First off, Happy New Year to all of my loyal Dad Libs readers. I hope your holidays were joyous and you’ve eased into a great 2023!
While I’m always looking for ways to eat right and exercise more, I typically don’t subscribe to or believe in New Year’s resolutions. Often, people talk a big game only to regress back into old bad habits after a week or two. In fact, the 15th of January is referred to as “Quitting Day” for that very reason. I’ve set lofty expectations for myself before only to quit and feel embarrassed, but this year I thought I’d try going “dry” — without alcohol — with my wife, Annie. The idea of a hard reset sounded great after a fun and fancy-free December of delectable treats and beverages. So we went for it! We also decided to add the Whole30 diet to the mix. Whole30 emphasizes whole foods and refraining from sugar, alcohol, grains, and dairy.
Crazy, right? Annie once did Whole90.
The first few days were difficult because I like to have a beer or two while watching the Grizzlies or Tigers play, and during this stretch both teams had some pretty intense games. Not to mention all of the great NFL playoff games. Thankfully, I did some pre-planning. Enter my love affair for Topo Chico, La Croix, and Emergen-C. These fizzy waters are a great way to enjoy a beverage and take in a ball game. They are tasty, low in calories, and serve as a nice and healthy treat during what could otherwise be a bland time. Then there are the snacks. Clearly, I couldn’t eat chips and dip, but I found some great alternatives like cauliflower chips and crackers, olives, pickles, and I really got into making banana and almond milk smoothies. I might even keep those going after Whole30.
According to Whole 30 know-it-alls out there, I was supposed to feel grumpy or rageful during the first week. Thankfully, I was coupling my diet and lifestyle change with physical exercise so I felt pretty good considering my new workout routine.
The good news is that my wife Annie is a great cook and I like to dabble in the kitchen as well, so we had fun trying new recipes like veggie bowls with fried eggs, chicken wings in the air fryer, and zoodles with tuna salad. Mid-month is when I felt my best. Whole30 enthusiasts call it “Tiger Blood,” and I have to say I felt extremely energized, motivated, and overall positive about just about everything. Pretty sure I annoyed some folks. I apologize for nothing.
Dry January has become so popular that there are even mocktail contests out there including one put on by Edible Memphis. I recently had a non-alcoholic beverage at Cameo that was out of this world, and I didn’t have to worry about driving after consuming a couple. Honestly, I enjoyed eating healthy and seeing what the non-alcoholic market has to offer. My favorites by far are the Lite Beer and Hazy IPA by Athletic Brewing Company, Walker Brothers Kombucha, and Lagunitas Hoppy Refresher.
All that to say, after a month of eating right, exercising, and abstaining from alcohol I’m ready to go to dinner and have a cocktail.
Stay thirsty my friends!
Jeff Hulett is a freelance writer, musician, and PR consultant in Memphis. He lives in the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood with his wife Annie, two girls Ella and Beatrice, and dog Chalupa.