Perimenopause and Alcohol: Can They Mix?

Conversation + Community for Peri / Menopause

Hello friends, 

Spring weddings, graduations, garden parties, or just a nice Tuesday evening on a patio. Celebration season is here and with it comes — for me at least — invitations to enjoy a chilled cocktail, a glass of champagne, or a bottle of Red. 

I’ve never been an everyday drinker, but I do enjoy unwinding with friends, and alcohol used to be part of it.  Starting about 8 years ago, I began to realize that even a small amount of alcohol would leave me staring up at the ceiling, and often sweating between two and four a.m. My joints felt achier when I imbibed, my energy suffered, my anxiety increased, my belly was bloated and my skin health suffered too. (Hello fine lines from dehydration along with undeniable puffiness.)  As a single mom and business owner, I realized what I gained from enjoying a glass of wine was nowhere near what it took from me during the night and into the next day. 

I realize now that my experience is a common one and one that’s backed by science. The North American Menopause Society (and its collective of doctors) notes that even moderate drinking (one drink per day) can not only make symptoms like impaired sleep, hot flashes, night sweats, bloating and weight gain worse, it can increase your risk of breast cancer and interact with common medications. It’s also worth stating that The World Cancer Research Fund and the World Health Organization have updated their position on alcohol, stating that no level of consumption is safe for health. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the liver’s ability to metabolize alcohol slows down as we age.  That means that drinking even less alcohol than usual can still leave you feeling hungover the next morning.  

Are you Sober Curious? 

Now, I’m not a medical professional and certainly not in a position to tell anyone they can’t or shouldn’t enjoy alcohol responsibly. But as a menopause educator, I like to help draw connections between behaviors and symptoms. I often ask “Is alcohol really improving your quality of life? Could cutting back help you sleep better, exercise more, improve energy, and help you better cope with anxiety overall?” 

For clients and friends who are interested, I like to recommend the book Sober Curious by the brilliant Ruby Warrington. She suggests starting by examining why you’re reaching for a drink. For many of us it’s stress relief, manufacturing a moment of joy, or easing social anxiety. I had the pleasure of hearing Ruby speak in my hometown several years ago and I ended up adopting one of her tips: Instead of unwinding with a glass of wine while I was cooking dinner, I stopped everything and spent 10 minutes — uninterrupted — reading a magazine to decompress. What could this be for you? Could a walk, taking a moment to enjoy nature, a book, or connecting with a friend for a few minutes give you that same feeling of relaxation or joy that alcohol does? Personally, I’ve also found that remembering how much I value a full night’s sleep makes it easier to say no when I’m tempted to drink something with alcohol in it. 

While you may find that some of these strategies can help you cut back on sipping alcohol every day, there may be times when you still want to enjoy a cocktail during specific occasions or celebrations. Here are a couple of things that can help you avoid flaring perimenopause symptoms: 

• Pair alcohol with food, preferably a meal rather than snacks

• Stop drinking 3 hours before bed to preserve sleep quality

• Notice how different kinds of alcoholic beverages affect you differently. Histamines in wine, for example, may cause uncomfortable flushing. 

Healthy Mocktail Mixology 

These days the sober curious are in good company as Dry January and Sober October have all become part of the zeitgeist.  In the years since I began prioritizing my health to get through perimenopause, I’ve become a bit of a mocktail mixologist. The challenge: Many mocktails are filled with sugary juices and syrups, which can, like alcohol, cause inflammation that worsens symptoms. Since all these spring parties call for something light and delightfully refreshing, here’s one of my favorite simple recipes plus a few of my favorite cocktail napkins to make everything feel more festive.

Recipe: Sugar-free Sparkling Lemon Shrub

• 6-8 oz glass filled with ice-cold Topo Chico or your favorite club soda or plain sparkling water. (Though Topo, as the Texans call it, is undeniably the best thanks to giant bubbles and slight minerality. I buy it by the case.)

• ½ to 1 tsp O Citrus Champagne Vinegar. Vinegar?? Yes, vinegar. I was skeptical at first, too, but shrubs are a kind of vinegar-based drink that is absolutely delicious – even vinegar haters love it when I don’t tell them what’s in it.  Start small and know you can always add more vinegar if you so wish. 

• Stir, and garnish with a fresh lemon wedge

• Pro tip: use a festive coupe or wine glass

Spring Hosting Must-haves

• I’m a sucker for florals. Houston-based Biscuit Home carries cocktail napkins in this happy floral print. Also in my cart? These bee napkins I plan to use when I serve cheese boards and accompanying honey from my own backyard hive. 

• Pink House Design is a great source for ginghams, trending colors, and fruity prints like strawberries and citrus. The rounds are really nice for serving mocktails in champagne coupes (vintage or otherwise.) 

• Interestingly shaped cocktail napkins from D. Porthault are beautiful but pricey. I like to save them to give as gifts for the spring wedding season. 

This Week’s Movement Snack

You might find that not reaching for that nightly glass of wine leaves you with more energy and brain space to focus on other areas of your health like movement. Here’s this week’s 40-second video explained:

Lay on your back with your right leg straight on the mat and your left knee bent to 90 degrees. Put your right hand on your left thigh, and your left hand behind your head. Maintain a small space under your low back, exhale, and pull your belly towards your spine while pressing your hand into your thigh. Do not let your thigh move away from you.  Hold the position for 3-5 breaths while keeping the spine neutral and the abs engaged, then switch sides.  Need to up the intensity? Lift your head being sure to support your neck.  Still need more?  Pick up your right leg so it’s next to your left leg.  Ready to torch your abs?  Straighten the right leg up to the ceiling — or even consider lowering it a bit.  

Safety first:

• Keep your abs pulled down towards your spine for the entire exercise. If you notice your belly pooching up, you’ve lost the connection with the abs.

• Keep the neutral curves of your spine when you lift your head - do not smash your low back into the mat but rather keep a small space between your low back and the mat.

• Keep pressing your hand into your thigh without letting the thigh move.

• If you lift your head, use your hand to maintain adequate neck support.

• If you cannot keep your spine neutral while lifting your head or leg, then don’t lift those parts of your body.

Have questions?  Drop them in the comments section.  

Thanks, as always for reading. Next week we’ll begin tackling skincare in perimenopause, starting with a trending topic: dry skin and barrier repair. I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned in my training as a skincare formulator — really juicy stuff. 

Cheers to looking and feeling your best, 

Susan 

Susan Campbell

Founder and CEO, Phosis