Vol 2.10 Morning skincare/beauty routine
Plus an NA beer, a deep dive into goals and a medication that curbs (?) alcohol cravings.
The Sober Glow Studio is a weekly newsletter providing stories, recommendations, and resources on the art of living an alcohol-free lifestyle, navigating midlife, and anything that simply feels good.
IMBIBE: Athletic Brewing Co. If you are a non-drinker and into the NA scene, you probably know of this company. My husband brought it home for me, and when I went to try it out, I spit it out, yelling, “This shit is real jackass.” I promptly started inspecting the can, looking for the alcohol percentage because I was sure I would find one, but I did not. AB took top dog NA beer over my beloved Bitburger from that night on. Now, I know the NA world is blowing the F up (applause here), but I was surprised when I came across this article. It feels so good to be on this side of the alcohol story. $60 million a year. Unbelievable!
On that note, we still need more representation. I was at the Greek Theater here in LA on Monday night, and my husband and I were so disappointed when there weren’t any NA choices. Whaaaaaat? I said to the guy behind the counter. He agreed they needed something, but unfortunately, they had nothing to offer. I don’t know if it’s because I am so ingrained in this world and that it’s been nearly eight years of not drinking alcohol, but I am legitimately shocked when a restaurant or an event space doesn’t have NA options.
LISTEN. If you love the book Atomic Habits (which I have mentioned in this newsletter roughly 1,000 times), you are most likely a fan of Andrew Huberman. His latest podcast episode, Goals Toolkit: How to Set & Achieve Your Goals, is yet another in his series of goals and habits. He can get pretty heady, but the simple gems are in there. Since turning 47, I have started looking ahead to how I want my life to look and feel when I hit age 50. And a lot of this is compromised of priorities, goals, and habits. I have some unappealing habits that I would like to drop forever. And I certainly have a laundry list of romantic ideas of how my life will blossom in the next three years. And I know (uncomfortably so) that I must drop some habits to make room for the new ones. I think we should all be looking at our lives via a micro and macro lens and adjusting what we don’t like so we can make room for what we would like. Life is too short not to go after what we want, and life is too damn long to be complacent in feeling unhappy or dissatisfied.
When I get overwhelmed with all the things I want to do, create, share, and experience, I step back and think of all my patients who would love to have the opportunity to do the same (or their version of it), and it snaps me right out of overwhelm and pushes me forward.
QUESTION: Ozempic and Alcohol Use Disorder. Ok, I was a little hesitant to even bring this up. However, I like knowing what's happening in this world, even if I don't understand or agree. And I think you do too. The idea of a medication "curbing" alcohol cravings may seem like a hell yes right off the bat, but looking deeper into it, is it really? As we all know by now, Ozempic is the medication that is having a moment. And if you don't know, simply put, Ozempic is a drug for people with diabetes to help control blood sugar regulation. However, its popularity is booming because people use it to lose weight (fast). Although this may sound fantastic to some, it comes with a whole host of other problems, from problematic prescriptions to long-lasting consequences and people in real need who cannot get their medication.
But, if used appropriately, could this be a good thing for AUD and/or other addictions?? I don't know. I'll certainly be following this story as it continues to unfold. Ideally, there will be appropriate studies put into place on this so we can determine the validity with more evidence-based information as opposed to just anecdotal experiences.
A benefit to all this is it could lead to some good conversations about alcohol consumption between patients and their doctors. And anything that can do that is a damn good thing.
Additional Reads:
Ozempic seems to curb cravings for alcohol. Here's what scientists think is going on.
Ozempic Shows Potential as Treatment for Alcohol Dependence.
Circling back to midlife skincare. Scroll down to read up on my current morning skincare/beauty routine. As always, all products are linked and resourced. And on that note, please know I do not do collaborations or have any affiliations with any brands/companies. I simply like sharing what works for me.