Saying goodbye to mommy juice.

I was a mommy-juicer. After closing the laptop, picking up the kids from daycare, and poppin' dino nuggets into the airfryer, I’d pour a glass. Then, once the kiddos were fast asleep, I’d kick my feet up and enjoy that final glass. And yes, I did have those slipper socks that read “If you can read this, bring me another glass of wine.”

The slippers, the “mommy juice” tumblers, the “I hope you brought wine” doormats. Did you know that over $2 billion is dumped into advertising for alcohol every year? Wait, wait. Let me say this again, but with more truth. Did you know that over $2 billion is dumped into advertising for the product that kills 3 million people each year? American culture glamorizes the culprit of 5.3% of all human deaths annually. This blew my mind.

I wondered to myself, "Do I drink too much??" I took a deep breath, and looked deep within. By "within", I mean the internet. After scouring through various articles, studies, and podcasts, I learned that alcoholism is arguably the most ambiguously defined disease in medicine. The most straightforward answer I could find was "alcohol is a problem when it causes problems."

"Causes problems". Well everything seemed a-ok to me. But then my mind circled back to the statistic about the 3 million annual alcohol-related fatalities. This statistic does not include drunk-driving nor domestic violence. We're talking about the 200+ fatal diseases that are caused by excessive alcohol use. Good grief. If this is the case, by the time I'd see that alcohol is causing problems (read: one of the 200 diseases), it would be too late.

The more research I did, the more I was choosing sparkling water over wine each night. I found myself spending money on spa days rather than wine. And our date nights were being spent in front of a row of pinball machines rather than a wall of liquor bottles.

Awareness is crucial. Know what you're putting into your body, and know how it affects you. And if you decide to knock alcohol to the curb - even if for one month - go enjoy that spa day! Cheers to empowerment and health!

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, please visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website for options, treatment, and resources.