Choose balance

Alcohol-free days for a healthier you

Summer in the UK usually means pub gardens and BBQ’s, which also usually means drinking alcohol.

Although the number of people drinking has fallen, it's easy to overdrink when your glass keeps being topped up.

Alcohol can help us feel relaxed initially,but the effects are short-lived. Drinking over a long period of time can lead to low mood and anxiety. And for those of us who are looking to watch our weight, reducing how much alcohol we drink is one way to manage the number of calories we consume.

You might not feel like you need to give up drinking completely, but why not try and drink less this summer and see how you feel. There are loads of low & no alcohol options, and to give you some extra inspiration, we’ve come up with some simple mocktail recipes.

orange, grapefruit and raspberry drink.

Sweet – Citrus Sunrise

This mocktail is light and full of flavour.

½ cup of orange juice and ¼ cup of grapefruit juice
stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar until dissolved
add ice cubes and top with soda water
garnish with raspberries and fruit slices

Sour – Margarita Mocktail

Skip the tequila headache and mix up a refreshing margarita mocktail. If you like you can also salt the rim of the glass for that extra pizazz.

¼ cup of lime juice
2 tablespoons of lemon juice and orange juice
1 tablespoon of agave or honey
mix altogether over ice for 30 seconds
add soda or sparkling water to taste

Spicy – Tropical Zing

In this recipe, pineapple and ginger (popular anti-inflammatory ingredients) work in harmony to create a sweet and spicy mocktail with minimal effort.

½ cup of pineapple juice
ginger beer/ale (depending on how spicy you like it), top up to your taste
a squeeze of lime juice

Refreshing – Garden Fresh Delight

Make this light summer mocktail in a chilled flask and pour when you’re ready to enjoy. Maybe you can take it to your next picnic and impress your friends?

75ml elderflower cordial and 1l cloudy apply juice, stir well
small handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
pour half glasses and top with sparkling water

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