How I quit alcohol

In this episode I catch up with Katy @graczer who spent decades trying to fit the mould of a fun drinking  socialite.  That kind of lifestyle comes with it perks but can also lead to some  dysfunctional bingeing,  Katy was experiencing  blackouts, bedwetting and other negative impacts that so many of us do but still find it hard to jump off the rollercoaster.  3 years alcohol free she is now embracing life on a new level. Katie has been the driving force facilitating some big changes within her industry to make alcohol free choices more available.  While her transformation hasn't always been easy Katy is confident and self aware,  her and her partner Dean Gladstone are also helping other people reach their full potential teaching wellness through yoga and breath work.  You can connect with Katy via insta @graczerFor more resources or to find out to register for the Jan 3 months sober challenge to go https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidyfor more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I am back in the studio with my sober buddy and hubby Ash Grunwald.  We respond to the question that is being thrown my way a lot which is can I grant myself a leave pass for Christmas and have a few drinks?  Ash and I both share our perspective on this. We talk about the joys of sobriety,  the reasons to stay sober,  the wisdom found in the uncomfortable,  navigating heavy waters and more. For more resources or to find out to register for the Jan 3 months sober challenge to go https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidyfor more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two hard drinking rock stars and their partners made a pact to do the unthinkable,  quit alcohol for 12 months.  What seemed like an impossibility became a life changing transformation.  Over three and a half years later the group caught up in the studio to reflect on the journey .   We chat about the highs and lows of sobriety and the wondrous journey of discovery that never ends.  The support from the other three in this group was the inspiration for this podcast and the whole HIQA community.   I am always beyond grateful for Scott Owen,  Clare Rantall and my hubby Ash Grunwald for this group and what has spawned from it.  For more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidyfor more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the episode I chat with ex-binge drinker,  breast cancer survivor,  sober coach and business owner Kathryn Elliott.   In  2019 Kathryn decided it was time to call it quits with alcohol,  as if that wasn't a big enough change she then discovered a large lump in her breast which took her life on an even bigger turn.   Having always relied on alcohol to get her through traumatic times,  Kathryn decided to stay on track and really experience everything this journey would teach her,  the good and the bad.  In this episode we discuss the change in your relationships when you quit drinking,  how it changes your friendships but also your marriage.  It's a massive adjustment when alcohol has been a big part of your life, your time with your partner and your social circles, so it's natural that when you remove it,  there can be some strain on your relationship.  You might wish your partner was on the journey with you and your partner may miss their drinking buddy.   That change in dynamic can take some time to navigate. We also talk about the link between alcohol and breast cancer which was quite shocking and a little bit scary.  And how we. can support of friends or family going through breast cancer without involving alcohol. Here is a link to what Kathryn is up to.  My Breast Friend – a collection of luxurious handmade body lotions and bodywashes developed to promote awareness and support for breast cancer, byencouraging women to connect with their bodies and make breast self-checksa regular and empowering practice.www.mybreastfriend.net IG @mybreastfriendausThe Alcohol Mindset Coach - I help binge drinkers liberate themselves fromshameful and unhealthy drinking patterns and support women who’ve hadbreast cancer change their relationship with alcohol.www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com IG @thealcoholmindsetcoach For more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidyfor more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with author Christy Hughes about her journey from binge drinking to sobriety,  becoming brave and finding her voice.   Her sobriety helped her discover herself and the connection she shared with her own Grandmothers which became the inspiration for her book Strong Roots,  Wayward Soul.   To contact Christy please go to Instagram: the_bravekind, the_hughes_homesteadwww.wearethebravekind.comFor more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with Luke Hutchinson from Adelaide about his inspiring recovery from alcohol.  From a young age Luke used alcohol to numb his pain from the grief of losing his Dad and a number of friends in a short space of time.    What started as a means to help him deal with his trauma became a dysfunctional and very serious addiction.   Luke credits his recovery to the 12 step program which has helped him to deal with his past and create a beautiful life with his family.   He continues to work on himself while inspiring others around him. For more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with my high school friend Rachel Cotton.    Growing up in the small town of Castlemaine in Central Victoria where the drinking culture with teenagers was rampant,  binge drinking to blackout was just how it was done.   Being out of control was not out of the ordinary and when one night her drink was spiked by some co-workers every woman's worst nightmare became her reality when she awoke and discovered that she had been raped.   This podcast is a very scary reminder of the potentially dangerous situations we may have narrowly escaped or perhaps found ourselves in.  A stark reminder of the importance of having agency over your own body and teaching our children the importance of staying in control and hopefully never ending up in a situation at the mercy of predators.   One of the main drivers for Rach was to be able to teach  her daughters there is another way and hopefully they  will never have to go through what she went through Rachel is a successful photographer in Darwin,  she has a gorgeous partner and a wonderful little family.  She is back in full control and life is beautiful. For more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comA huge shoutout to our new sponsors Heaps Normal.  Too good to be wasted. For free shipping head to www.heapsnormal.com and use the promo code HIQA for free shipping. Music for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with Amanda Swart who initially shared her story back in January when she was at 90 days sober.  Amanda was one of my very first coaching clients and she has been absolutely smashing it.  In this episode we talk about seeking out people who can help you on your journey,  the highs and lows of sobriety,  healing from your past,  accepting what is,  finding your joy and becoming who you were born to be.  The book Amanda refers to is ANTHONY DE MELLO - AWARENESSFor more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I catch up with India Morris who started sneaking alcohol at the age of eight.  By the age of 13 she had already developed a strong drinking habit.    From using alcohol as a way to escape she had developed a serious binge drinking pattern,  sometimes going weeks without drinking and then drinking so much she would wake up the next day not remembering and feeling full of guilt and shame.  The joy she had felt before from drinking was pretty much gone and she was becoming maudlin and depressed.   She finally found the courage to stop drawing inspiration from her father who had quit when she was 12.   Hacking her mind and creating new neural pathways that saw her crediting all of her good times to sobriety rather than alcohol and that was the first step in her creating lasting change.  India has been sober now for eight years,  and is not looking back.   In this episode we chat about the life hacks that changed everything.  How trusted professionals can come become predators,  unexpected shifts in relationships after you give up the booze, using adrenaline nature based activities for healing trauma and when the high of sobriety wears off.  For more resources go to https://www.iquitalcohol.com.auThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Brown takes us though a short breath set focusing on calming the nervous system and reliving stress followed by a mini mediation. Please do not do this while driving.  To reach out to Sam go to @sambrown.meditation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this  mid week bonus episode I chat with meditation and breath work  teacher Sam Brown.    Sam and I covered the life changing power of the breath and how Sam used it as a technique to transform her life and the lives of many others.   We talk about how - the quality of your breath will determine the quality of your life. - using the breath to get back in to the drivers seat of your life- calming the nervous system - firing up and priming with the breath- the breath as the key to the nervous system- how expanding your lung capacity increases longevity- lowers. your blood pressure- helps with concentration- clearer skin- better health and a better life. This episode ends with a short ten minute breath set and meditation to help calm the nervous system and relieve stress.  Sam can be found on instagram at @sambrown.meditation  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with self professed "Grey Area Drinker", Kat Dunell.  Kat is a fire fighter who lives in Geelong with her husband and three kids.  She partied a lot as a teenager and throughout her 20's but started to pull back a lot as she got older and had her kids.  But what if you aren't a complete trash-bag but you are still relying on those few glasses of wine as a crutch to relieve stress or to wind down after work and tackling the kids evening rituals?In Jolene Park's incredible Ted Talk on Grey Area Drinking she points out that just because you haven't hit rock bottom or because you aren't smashing a bottle of vodka of night doesn't mean you aren't searching for an "off switch"  though alcohol which is also a problem for some people.   Not feeling great about herself,  low in energy and lacking vitality Kat decided to let alcohol go.   Her life just like every other guest on this show has changed so dramatically and she is gratefully living life to the fullest.  To see the Ted Talk on Grey Area Drinking check out the talk on youtubehttps://www.ted.com/talks/jolene_park_gray_area_drinking?language=enTo get the HIQA Playbook go tohttps://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/how-i-quit-alcohol-playbook-hard-copyTo sign up for the next three month challenge https://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/3-month-sober-challengeThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with international  Ruby coach Karl Savimaki.   Karl had an on again, off again relationship with alcohol for years which cost him his first marriage and his physical and mental health.   Drinking up to the equivalent of 32 bottles of wine a week he knew he had to change.   Through reading Alan Carr's,  Only Way To Quit Drinking Karl was able to change his mindset and slowly start making changes towards not only quitting alcohol but transforming himself physically and emotionally.  To get the HIQA Playbook go tohttps://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/how-i-quit-alcohol-playbook-hard-copyTo sign up for the next three month challenge https://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/3-month-sober-challengeThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I chat with builder Chris King.  After years of using alcohol to "fit in"  in his teen years ,  his relationship with alcohol slowly spiralled out of control.  Chris found himself with a successful building business but struggled with anxiety and old patterns that were keeping him stuck in a dark place but had so much of his identity tied up in alcohol.  We chat about...Becoming the person you want to be.  Building inner strength and confidenceGetting out of the shame cycle.  Realising that using alcohol to escape from his pain was no longer working.  Getting out the reactive stage and cultivating awareness.  The space between the trigger and the response. Changing the beliefs that hold us back.  Choosing yourself. To get the HIQA Playbook go tohttps://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/how-i-quit-alcohol-playbook-hard-copyTo sign up for the next three month challenge https://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/3-month-sober-challengeThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Ash and I chat about all things labels.  We delve into a topic that I have recently discussed with my challenge group... Labels.   How is it possible to facilitate change when we are still attached to our old labels?  Sometimes we don't even realise that we will still have this old belief about ourselves.  So we need to look at what labels we had on ourselves and explore the possibility of creating new ones to live by. To get the HIQA Playbook go tohttps://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/how-i-quit-alcohol-playbook-hard-copyTo sign up for the next three month challenge https://www.iquitalcohol.com.au/products/3-month-sober-challengeThis podcast was proudly brought to you by Monday Distillery,  purveyors of beautiful,  sugar free,  non-alcoholic beverages.   To find out more about them or to order some of their beautiful offerings head to https://mondaydistillery.com or  https://osunsparkling.com/Music for Monday Distillery ads by Ash Grunwaldwww.ashgrunwald.comMusic for Podcast intro and outro written by Danni Carr performed by Mr Cassidy for more resources go to www.iquitalcohol.com.auIf you are struggling with physical dependancy on alcohol consider contacting a local AA meeting or a drug and alcohol therapist.   Always consult a GP before stopping alcohol.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.