Crunchy Stewardship
In this podcast we are taking a deep dive into what it means to steward our lives as God originally intended for us with the resources that God has given us. We will look at topics like food, medicine, finances, mental health and lots more through a natural lens with a biblical foundation.
Crunchy Stewardship
Admittedly Unqualified: But Let's Talk About Alcohol Anyway
Chrissy and Katie are back with their most honest episode yet - a candid conversation about alcohol from two cousins who openly admit they know very little about drinking! With Katie's last drink being in June and Chrissy having maybe one or two glasses of wine per month, they bring you a refreshingly research-based (rather than experience-based) discussion on alcohol and health.
From biblical wine at Jesus' first miracle to Paul's advice to Timothy about using wine for stomach troubles, they explore what Scripture actually says about alcohol consumption. But don't worry - they also dive into the modern health implications, including why the US Surgeon General is now recommending cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages and why that trendy "glass of wine a day" advice from the 80s has been debunked.
Whether you're sober curious, an occasional drinker, or just want to make more informed choices, this episode offers a balanced, biblical perspective on alcohol without any judgment or pretense of expertise.
Random Revelation of the Week: Oregano oil outperforms amoxicillin in killing bacteria according to a high school science fair project (that's been getting major recognition).
Helpful Links & Products Mentioned
Health Information Sources:
- US Surgeon General's Advisory (January 2025) - Recommended cancer warning labels for alcohol
- RFK Jr. Health Initiatives - Redesigning the food pyramid and addressing alcohol labeling
- Cancer Risk Research - Links between alcohol and breast, colorectal, and liver cancers
Alcohol Alternatives & Mocktails:
- Spindrift Sparkling Water - No natural flavors, real fruit juice
- Available at Costco and Amazon for bulk purchases
- Recommended flavors: Fuji Apple, Guava, and the pink can variety
- Arnold Palmer - Unsweetened tea and lemonade combination
- Hot Toddy - Traditional remedy with bourbon and tea (mentioned for historical context)
- Sparkling Water with Lime/Lemon - Classic mocktail option
Remember: This episode is from two self-proclaimed non-experts sharing research-based information. Always make decisions that align with your personal health needs, family situation, and spiritual convictions.
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FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living
Hello, and welcome to Crunchy Stewardship. My name is Katie Fiola Jones
Chrissy:And my name is Chrissy Rombach. We are two cousins who are passionate about learning and sharing knowledge to equip others to steward their spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, and physical health in order to honor God in every aspect of their lives.
Katie:In our podcast, we take deep dives into what it means to steward our lives as God originally intended for us with the resources that he has given us. We look at topics like food, medicine, finances. Mental health and lots more through a natural lens and with a biblical foundation.
Chrissy:A few weeks ago, we introduced a new segment into our podcast called Random Revelations. This is a time period where one of us will reveal a random revelation that may or may not be related to our week's topic that we just thought was interesting. So, Katie, what was your random revelation this week?
Katie:Yeah, so I have been going down some more rabbit holes about essential oils. I know, I think we actually talked maybe about some last week or the week before that, and I've just been more and more curious about it. And I actually stumbled on another interesting fact about essential oils that I actually really am curious to try out. But I found out that oregano oil does a better job killing bacteria than amoxicillin, which is an antibiotic for those who aren't familiar. But, um, yeah, I, I stumbled upon it on some random Facebook post about a study from a high schooler. Um, he's a freshman and he did a. a high school science fair project, and he discovered in his project that oregano outperforms amoxicillin in killing bacteria. And so with just one drop of oregano oil, you can actually kill a hundred percent. Of the bacteria that he was testing and, and this, apparently this study that he did, um, through his Science fair project has been getting like a ton of recognition because people are like, oh my gosh, this kid discovered this thing. And it's like, no, actually we've known this for a long time, but does that really help big pharma sell things like amoxicillin or does it do quite the opposite? So because oregano oil, while, buying just a small thing of oregano oil is kind of expensive, like per ounce. If you're like looking at it from that kind of cost perspective, um, it's, it's expensive, but it's also. Less harmful to your body. So it's, it's healthier, it's natural, and it's not killing all of the, like,
Good.
Katie:bacteria from, from my understanding, it's like it kills just the bad stuff, I guess. Um, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know all the specifics, but I ran across that and so I looked it up a little bit more and they make like special oregano oils that are kind of meant for like. You know, cold and flu season when you, when all the germs and bacteria and stuff are going around. And so I actually ordered some that I wanna keep on hand because a lot of people are like, yeah, it's really great to do during cold and flu season. And I read that people often will add like a drop or two and make kind of like a, an elixir kind of drink and do like a flu season drink to help you get through that and, and not get sick. Or when you are sick you can take it and then it kills off all the bad stuff so that you don't get sick. Um, so yeah, I thought it was kind of interesting and I'm like, I would totally do that versus doing some more antibiotics'cause I've gone down that route and I don't need to kill off all my good bacterias anymore. So there you go. That is my random revelation for the week.
Chrissy:I love that that was what it was so funny'cause I'm actually looking into using essential oils to combat a little bit of mold that I have growing in my shower stall. Um. I just noticed it starting and I was like, I don't wanna use bleach, and so I did find a recipe that is oregano oil, rosemary oil, and clove oil together to combat mold. So stay tuned. I have to buy all three of those, which is a pretty penny, but as soon as I get all of them, I will use them and we'll see how it works. But Anyways, onto today's episode, we are not talking about essential oils, but we are talking about a different form of disinfectant. One that Paul told Timothy to use to ease his hurting tummy at one point in the Bible. Um, we are talking about alcohol now. Um, Katie and I are not alcohol connoisseurs. We don't really drink all that much. Uh, Katie, when was the last time you actually had a drink of alcohol?
Katie:Yeah, good question. The last time I actually had a drink of alcohol, um, currently was June 21st, 2025. And that's actually a quite a long time. Um, it is currently the beginning of September as we are recording this. And it's probably like, I've never actually paid attention to, like time in between drinks and stuff. Again, Chrissy said that both of us are not big drinkers. So I, Wes and I, Wes actually does not drink any alcohol. He's never had alcohol, ever, um, like literally ever. And so we just don't really keep alcohol in the house because. I, it just kind of feels weird sometimes drinking by myself. So we just don't really keep it around. And I primarily drink when I'm like out with some girlfriends or with family or something like that. I don't really like, I, I'm, it's not that I abstain from alcohol completely, but I don't drink it a lot. And it's not that I pay attention, but the reason why I have paid attention to this is kind of decided that I'm like giving up alcohol. Not like officially, not like I'm totally abstaining or anything, but kind of trying to see how long I can go without drinking any, and it's like just something in my head that I've kind of decided I wanted to try. Kind of like we talked about in our, our coffee episode that I would like to try to eliminate coffee if possible, and like caffeine, because I, I often find that when I'm listening to health professionals talk on their podcast that some of the main things that they avoid or that they recommend people avoid for longevity, especially like if you're really looking to stay, like keep your body in tiptop shape long term. Those are the two that I often find people saying are like, things like seed oils and stuff like that, like a lot of the toxins, but like something that. Most of us partake in or ca like caffeine and alcohol and I don't know, it's just like something that I'm like, for me, the alcohol is much easier'cause I, again, I already don't drink a lot, so now I'm kind of like, what if I just totally give it up? I don't know. Um, it's been interesting. So the few I, I've have actually very few occasions where I'm presented with alcohol. It's actually primarily at my parents' house when I go visit them. Um, they usually have wine and stuff, but my parents, they've also been like weaning down their alcohol. And so I mean, oftentimes when we come over, they don't even offer it to us either. And actually, funny enough, the last drink of alcohol was at my dad's birthday party, he, turned 70 and we had a big party and my sister and I had a decent amount to drink. I mean, again, decent amount was like maybe two glasses of wine for me was like a decent amount, but I don't know. Anyway, that was kind of a long spiel, but Chrissy when was the last time you had something to drink an alcoholic beverage.
Chrissy:I don't remember the exact day, but it was probably like Mid-August maybe. So two to three weeks ago, it was on a date night Max and I were out. For a nice, lovely dinner and I had a glass of wine with dinner
Katie:Yeah.
Chrissy:and it was nice. I enjoyed it. That's usually the context that I'll have a drink is out to dinner. Uh, like a really nice dinner per se, not just like going to Chubby's tacos, you know,
Katie:yep.
Chrissy:Um, so those are usually the contexts where I'll have a drink, but, um, yeah, that's mine. But I would say I probably have maybe one or two glasses a month of wine. Usually if it's not wine, then it's like a Twisted Tea or something when I'm visiting my parents, because that's the new hype at their house, is everybody's obsessed with Twisted Tea at my parents' house.
Katie:That is really funny. I don't even know what that is. What is Twisted Tea?
Chrissy:Oh, it's literally like a sweet tea with alcohol in it,
Katie:I guess I could
Chrissy:and sometimes
Katie:that.
Chrissy:so imagine. Imagine Arizona green tea with a shot of rum
Katie:Oh, okay.
Chrissy:and there you go.
Katie:I would, I would enjoy
Chrissy:So,
Katie:I were there, I would be like, yeah, I'll have one I I like,
Chrissy:but it comes in a can.
Katie:I usually, oh really?
Chrissy:Yeah. Yeah. Like you buy it?
Katie:maid, like you make it at home.
Chrissy:No, no.
Katie:so it's like actually like a brand.
Chrissy:This just shows how much Katie knows alcohol we have.
Katie:gosh. Nothing. It's so funny, my, so my sister, uh, during college was a bartender and then now she is in like the hospitality industry, works at a, you know, fancy hotel and often runs their bar and makes drinks and, and works with food and beverage and stuff. And so she is very, very well versed all the beverages in, in general, but just very much knows her alcohol, knows like what to pair things with all this stuff. And she'll say things and they literally, I mean just like this, this was like a classic like moment for me of just like anything alcohol. All relating just like goes over my head. But it's even like worse for Wes because again, he just doesn't drink. So someone will say something and he, like, someone will name like, oh, the other day, literally, okay, I'm, I'm kind of calling him out. He doesn't listen to this podcast, but now people will know that this was really funny. Someone said something about Jack Daniels and Wes was like, who's that? And it was just so funny because I'm like. Oh, babe. No, it's not really like a who. It's a what, because that's like, don't even know actually. Is that rum or is that I don't, I see. I, I know it's at least alcohol.
Chrissy:I think it's whiskey.
Katie:We obviously don't know what we're talking about on this podcast, and it's kind
Chrissy:So we are giving ourselves a lot of credibility at this point in regards to alcohol. So with that, our repertoire of knowledge that we have in regards to alcohol is not really from a personal experience. It is more so from an educational learning experience that we have gone down the rabbit trails of. Intentionally learning about alcohol and learning about how it interacts with our body, and that's where we're getting most of our information here. Not from college fun weekends, and not from sneaking it in high school. But we have listened to multiple podcasts and, uh, read a few research articles about. Alcohol, and so that's where the information is coming from.
Katie:Yeah, actually, I mean, it's quite interesting even when you look at it from kind of like a biblical perspective, wine is obviously talked about in the Bible. Many times, and people love to bring that up. Um, in fact, Jesus' first miracle that he performed like his first recorded miracle was him turning water into wine. And so people love bringing that like miracle up of like, okay, obviously Jesus loves a good party and that he loves his wine and because he provided this wine for this wedding and all this stuff.
Chrissy:Personal opinion, I don't think Jesus created all that wine because he loves a good party. I think he did that for the sake of the wedding hosts that so that they wouldn't get like outcasted from the city for running out of wine because that was a thing in that time period. So I think he did that actually to protect them. And to care for them and less so because he wanted a good party, but that's just my 2 cents.
Katie:No, I, I would agree with you is that it was much more cultural in that sense. And the way that I've heard about it with the wine, and I don't know how much this is true, someone, if, if someone knows more about this, you can let me know. But I've heard that wine back then was more along the lines of like a vinegar, kind of like fermented drink. And so it's not to the potency or the strength that we have today. So the, the kind of wine that Jesus was probably drinking was, I would even like kombucha. I, I don't know a lot about kombucha, but kombucha is also like a fermented drink and it can have like enough fermentation that it's like alcoholic that you, you know, they have to label it as having a certain percentage of alcohol in it. And so would probably venture to guess that maybe their wine was almost like more on the kombucha side. As far as fermentation, I've been learning a lot more about fermenting things in general and that their benefits and stuff. I mean, Chrissy, you mentioned the whole like tummy stuff and fermented foods and drinks are so good for your gut bacteria especially. So I have been making so many fermented foods. I made sauerkraut just this past week, but I've made like some fermented ginger carrots and, um, pickled green beans and pickled uh. What are they jalapenos? The jalapenos were not for myself, they were way too spicy, but they're for west for sure. But just things like that. Or like drinks, like kefir and even yogurts, like all these things are fermented and you even think about like sourdough is a fermented like bread, and so all these things are good for your gut bacteria. But now I feel like we have gotten to a point where we've fermented things almost like too heavily where like. There's like that potency in the alcohol that you can easily get intoxicated off of. So I mean, obviously they could have, because they did warn about it in the Bible, so it's like their fermented drinks and stuff obviously could have led to that, but
Chrissy:So I would guess that maybe their level of alcohol in their beverages was probably along the levels of a beer. Maybe like 5% alcohol.'cause it, I can,
Katie:makes
Chrissy:be willing to bet it's really hard to get drunk off of kombucha. Um, but Jesus do does warn like, do not be drunk with wine. You know, stay alert, be vigilant. And so, yeah. But also maybe not as strong as like a hunter proof, you know, But nonetheless, strong enough to create drunkenness. And that is one thing that, um, with this conversation about alcohol, we are going to go through like benefits of alcohol because crazy enough, like there are some health benefits that some naturopathic practitioners do agree that are beneficial from alcohol, but in no means are we condoning drunkenness because that is a sin and, once the consumption of alcohol gets to the point of drunkenness, that is when you have gone completely beyond the health benefits of it. There is no health benefits of drunkenness and there is no social benefits of drunkenness. Um, so that's not what we are getting at. But we are getting at like truly the health benefits of alcohol in the context of when Paul tells Timothy, put a little bit of wine in your water to help with your upset stomach. You know, that is the kind of thing that we're talking about of like. Uh, nowadays we have the drink that's called, that's a hot toddie that Max always wants to give me when I have an upset stomach. Um, where you put a little bit of, um, bourbon into, I don't even know what it is. He always makes it for me. But either way, the idea is,
Katie:a
Chrissy:huh?
Katie:some tea. I've, I've
Chrissy:Yeah. Yeah.
Katie:but I don't know much more than that.
Chrissy:So the idea is to have just enough to like make yourself feel better. Um, and there are some health benefits. Even red wine even has some antioxidants in it, just from the grape skins themselves. Um, so that's also interesting. But all in all, alcohol in moderation. It's never good to have too much of it.
Katie:Now, so it is interesting because yeah, like they alcohol, can have some benefits. The one interesting thing that I heard recently, and I actually, I, I probably should have looked it up and maybe while you're sitting there, Chrissy, and I'm saying this, you could look it up, but I heard from a friend that someone, I don't remember who official was saying that they are going to start needing to like label alcoholic beverages as, um, carcinogenic. Does that sound familiar to you? Or, I so.
Chrissy:Definitely
sounds like
Chrissy:something RFK would say.
Katie:Yeah, and this was actually when I heard this, I, I think it was pre RFK being commissioned. I heard that they're gonna have to start putting warning labels on like wine and beer and saying like, this thing causes cancer. Kind of like they do on cigarettes. So I don't know the specifics, but I would at least. In my mind, I feel like that kind of lines up with some of the other things I've heard, just in the sense of like a lot of health professionals say like, you really should stay away from it and, anyway.
Chrissy:So According to my quick Google search in regards to that, it says quote unquote, alcohol is not currently required to have a cancer warning label in the United States. Though US Surgeon General's advisory was issued in January of 2025 recommending such labels due to research linking alcohol to cancers like breast, colorectal, and liver cancer, which makes a lot of sense, especially in the liver cancer section because, uh, the liver is the part of the body that filters through all of the alcohol. And so if you overload the liver with all of the toxins from the alcohol. It's gonna stop working and um, yeah, it's where you get cancer from. It's when your cells stop working. So.
Katie:Yeah. So I don't know. I think that. I will just continue this hiatus from alcohol again. Like when I, when I had that drink, it wasn't like I told myself, this is the last one I'm ever gonna have. I just kind of, I didn't have, like, I wasn't offered alcohol for a long time. And then. I don't know. It just kind of came to my head after like listening to a podcast or something and I was like, maybe I could just decide that I'm not going to drink anymore. And, and I feel like it's actually kind of becoming a little bit more normal, actually. Like normalized to not drink. I feel like. Uh, and maybe I, I don't know if this is me getting older and now I'm like, it doesn't matter what people think or if it actually is kind of becoming more trendy to do like mocktails and things like that. But I just, I, that's kind of what I feel like I'm sensing from the general public is like, Hey, it's okay. It's kind of cool even to say that you're sober. I don't know.
Chrissy:We'll, think about it this way. Back in, what was it? The eighties doctors recommended that a glass of wine. A day was very beneficial for a person's health to prevent cancer and promote longevity and things like that. But as research has shown, they've discovered that a glass a day really is not beneficial for health. And so even coming from doctors, like in medical field, doctors have a lot of respect and they control a lot of what people purchase at grocery stores and what people consume. And so when doctors started saying like, Hey, actually alcohol is not all that good for you like we thought it was, the consumption of alcohol has trended downwards since that narrative has been changed from alcohol's. Good for you. You should have one glass a day. To alcohol's actually not that good for you. You shouldn't drink very much at all, if any. And so I think because doctors control so much of consumption of, food and beverages, that's probably where the trendiness came from is, or at least where it started, and then it kinda caught on and became a thing.
Katie:Well, and speaking of that, I actually just heard an announcement that was made by RFK and his team that they are going to be like redesigning the whole food pyramid because the food pyramid itself was kind of designed. In order to sell certain things, in order to sell certain foods, and it was made with an agenda in mind and that a lot of it actually is not really exactly what is healthy as far as like quantities and things like that to be eating. And so it, it's quite. Interesting to me, especially through this like lens of almost more conspiracy theories because you start to like look at it with your eyes more open as to like, maybe the food pyramid isn't necessarily for my benefit, but it's more to the benefit of these companies that are trying to sell stuff to you. Um, I actually, I have to go back and redact a comment from one of our podcast episodes of something that I said. I think it was the whole like, how much of stuff you should be eating, what are those called? The macro nutrients.
Chrissy:Macronutrients. You said the fist is the protein and the hand is the carbs and the thumb is the fat?
Katie:Yeah. And I think it's actually the opposite. I think it's the, the hand has to be protein and then the fist. Why don't you correct me the other day? You're shaking your
Chrissy:That's a good question. I very much Might have edited that out actually.
Katie:so funny. No, I don't think you did because I re-listened to it and I was
Chrissy:Okay.
Katie:huh, I think I said that wrong. But anyway, you heard it here first. We get things wrong people, and that is okay that we obviously do not claim to be the experts in any sense with this stuff. But, um, yeah, I, well, all that being said is that. The food pyramid actually has it, like, if you remember the food pyramid from our childhoods or depending on who you're listening, who, what age you are when you're listening. Maybe it was when you were a young
Chrissy:Or the myplate.gov.
Katie:Yes. Oh my gosh. And they show like having lots and lots of carbs and, and it also really depends on where your carbohydrates come from because obviously carbs from fruits and vegetables are very different from like cereal. And I think that was just like one of those things that. They were like, you, need tons of bread and then you need some fruits and veggies and some protein. And then, you know, they have the sweets on top and it's the only, the only thing they really got right was having like very moderate amount of sweets. But even at that, like honestly, if you wanna be, like, if you're really going for like ultimate health, you just don't do sugar at all. Like just don't do like the white refined sugars like that is like those are really bad for you. And we've kind of talked about that before and how they like that can cause cancer.
Chrissy:So speaking of sugar, alcohol is a very large contributor to sugar intake. There's especially, um, beer has a lot of carbohydrates. That's where people get that beer belly from is the lots of intake of carbohydrates from that. In addition to the carbonation, that's, that also kind of causes the inflammation there. Um, and then wine also has a lot of calories. You know, um, it's, it's important to think about alcohol not just as it's ABV, but more so as like. What it truly is, like how many carbohydrates are in it, how much protein is in it, if any. Um, what are the other ingredients that are in this alcohol that make it flavorful? Like where does it get its flavor from? If you get cherry flavored vodka, okay, are they putting sugar in that vodka? Are they putting natural flavors in it? Is it artificial flavoring? Um, or even just thinking of like seltzers. If you have the little trulys, you know, a lot of those trulys have natural and artificial flavors in them, and so those are very important to keep an eye out for because, manufacturers can hide other ingredients in their alcoholic beverages.
Katie:Well, and now, and this was another thing that I remembered from an episode from a while ago, and it was something that I'm like, oh my gosh, I didn't even consider this before, here I am trying to like now switch over to all organic produce and fruits and veggies and all, all the stuff, right? Trying to switch organic. And I never even considered the fact that, yeah, like your wine and beer can be organic or not too, because it depends on where they're getting. Uh. You think about the wine made from grapes, were those grapes sprayed or not? Because now if they're using the non-organic versions the conventionally grown ones, then you also have glyphosate or at least some sort of pesticide or herbicide or fungicide or some something in there. So now it's like double whammy of. Not very good stuff at all. So, I feel like alcohol is a touchy subject a lot of people. Because, and I, I guess a lot of the stuff that we talk about, food and drinks and your lifestyle habits, like all of it is kind of touchy and can. Push buttons. I mean, there's, everyone's gonna have that one thing where you're like, oh, that's an easy switch. Like for me, getting rid of alcohol, like no big deal. Like whatever, I, I can eliminate it and it's not going to impact my life at all. And a lot of the people that we hang out with in general don't really drink. And so us not drinking is not a big social factor at all. And so, but I can imagine that in many situations, um. Getting rid of it or even having this conversation, like even thinking about potentially reducing or eliminating alcohol from your life might be a weird thing just depending on what your relationship is with it. Um, it, it is a very social thing I feel like a lot of people have been trained to think that. When you show up to a party, you have to have alcohol. Or when you show up to a wedding, you have to have alcohol or where whenever you're with certain people that you have to have alcohol either to have a good time either to get through the event because of maybe. Relationship statuses with other people and you feel like you're not gonna be able to handle it without having a drink or something. Because don't know, we've just been like programmed to think that alcohol is this social lubricant and I can definitely attest. There are moments where I'm like, oh wow. It definitely helps take the edge off of whatever situation that you are in or helps you feel more lighthearted. But then at that point you're kind of like, is this. Is any of this real? I don't know, because now I'm kind of being influenced to feel certain ways or act certain ways.
Chrissy:At that point though, it more so acts as something to take the guard down so that you can be more naturally yourself after one drink. You know, it's after multiple drinks is when it starts really influencing how you act and changing the way that you would act naturally. But the one drink, I would argue actually enhances the way you would act naturally because it does, cloud our judgment and our. Logic processing part of the brain. And so because of that, our filter kind of goes away a little bit. After one drink, it's not completely gone. The filter is still definitely there. We can still make sound judgments, but after one drink, it's just the, the filter has been removed ever so slightly, and so a person can feel a little bit more relaxed and less. Hard on themselves and like their true self can come out a little bit more, um, which can be very beneficial for improving conversation and improving relationships. Once it gets beyond that though, that's when it becomes a problem.
Katie:Do you think that it's can you say that? I, I don't know. I think I have a hard time with that. Thinking that you would need some sort of intervention in order to. Be more yourself. I don't know. Does that make sense? Like it just seems like, again, it's that mentality of, oh, I need this drink in order to be this person, or I don't know. Like I sometimes I have a hard time with that because like, again, Wes my husband has never had a drink of alcohol in his life. And so you're like, I don't know. I'm like, now I'm thinking about it. Kind of funny. Like, has he ever been his more of his true self? Which I don't, I can't even like get through saying that without laughing.'cause I'm like, I don't know. I couldn't, like at this point now it's been, been together for coming on, what, 11 years? Or is it 10 years? 10 or 11 years. Somewhere around there. That on it kind of like bothered me a little bit that he like didn't drink.'cause I'm like, oh, come on. Like everybody drinks. And like, then again here I'm saying this and it sounds like peer pressure to like go drink alcohol. But he just always stood his ground and was just like, Nope. Like I just, I feel called not to have any alcohol. And it was never like a holier than thou thing or it just, it was just like, I just don't want to drink it. And I've seen what it's done to other people and I just. really feel like I need that. And know, like now thinking about him drinking is kind of like to me because he's never had any alcohol that I'm like, I couldn't even imagine him actually having a drink of anything. Um, but anyway, my point is like, it just sounds, it, it sounds strange to me saying you need some sort of intervention in order to be you, I don't know. Do. Do you see where I'm going at least?
Chrissy:yeah, I see what you're trying to say. I think where I'm going is it decreases the amount of like self-consciousness, you know what I mean? Like if somebody's very self-conscious, they're going to guard their words and their actions a little bit more, which is not their true self. And so. With one drink of alcohol, it decreases that self-consciousness and so the more natural self comes out. So that, that's kind of what I'm trying to get at.
Katie:I will say this is a totally new, like this is, I heard it. Someone. was like, Hey, you shouldn't have any more alcohol in order to like take the edge off kind of like that in order for you to like feel more relaxed and, you know, alcohol is not good for your system, blah, blah, blah, whatever. And their suggestion was if you're looking for something more natural replace that with, to consider CBD. And I don't know enough about CBD or anything, but for me, I like, I was like, oh yeah, well I don't, I don't know if I would ever do anything like that. This was not someone telling me to do this. This was someone posting something about it on somewhere. I don't even remember where, but I heard that and I was like, that's kind of an interesting thought. But anyway, I don't know.
Chrissy:Yeah, I have heard that about CBD. I know I have some family member. We have some family members who use CBD and they speak very highly of it. They very much enjoy it. Um, but I've never tried it before, so can't really speak much anecdotal evidence regarding. CBD Another thing that I've heard about that I have not tried and so cannot attest to is kava. It's spelled KAVA. It is a root that people often, um, you can like put into a drink, like a tea sort of thing. And it does have similar effects to alcohol of like, um. Kind of taking the edge off of things, creating a more relaxed state. I have some mixed reviews on whether or not it's addictive,'cause alcohol is addictive obviously. Um, I've heard from sciencey people that kava is not addictive, but I have taken care of two patients in the two and a half years that I've been a nurse, I've taken care of two patients who are withdrawing from kava. So I don't actually know if it's addictive or not, because I hear through studies that it's not. But then I see that it is, unless these people are really withdrawing from something else and they're just saying it's Kava. But that is also a real possibility. But anyways. So Katie, if you were to be in a situation where people were around you and everybody was having a drink of something alcoholic, but you did not want to have an alcoholic beverage, what would be your go-to mocktail so to say, or non-alcoholic beverage that you would have to still fit in with the crowd?
Katie:feel like right now, I mean all the time, I really like any kind of sparkling water and. Preferably my favorite actually is Spindrift And Spindrift is awesome because it doesn't have natural flavors in it to flavor water and it's really good. And they have literally some of the best flavors that I've tasted in any sparkling water kind of thing. We found out, so they do sell them at Costco, but we found out that they have some better deals for bulk. Like drinks, like packages of them on Amazon. And so I don't know if it's like all the time, but at least the other day when we ordered a bunch, had a better deal for them on Amazon. So we ordered like bulk of some like a Fuji apple and this like guava. It was basically like a really awesome tropical drink. And then there's like a, a pink can is something else really good too. Anyway, they are so delicious and That is my go-to kind of fun, fancy drink if other people are drinking And honestly, if there are other sparkling waters and they have natural flavors in them, that's, that's typically my choice of drink. Um, when I'm going out to. You know, parties or whatever. Oftentimes I feel like people are offering those as an alternative, which is great because both Wes and I really like them. So yeah, that's, that's probably our typical go-to Do you have like a go-to drink or something?
Chrissy:Yeah, so I am one of those weird special individuals who does not actually enjoy sparkling water. Usually if I'm having sparkling water, it's either because there's no other options and I'm thirsty, or I'm just in a really weird mood.
Katie:funny.
Chrissy:So with that, if I were to be out. Say like at a restaurant or a bar sort of scene, and a lot of other people are drinking, but I didn't wanna drink. If I'm in the mood, I might get a sparkling water with lime or lemon. Um, which sometimes those environments make me feel like I wanna sparkling water because it's similar to alcohol. I don't even know. Um. But yeah, so I would do that or if I was just in like at my parents' house or something like that, I would potentially make myself an Arnold Palmer of like unsweet tea and lemonade combination, and then put a little lemon on top and then it looks. You know, honestly, just put a little lemon wedge on the corner of your drink if it's carbonated, has a lemon wedge. It automatically looks like a cocktail, so there you go.
Katie:It's like fancy.
Chrissy:So I know this episode was. A little short and also not incredibly informative, but I hope that you guys took away something from it, whether it be, um, advice that Paul gave Timothy, or, uh, commands that Jesus gave us in regards to alcohol or even just alcohol. Alternatives. Um, whatever it is, I hope you're walking away with something. Uh, just know that we are very thankful for all of you who listen to our podcast. Make sure you go and subscribe to our podcast. Leave us a five star rating that is super helpful for helping other people find it in the future. And if you haven't already done so. Make sure you also, go join us over in our Facebook group, Crunchy Christian Mamas on a Budget where we can continue this conversation with people who maybe know a little bit more about alcohol than we do, because we don't really have very much personal experience with it. So anyways, with that, my name is Chrissy.
Katie:Katie.
Chrissy:And thanks for listening to Crunchy Stewardship.
Katie:Hi.