Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
How do I drink less without quitting completely? What's the difference between alcohol-free, low alcohol, and no alcohol drinks? Why can't I handle alcohol like I used to? How do I cut back when everyone around me is still drinking? 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 9: The Long Lunch Survival Guide
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 Nine of the Mindful Drinking Advent Series, we dive into the beautifully chaotic world of December long lunches — the ones that start innocently at 1pm and somehow end at midnight.
This episode helps you enjoy the fun without losing the whole day (and tomorrow) by using simple tools like the ‘hard out’.
A practical, honest guide to surviving the midday tipple trap on your terms.
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You can email me at denise@lownodrinkermagazine.com
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🗣️ Join the growing community on Substack
https://lownodrinker.substack.com/
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🌱 Reset the way alcohol shows up in your life with the 4 Week Midlife Mindful Drinking Reset
https://www.lownodrinker.com/4weekreset
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🧮 Drinking Impact Calculator: Find your personal tipping point
https://mindfuldrinkinginmidlife.com/products/drinking-impact-calculator
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🧐 Take the quiz and find out what's REALLY driving your midlife drinking habits
https://www.lownodrinker.com/
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*Some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Low No Drinker may earn a commission. Thank you.
Hello, hello, and welcome to your mindful drinking audio advent day nine with me, Denise Hamilton Mace, here on the Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife podcast. Today we are talking about the long lunch survival guide because the festivities start early on December days. It is late lunches, early dinners, cheeky midday tipples, and you might not see your desk again for the rest of the day. There is something beautifully dangerous about a December work lunch. It always starts off innocently enough, well, sometimes innocently. You go out for a working lunch with a friend and you think, well, why not get a bottle of wine? It's Christmas. Or perhaps your boss is trying to be clever and thinks they can save a few pennies if they take you out for lunch rather than for dinner. I can tell you that after decades of throwing Christmas parties in various venues around London, you usually end up spending a lot more than you think you would at lunchtime, bosses, so don't be fooled. But suddenly it is five o'clock, it is dark outside, you're in some random pub or bar that you don't remember getting to. There's another shot in your hand, and you are writing off not only the rest of the day, but quite possibly all of tomorrow as well. Christmas lunches are one of those times when it is okay to have a hard out. You can be that person that says, Alright, I need to head off before another bottle appears, before another round of shots appears, because it is a relentless day. I can't tell you the amount of times that I started, or I witnessed people starting at one o'clock just to have a nice relaxed lunch with the goal of being home by six o'clock, maybe seven, uh, and then at midnight they are still rolling out of the door trying to figure out which way is up. So, like I said, you can have a hard hour at Christmas for lunch times. It's one of those times when it works in your favour. I don't want you to count the minutes and miss out on actually enjoying your time in the place and with the company that you're in, but do know when it's going to be time for you to leave. What's your usual cutoff point? When do you think you're going to be starting to head towards the moment when you could tip over and leave before you get to that point? Uh, eat properly. I have said it before and I will say it again, but food is your friend. The more you eat, the slower it takes for alcohol to be absorbed into your system. Don't just pick at starters, but have a full meal. If you're not sure if you're going to like what's on offer at the restaurant or wherever you're going, make sure you eat beforehand. Plus, the more you eat, the less space you have for drinking. It's very uncomfortable to drink lots of liquid on a full stomach. And finally, this is a slightly alternative motivation technique, but leave some really important work undone back at the office and give yourself a reason to uh stay sharp and to exit quickly. Now, obviously, I don't mean anything that's going to put your job in jeopardy. If it's really important you need to get it done, get it done. But if you know that you might need a little bit of extra inspiration, motivation to push you out the door, make sure you leave something important undone so that you've got a reason to not only to leave but to stay clear-headed, go and get that done, and then you can get home early, and then you can make your own choices about how the rest of the night is going to go. Today, behind today's um Advent email, you will see my personal selection of soft drinks. It's lunchtime. It's okay to not always have an alcohol-free alternative to a full-strength drink. Sometimes we just want a nice soft drink. So I've got a selection for you of some of my favorite soft drinks and mixers that you can use. Uh, you'll find be able to find most of these in uh most pubs that put some effort into their drinks list, and of course, at online retailers like Wise Bartender and Dry Drinker and the Alcohol Drinks Company. So, check those out, and I will see you tomorrow for day 10. And until then, cheers to a Christmas less intoxicated.
