Mindful Drinking and Moderation in Midlife: How to Drink Less, On Your Terms
**A Spotify 'Rising Star' show** Practical moderation for the way you want to live.
Why can't I drink like I used to? How do I drink less without quitting completely? Should I go for low, no or light alcohol drinks? Why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much?
If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond and asking these questions, this is your podcast.
Welcome to the essential show for midlife adults who want to drink less, on their own terms—without the pressure to quit completely, follow rigid rules, or label themselves as sober.
I'm Denise Hamilton-Mace, your mindful drinking mentor, writer and public speaker on all things low, no and light. Each week, I help stressed parents and busy midlife adults navigate their relationship with alcohol through practical approaches grounded in real-world experience and behaviour change strategy, not willpower or wellness culture
What you'll get:
Mindful Moderation Solo Episodes – Deep-dives answering the questions that matter to sophisticated drinkers who want to moderate smartly:
- How do I cut back when my partner still drinks at home?
- What really works: willpower vs. strategy?
- Why do premium alcohol-free drinks cost the same as full-strength versions?
- How do I navigate social situations when I'm the only one moderating?
This podcast is for you if:
- You're looking for practical advice that fits your demanding life, not another wellness overhaul
- You recognise that coasting with mid-strength drinks, zebra-striping, or bookending your evening with something non-alcoholic are all valid strategies
- You want better mornings without giving up celebrating life's special moments
This isn't about going completely dry or reinventing yourself. It's about keeping energy for what matters most: family, health, career, and living life on your own terms.
Join the moderation revolution happening in midlife – because while Gen Z gets the headlines, you're the one actually doing it.
Episodes
203 episodes
Mindful Drinking Advent 6: The Luxury of a Hangover-Free Saturday
YOUR DATA, YOUR CHOICE: WEIGH UP THE TRUE IMPACT OF DRINKING FROM LIGHT – MEDIUM – HEAVY DAYS WITH THE DRINKING IMPACT CALCULATOR AT https://mindfuldri...
Mindful Drinking Advent 5: When Every Night Feels Like Friday Night
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/On Day Five of the Mindful Drinking Adve...
Mindful Drinking Advent 4: Surviving the First Big Christmas Party — The ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ Plan
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/ On Day Four of the Mindful ...
Mindful Drinking Advent 3: The After-Work Wind Down (Without Reflex-Drinking)
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/On Day Three of the Mindful Drinking Adv...
Mindful Drinking Advent 2: Bubbles Done Right
On Day Two of our Mindful Drinking Audio Advent Calendar, we dive into the sparkle, shine, and pure festive joy of alcohol-free bubbles. Learn why AF sparkling wines replicate the “real thing” so well, and why the celebration has al...
Mindful Drinking Advent 1: Design Your Christmas (Before December Does It for You)
On Day One of our Mindful Drinking Advent Series, learn how to set a clear, grounded intention for Christmas so you can navigate parties, pressure, and festive chaos on your own terms. Today’s episode helps you pause before December...
122: 18 Quick-Fire, Awkward (& Sometimes Funny) Truths About Your Sober-ish Christmas
GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/Eighteen uncomfortable truths about mindful drinking at Christmas that nobody talks ...
121: Fat Jabs 2. A Gateway to Sobriety or A Dangerous Shortcut?
Sign up to the Low No Drinker Mindful Drinking Advent Calendar for free and get ready for your best (adult) Christmas yet! - https://www.lownodrinker.com/mindfuladvent
120: Willpower Won't Get You Through Christmas: 4 Steps to Change Your Drinking Beliefs
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/The festive season isn't one mas...
119: Going Daily for December
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/This December, I'm taking the po...
118: Why You Can’t Drink Like You Used To
GET READY FOR YOUR BEST (ADULT) CHRISTMAS YET & GET YOUR FREE MINDFUL DRINKING ADVENT CALENDAR AT http://mindfuldrinkingadvent.com/If you've ever wondered wh...
117: Inside the Asahi / Peroni 15% Alcohol-Free Mission
Sign up to the Low No Drinker Mindful Drinking Advent Calendar for free and get ready for your best (adult) Christmas yet! - https://www.lownodrinker.com/mindfuladvent
116: Mindful Drinking Nights Out: The 3-Stage Strategy for Success
Take the 90-second quiz to find out your midlife drinking motivators + get your free bonus https://www.lownodrinker.com/===If you’ve decided to drink differently b...
115: Why Your Partner Struggles When You Start Drinking Less
Take the 90-second quiz to find out your midlife drinking motivators + get your free bonus https://www.lownodrinker.com/Changing your drinking habits doesn't just affect y...
114: £800 Million Lost, Over-55s Join In & Why "Drinking Less" Is the Wrong Term
Katy Moses, founder of KAM Insight, joins me to unpack the latest findings from their groundbreaking "Drinking Differently" report, produced in partnership with Lucky Saint. Katie reveals why moderation—not abstinence—is the real story ...
113: Thinking of Doing Sober October? There's a Better Way
With Sober October starting today, I'm exploring when (and if) you should take a break from alcohol. Why designated challenges like Dry January and Sober October get criticism, particularly when people restrict their entire social ...
112: Rejected For Drinking Differently by Friends, Family or Colleagues
Rejection stings, especially when you're changing your drinking patterns and facing family expectations or shifting friendship dynamics. After being turned down by a podcast host because of my moderation stance, I dive into how the ...
111: Drinking on Autopilot: How Daily Stress Fuels Your Evening Habits
Breaking decades of drinking habits in midlife isn’t about willpower – it’s about understanding triggers, actions, and rewards, and then reshaping them to work in your favour. In this episode, I explore why habits form, why they’re ...
110: 7 Myths About Moderation That Stop You Drinking Mindfully
In this episode of the Mindful Drinking & Moderation in Midlife Podcast, I’m busting seven of the biggest myths about moderation and mindful drinking. From the nonsense that drinking has to be “all or nothing,” to the idea that you...
109: £62,899 on Booze in a Lifetime
This is part two of my mini-series on the true cost of alcohol-free drinks. Last week, we pulled back the curtain on the industry economics — from research and development to supermarket shelf space. This week, I’m shifting the ...
108: Costs Pt1: What You’re Really Paying For
Time to tackle the question that comes up again and again: why do alcohol-free drinks cost so much when there’s no alcohol in them? This is part one of a two-part mini-series on the true cost of drinking alcohol-free. Today I’m ...
107: Masculinity, Mental Health, and Moderation with Performance Coach Ben Hill
This week I’m joined by Ben Hill, founder of Ask More, a performance Coaching service for professional men looking to up their game across the board, to talk about masculinity, midlife, and moderation. We dive into why so many men still...
106: Introvert, Extrovert, Ambivert: 4 Steps to Match Your Drinking Style to Your Social Energy
Changing the way we drink can reveal who we really are. In this episode, I explore how introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts approach alcohol differently – and how understanding your personality type can help you drink in ways that genuinely su...
105: Defending Your Right to Moderate in an All-or-Nothing World
In this solo episode, I’m diving into the loaded topic of moderation — and why it’s not the dirty word so many in the alcohol-free space make it out to be.I’m sharing my own experience with passive moderation, why I never said ...
104: 5 Secrets to Better Mocktails at Home with Lila Volkas
This week I’m joined by certified nutrition consultant and booze-free mixology expert Lila Volkas, who shares her brilliant five-element framework for making better alcohol-free drinks at home.We get into why creating complexity is tric...