It was estimated that 1 in 8 (12.4%) of all UK adults who drink alcohol made plans to partake in Dry January in 2020. But in 2021, according to Alcohol Change UK (the charity behind Dry January), an estimated 6.5 million said to have gone alcohol-free – up from an estimated 3.9 million last year.
This is such an incredible departure because a number of research surveys from the past year have indicated that drinking patterns have drastically shifted in lockdown - while many in the UK said they’ve consistently been drinking more and expressed concern about the amount they have been drinking since Covid started, wherein 1 in 5 (26%) have found themselves drinking earlier in the day, 31% are drinking more often, and 21% are drinking ‘to try and cope’. While a similar proportion completely quit drinking altogether because alcohol consumption was an intricate part of socialising with others.
Overall, the rapid change and disruption of our lives have led people to turn to alcohol for comfort and help them cope with the pressures that comes with working from home while managing a family, or just the loneliness of being isolated from loved ones. Some of those who felt alarmed by their growing dependence on alcohol have since made the decision to quit drinking altogether - so we’ve decided to share a few easy to make Easter festive drinks that are non-alcoholic but still delicious and healthy-ish. Those who also don't drink because they are living a healthy lifestyle can also make themselves a glass or two.
Here are our top three Easter drinks you can make in one simple step:
Carrot Cake Smoothie
Ingredients:
(Serves 1)
½ medium Banana, fresh
1 cup Carrot, grated
1/4 cup Oats, dry
1 ½ cups Skimmed milk
1 tsp Honey
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp Turmeric, ground
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together
Chocolate Smoothie
Ingredients:
(Serves 1)
2 tsp Cocoa powder, sugar free
1 cup Almond milk
1 small Banana, frozen
1 Tbsp Peanut butter, sugar free
1 Tbsp Flaxseeds, raw
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together
Kombucha Mimosas
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
1 cup Fresh orange juice
330ml Kombucha
Sliced orange wedges (to garnish)
Directions:
1. Divide the orange juice between two champagne glasses
2. Top with the kombucha, garnish with the orange slices, and serve
We hope you enjoy the options we have shared, you can drink them and experience none of the guilt, hangover nor the calories from alcohol.
For the people who aren't yet sure whether it would be healthier for them to give up on alcohol as part of their health and wellness, get a Health Fit test from us to understand the rate at which your body metabolises alcohol once it's in your system. Depending on one's genetic makeup, different people test either low or high for alcohol sensitivity. This is important because even though drinking excessive amounts of alcohol isn't good for anyone's health, there are certain genetic variants that have been shown to alter the effect of alcohol intake on heart health and HDL cholesterol levels.
