthy way, by making everything from scratch, but if you aren't worried about all the sugar, I used to really enjoy Tazo Chai Concentrate with soy milk and ice.

For my healthy version, I have been adding coconut nectar, soy milk, chai roibos iced tea, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove powder, all spice, ginger, and sometimes a tiny bit of turmeric and black pepper and then I blend it to make it a bit foamy, then I pour it in a glass with a few ice cubes. It's not Starbucks chai tea latte, but I like it and it's way healthier.

These are just some drinks that I enjoy and love to have when everyone else is enjoying their beers or other alcoholic beverages on the patio.

When I'm out at a restaurant, I will usually just have herbal tea, or water. There was this one place in Florida that was all vegan and organic! It's still stands as one of my favorite vegan places I've ever been. It was called The Dandelion Community Cafe and if you are ever in Florida, you should go! Their food is amazing! Anyways, they had herbal iced tea, and they did a different flavor every day. I loved it!