November goals, Alcohol & SBS Startup- Am I Joining in?

Halloween came and went so quickly it seems, this year. In previous years I spent the majority of my Halloween celebrations bingeing on candy, pumpkin seeds, and booze. That’s not to say I didn’t go out this year with friends. Yes I did partake in the typical college rituals that the holiday entails, but this year was a bit more tame. And I did a bit more self reflection following my Halloween transgressions.

 

Drinking the leftover wine my friend had brought over the night before for pumpkin carving, left me in pretty rare form. Once I got home and crawled into bed, the alcohol hit me and I was done for. I spent the next hour or so in the bathroom trying to reverse what I had done to myself; e.i. sitting in the shower till I ran out of hot water. And all of Saturday was spent nursing myself back to the vibrant human I typically feel like.

It’s been a long time since I indulged that deeply in the pool of wine & spirits, and every time I drink myself into oblivion it makes me less and less keen on drinking at all.

I’ve grown up with a family that drinks. While most of my family members drink “socially,” I do have a few very close family members who’ve struggled with alcoholism their entire lives, one of them being my father. I didn’t start drinking until the last half of my freshman year at college, for fear of walking down the same path as my dad. He started drinking at age 12 (possibly even younger) and didn’t quit until he was 46 years old. I am so happy to say he’s been sober now for five years, and have complete confidence that he won’t return to that lifestyle. Now that I do drink, I don’t fear falling victim to alcoholism, but it does make me question why I drink at all.

One reason I suppose is for social reasons; I’ll admit it, I do feel a bit out of place being the only one of my friends at a social gathering without a drink in hand. I am working on changing that, but right now while I am still in college, having a drink in hand makes me feel a bit less anxious/ socially awkward.

Another reason is because I have worked in the beer industry since day one of my first ever job. And I love it. I think craft beer is awesome. I think it’s an art. I think it tastes wonderful (for the most part). I think beer brings people together. And everyone I’ve ever met who works in this industry are just awesome people. I realize not all beer is vegan, but there is a vast majority of [especially craft] breweries that don’t use animal products in their beer. It just takes a bit of researching to figure out which brands are safe.

So what am I getting at here? Do I think I’ll ever quit drinking completely? Probably not. Like I said, I love beer and I love working in this industry. But I do want to stop treating my body so poorly by having way too much to drink in one sitting. No one wants to admit to “binge drinking.” But we’ve all done it. It’s a part of our culture. But I am not really one to follow the crowd. All of these boozy thoughts got me to thinking about my goals for the remainder of the year. With the SBS Startup starting November 1st, what better time than now to kick start some of my goals?

Photo Credit: Tina & Jil

 

• Drink less alcohol- while I know this will make my loving boyfriend a little sad, It’s something I really want to work on. I just feel so much better when my body is working in my favor all the time. I am going to enjoy a glass of wine with my girls over dinner every now and then, or a beer with my babe at our favorite craft beer spot with some vegan pizza. But I really want to work on enjoying alcohol for what it is- appreciating the art of it, the subtleties of each different pour, the social cohesion it fosters- rather than drinking to get drunk.
• Eat more greens- I’ve been a pretty lazy cook lately. And I’ve also been freaking out about money a bit. As my last semester winds down, my bank account seems to dwindle respectively. I know it’s only a short matter of time before I am working again- with a big girl job [yaaaayyyy]! But I really hate asking my parents for help. So in trying to save some pennies, I’ve not been buying as much fresh produce. Still eating vegan of course (and primarily high carb), but I’ve been eating more starches than veggies. I definitely want to up my green veggie intake, ’cause that’s when I feel the best.
• Continue yoga- I’ve fallen back in love with my practice. Taking time every day to come to my mat and find some movement and peace is really helping so much, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I guess if I had to pick a specific “yoga goal” it would be to stretch my heels down farther in my downward dog. It’s by far my favorite pose, but I’m still working out my flexibility.

Hydrating & on the mat this morning

• A starchy island- Everyone seems to be doing a rice or potato island. While I never quite got through a banana Island I am curious to see how I would do with this. I’ve also been eating a bit more processed lately so I think it may help to get back to the basics. It will probably be a rice island, just because I think rice is more versatile. Although my love for potatoes continues to grow day in and day out.
• Post at least 2 times a week– This doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but I have so many projects, papers, and finals coming up I know I’ll be pretty busy. But It is a major goal of mine to keep writing for you guys! If you have any requests I’d love for you to comment, or email me! I’ve got an awesome post coming up that I think you’ll all love! For now it’s a secret though…
• Affirmations– In my last post I wrote about the three affirmations I made in the bathroom at a brewery here in town. Looking at myself in the mirror and appreciating the body, health, and the  love I have in my life, made me so happy. It’s my goal to make some sort of self-love affirmations on the daily.

Those are my goals for November! And yes, I want to carry them on after November ends (aside from the possible starchy island), but November is a great place to begin. I wasn’t quite sure about Tina and Jil’s SBS Startup at first. I didn’t want to partake in any “eating challenge,” and I thought it would be just for people following RawTill4. But it’s honestly just a community of kind [vegan] people looking to better themselves. There’s no crazy guidelines or challenges; just cool people looking to find a supportive vegan community. So yes, I’ll be joining in with these six goals in mind and I can’t wait to see what else this month holds!