Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** How do I drink less without quitting completely? What's the difference between low, no and light alcohol drinks? Why can't I drink like I used to? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.
Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.
I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, magazine editor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture
What you'll get:
Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:
- How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
- What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
Drinks 101 Mini-Series – Short educational episodes demystifying the confusing world of low and no alcohol drinks:
- What does ABV actually mean?
- What's the real difference between non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, low alcohol, and light beer?
- How are alcohol-free drinks made?
- Which drinks are safe for pregnancy, driving, or recovery?
Meet the Makers – Intimate conversations with the founders, brewers, distillers, and visionaries creating the premium drinks and experiences that support your moderation goals.
This podcast is for you if:
- You want drinks that taste like the ones you already love
- You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
- You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
- You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments
This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.
Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
Mindful Drinking Advent 6: The Luxury of a Hangover-Free Saturday
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YOUR DATA, YOUR CHOICE: WEIGH UP THE TRUE IMPACT OF DRINKING FROM LIGHT – MEDIUM – HEAVY DAYS WITH THE DRINKING IMPACT CALCULATOR AT https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator
On Day Six of the Mindful Drinking Advent, we talk about reclaiming your weekends — especially the first Saturday of December, when hangovers usually steal the show.
This episode digs into why a clear-headed Saturday is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself this month, and how a bit of upfront motivation can help you make better choices the night before.
A simple, practical nudge to enjoy the weekend you actually want.
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You can email me at denise@lownodrinkermagazine.com
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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a commission that helps me keep the show going. Thank you.
Welcome to your mindful drinking audio advent, day six from the mindful drinking and moderation in midlife podcast with me, Denise Hamilton Mace. I am your mindful drinking mentor here to help you design and build a life less intoxicated on your own terms. It is Saturday today, the first weekend of the festive season. Do you remember the time before Saturday morning hangovers became the norm? Before getting legless on Friday and recovering on Saturday was the only thing you did. On the weekends, particularly in this festive season, those days can all tend to blur into one. They all bleed into each other as the Friday night office do leads to Saturday morning recovery, which just about gives you enough time to rally for Saturday night out with your friends, which leaves Sunday as a damage control kind of day, pulling yourself back together before you begrudgingly go back to work on Monday morning and start all over again with a go on it's Christmas Monday afternoon lunchtime drink. Now, I want you to have great weekends. I want you to enjoy yourself, I want you to have fun, uh, whatever that looks like for you. And waking up on a Saturday morning with one less hangover is a great way to do that. It means that the weekend can actually feel like a break instead of a write-off. And in uh December, when the weekends are already packed, when they are precious cargo of time, a clear head is the ultimate luxury. We often say, don't we, that oh, there aren't enough hours in the day. I know I say that all the time because there really aren't. But a hangover-free Saturday morning is kind of like a cheat code in this uh little game of uh weekday, weekend, back and forth. You can claim back so much time in the morning after if you just make that more of a priority when you're in the throes of the night before. So maybe you need a little bit of motivation, a little bit of inspiration. There are some easy hacks here. Plan something special with someone you would really hate to let down. I don't just mean uh you're your best mate and you're just gonna go, you tell each other you're gonna go for a morning walk. I mean with someone that you can't get away with letting down. Maybe the kids who you've promised to take them to some god awful um kids' day out, some uh kids' theatre, uh a kids' museum, anywhere where kids are gonna be there, making a lot of noise because we all know there's nothing worse than a hangover with noisy kids. Um maybe book yourself something, forget the kids, forget about them, but book something for yourself, but make it really expensive so that if you cancel it, you lose a lot of money that you don't want to lose. Um, or maybe just commit to something that requires clarity in the morning. Um, maybe, I don't know, uh a driving test, uh, care in the community, uh donating blood, brain surgery, maybe if you do that. Um, but whatever it is, uh, you get the idea. Okay, so committing to something that really needs you to stay clear-headed. You don't have to do this every weekend, of course, but it's just that little extra incentive that sometimes we need to help us with our decision-making processes the night before. Now, don't forget to go and check out today's Advent calendar email. When you open that door, you'll find my recommendations uh for those morning after drinks that you can enjoy when you don't need it to be the hair of the dog. You can still access the mindful drinking advent. Uh, just go to mindfuldrinkingadvent.com or click the link in the show notes. I'll see you tomorrow for day seven. And until then, cheers to a Christmas less intoxicated.
