It’s no secret, alcohol is not good for us at all!

From the moment alcohol enters our body, our organs, our blood, our energy and our mental function and health is affected in a negative way.

Even a single glass of wine does some damage, so we need to be acutely aware of how we can nurture and replenish what we have damaged through our choices to drink.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE! Minimising the amount of alcohol that we each consume allows us the potential to maintain our health. I try to stick to 3 glasses consumed per week. That may sound contradictory for someone who writes about wine and runs a wine retail store, but I can achieve this using two tools.

SPITTING OUT THE WINES I TASTE! Not the most classy way to drink wine, but when you’re tasting hundreds of wines a month it’s absolutely necessary. Be aware, your tongue and tissue within the mouth absorbs alcohol, even if you spit!

SET YOUR STANDARDS HIGH! I choose to consume wonderful wines and I reject lesser wines. Think about it this way, if you’re going to poison your body, you may as well poison it with the good stuff.

Having said that, I over consume every now and then and when that occurs I take steps to nurture my body back to full health, or as close to. This is how I do it.

HYDRATE! Alcohol dehydrates the body so drink as much water as possible to rehydrate and flush out toxins within your system. Electrolytes are great too.

PROBIOTICS! Alcohol kills bacteria, and severely impacts your gut microbiome. Consuming things like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi, or even a probiotic supplement, can restore gut health.

EAT HEALTHILY! Processed foods exacerbate gut issues and offer very little benefits, so stick to whole, fresh, natural and unprocessed foods to support gut health. Incorporate prebiotics like garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus, and oats that feed gut bacteria.

SLEEP! Quality sleep is essential for overall health, including gut health. I know it’s hard finding time these days, but do your best to sleep and allow your body's natural healing processes to work their magic.

SEEK HELP! If you struggle with regular over consumption of alcohol, speak to your doctor ❤️