A life without booze?

Does being healthy really mean you have to live a life without booze? Vickie Neave reckons there’s a compromise.

Some find the whole Dry January thing a detox, cleansing, a form of therapy even. Others fail falling at the first hurdle and reach for the hair of the dog on new year’s day. So let’s look to the rest of 2015 and get healthy about booze rather than go crazy bonkers cutting it out altogether.

Don’t be a plonker, Rodney

Instead of necking a cheap bottle of plonk followed by three shots to wash away the XXX taste, let’s all get classy. Savour and delight in two glasses of beautiful wine. Get your connoisseur groove on. Inspire your friends with your wine knowledge or simply blag it. Words like ‘body,’ ‘crisp,’ ‘elegant,’ ‘hint of oak…’ you get the drift. Don’t spit though. #wasteful

Nice cup of Rosie Lee

Forget detox. Let’s teatox. As M&S would say in its sexy voice, ‘this isn’t just any cup of tea…’ Tea has taken a back seat while coffee seduced us. Until now. Now tea is luring us in with its subtle flavour and fragrance, and the Brucey bonus is you can drink many more cups of tea compared to coffee before you hit your caffeine limit. Unless you’re sticking to herbals – even better news! Catch up over a nice cup of tea with friends. Tea isn’t just for grannies or a crisis anymore. #teatox

One lovely jubbly night out

Give yourself one big night out a week. That night is destined to be epic because you’re not already feeling the effects of too much alcofrivolity (yes I just made that word up). For social bunnies, this means you have to get creative instead of meeting for drinks, drinks and more drinks. Think the cinema or the theatre if you’re feeling posh or dare I suggest some social exercise. Running while having a gossip is so much easier on the hips. Okay, I lie but it can be fun. Kind of.

Cushty cocktails

Find a soft drink that you actually enjoy drinking. These clever Tom Cruise-a-likes (too old for the fabulous film Cocktail?) are simply magicians and can conjure up gorgeous mocktails for those going dry – although I do wonder how they magic up the price considering there’s no alcohol content. Lime or any cordial (squash for posh people) and soda is a classic, too.

Knock it back

Water, that is. Hydration is key to a healthy lifestyle. We all know about the benefits of l’eau and yet most of us don’t drink enough, especially when we’re on the booze. Drinking water in between alcoholic drinks will not only boost your bank balance but it also helps to dilute the alcohol, making you a wonderful, responsible drinker. We can joke about booze and Dry January is commendable, but not so much if you get smashed come February 1st. This isn’t me sounding old, this is the sensible me. Enjoy your drinks, enjoy your time with friends but most of all enjoy those blissful mornings when you wake up without the hangover. #smug