Are you doing Dry July? You’ll love these cocktail swaps.
It’s no secret that I roll alcohol-free. After giving up booze almost 5 years ago, I intermittently indulge in a cheeky drink and never, ever feel better for it. When you get up at 4am every day, you can’t afford a hangover 
But don’t get me wrong. I LOVE French champagne, a great merlot, a crisp Marlborough sauv blanc and the Fireball Sour from Spice Den in Casuarina (so good!). Don’t even get me started about the mojitos from Sundara in Bali. So I get it. If you’re doing Dry July, you might be getting a bit bored with the old mineral water and lime trick.
To keep you powering strong to the end of the month, try these booze-free swaps that keep the festive weekend feels without any of the guilt. And you don’t need a cocktail shaker or any fancy ingredients to get going.
Cheers!
Athletist Faux-hito 🍋
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lime juice
- Apple cider vinegar (I add heaps, you add to taste)
- Mineral water
- Optional – fresh ginger slices. They make the difference, promise!
Muddle the mint leaves or just tear ’em up. Add the ginger, lime juice, ACV and top up with the mineral water. Swizzle with a straw and sip.
Athletist Ginger Kombucha Spritz 
- Kombucha (I make my own, you do you. Store-bought is fine, we’re going to cut it with mineral water to reduce the sugar content anyway)
- Mineral water or soda water
- Fresh ginger slices
- Squeeze of lemon juice
Pour a glass with half kombucha, half mineral or soda water. Drop in some fresh ginger slices, add a squeeze of lemon and you’ve got a sunset sipper perfect for dreaming of lazy Sundays in Bali, even in the middle of winter 
Why alcohol makes you gain belly fat
Booze is bad news for body goals. And not just because of the calories. Here’s what alcohol does to your system:
❌ empty calories that offer no nutritional value
❌ loads the liver, making your entire digestive system more sluggish
❌ your liver prioritises removing the toxin (alcohol) so it slows fat metabolism
❌ the sugar in your mixer causes an insulin rush – resulting in increased fat storage
❌ makes you sleep badly, so you wake up tired, hangry, craving crap carbs and feeling lousy
Specifically, there’s a biochemical chain reaction between alcohol, insulin and cortisol that triggers fat storage, and you’ll particularly notice this fat gain on your belly. When my clients tell me they *can’t* lose their tummy despite eating well and training hard, I always ask about alcohol intake. Ditch the booze and your waistline dips. It’s not magic. But it does work.
(If you want to know more about how your hormones trigger your fat storage or weight loss, just ask me – I love this stuff and have a heap of research I’m happy to share!)
