Relapse.

Giving up alcohol this month hasn't been hard.  Nope, aside from some whiskey-flavored frosting and some red wine vinegar here and there (both totally within my self-imposed rules), I've been booze free without much of a thought about it.  Sounds good, right?

But there's a catch.  A sweet, sweet little catch.  My sugar cravings are through the roof.

What I wouldn't give for one of these...

See, I knew I should have paid more attention to that whole blood-alcohol-sugar relationship back in January.  I said, "eh, isn't giving up added sugar enough?"  Sure it was.  Still, I'm kind of horrified about how nuts-o I've been going for the sugar bowl.  I got curious, so I Googled "sugar craving no alcohol" and came upon tons of recovering alcoholic discussion boards bemoaning the heightened sugar cravings in their now clean and sober lives.  This article from LiveStrong.com sums up why the sugar cravings come on in recovery at the bottom of the piece, if you want a technical explanation.

So maybe I should have kicked off the year with alcohol followed by sugar, or vice versa, but here I am. Still, I think I need a little sugar-free refresher.  When the official first day of spring comes around this coming week, I'm doing a little week of cleansing.  (I read somewhere that cleanses are best undertaken at equinoxes.  Who knows?!)  No sweets from Sunday the 20th through Sunday the 27th.  That includes adding sugar to my oatmeal, but I am not going to freak about some sugar added to a can of tomatoes.  Doesn't that sound doable?

I bought some Dubliner cheese for St. Patrick's Day.  Who needs green beer or Guinness when you have cheese? 

Image by KUsam at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-2.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Next time, I'll start looking into my gas consumption and transportation habits in anticipation for reduced gasoline consumption month in April. Oh boy...!

Blame it on the alcohol.

Welcome to Operation Consumption Liberation March MADNESS.  The cr-a-a-a-zy Monthly Mission?  To consume no alcohol!  The guidelines?  Here they are:

1. Don't drink any alcohol this month, and
2. Don't drink any alcohol this month.

Yup, it is that simple. But for all you contrary people in the cyber-verse:
 
     3. Yes, I can have red wine vinaigrette and use wine in food recipes, and if I'm inclined to gargle
         Listerine, so be it.  And cold syrup. But not as a beverage.  Kapeesh?  

So that's it.  I have to tell you, the amount of apprehension I'm getting from friends and family members about this month's challenge is amusing me.  One family member suggested maybe we wait to get together until next month when hearing I wouldn't be chugging the alcohol (in jest, to be fair).  Most friends have reacted with a mixture of shock and awe.  And I'm hear to tell you: this is not a big deal.  For me.  But I'm starting to be a little concerned about all of you...

Like about everyone I know, there is alcoholism in my family history.  Not a ton, but there have been family members who spent time in rehab and family members who made the decision to switch to O'Doul's at some point in their lives.  And I confess, I love me a glass of red wine, or a vodka tonic, or a nice pale ale or crisp chardonnay in the summer time.  If I had to put a number on my average weekly alcohol consumption over the past few months, I'd guess around four. That number is up from my typical average last year of two--what can I say, I've been spending too much time with other red wine drinkers and hosting too many dinners.

Sunday dinner alone with my book and wine.

As much I like the wine, I went alcohol-less from Friday to Friday last week.  And then I drank 2 glasses every night for the last four nights.  (I was bulking up for March.)  But during that alcohol-less week, I hardly noticed its absence, and I certainly didn't miss it one bit.  In fact, I've been feeling a little crummy and sluggish the last few days, and perpetually dehydrated.  What's that?  You say alcohol dehydrates a person?  Seems like I could use a little detox, and a little hydration right about  now.

So for the month of March, I would like to set a parallel goal to drink more water every day.  Because dehydration causes migraines, and kidney stones.  And because it's nice to drink water.  If you want to join me, either in giving up the hooch, or picking up some agua, please do!  It will be easy, and your liver will thank you.