We know that moderation is the key to drinking well, but it’s not always easy. As a wine educator and yogi, with thirty years of working in the French wine business, I’ve developed some hacks and habits that help me. By sharing these, my goal is to help people create a healthy passion for wine.
Winefulness and wine education
Choosing better wine, paying attention to what’s in your glass and really enjoying it rather than just letting it slide down without paying attention, that’s mindful drinking. Learning about what’s in the glass, appreciating it, paying attention, swirling and sniffing all slow down consumption and heighten enjoyment.
Stimulate
We can help our body detox by stimulating the lymphatic system. Movement, (some yoga poses are particularly good for stimulating digestion) body brushing and massage all help this parallel circulatory system remove toxins from the body and reduce water retention.
Bitter truth
Some foods help detoxification by stimulating the liver. Bitter foods in particular, did you ever wonder why a lot of aperitifs contain bitters? They stimulate the appetite and the liver. Get your bitters from veg, bitter greens and cruciferous veg are packed with elements that help digestion.
Daily detox
A great morning routine can set you up for the day, incorporate drinking a large glass of water, body brushing and some movement. Other things to consider, are a cold shower, lemon in hot water and oil pulling. For more about my morning detox routine, watch the daily detox video. It should set you up for the day whether you’ll be enjoying that glass of wine or not.
Rule of 2
Drink enough water. Hydration is really important for our health, for our energy levels, for our skin, liver and kidney function, and so much more. I set myself a rule of 2: at least 2 litres of water a day, no more than 2 glasses of wine a day and no less than 2 days off (booze free) days a week. I like to follow an easy rule book, so this works for me and helps me hold myself accountable
Less is more
If we’re embracing moderation, we can embrace quality. Use the booze budget for quality over quantity.
Think before you drink.
Why are you reaching for that glass? Exhaustion, celebration, habit, enjoying a great meal, stress relief or the pure pleasure of a delicious glass of wine. None of these are inherently wrong but being aware of our motivation is the start of a healthy relationship with booze. Make it a choice rather than a reflex.
Size matters.
How big is that glass? Serving sizes have increased for everything and wine is no exception. Rather than one large glass, choose tasting portions that allow you to try small amounts of several different wines, Moderation and education all in one sip.
Eat before you drink
An empty stomach allows liquids to go quickly from stomach to small intestine. In the presence of food, it slows everything down and allows some alcohol to be metabolized before reaching the blood stream.
Wendy has spent the last 30 years working in the French wine business. As a yoga teacher she’s also passionate about wellness. In 2018, she brought these two passions together in ‘The Drinking Woman’s Diet’ book. The tips and tricks from the book are now an online course, ‘7 weeks to a liver friendly lifestyle’. It’s a fun series of webinars and videos that cover everything from understanding your liver, foods that help and foods that hinder, what is moderation and how to get there, detox tips and so much more. There are motivational habit trackers to help keep you on programme and a free e-copy of The Drinking Woman‘s Diet.
There is a special code for members of TheRLWS use the voucher code RLWS at check out for your discount. (£47 instead of £77)
Sign up for the free Daily Detox webinar here https://insidertasting.com/courses/7-weeks-to-a-liver-friendly-lifestyle/#previews It’s a taster for the course with a few morning habits to set you and your liver up for the day.
Wendy is coming to speak to us on Zoom on Thursday 13th October 2022 6.30pm. Sign-up (FOC) https://www.therlws.com/service-page/wine-wellness-wendy-narby-13-10-22