How do you know when a fun social habit has turned into a problem? On today’s episode of One Year No Beer, we’re going to hear about the journey of Freddie Bennett-Willetts from a social drinker, to a heavy drinker, to a world record holder. Freddie talks about his journey, his past with alcohol, the excuses we make, the “perfect time” to start, and about the benefits of going alcohol-free. You might know Freddie as the “guy in the fisherman’s costume,” but around the office, he was known as the...
Sep 11, 2019•47 min
This podcast is being reposted as a tribute to Sean, self-help author, therapist, and motivational speaker, who sadly died on Wednesday, August 28 2019, due to complications after suffering a head injury. It can be easy to get sidetracked by your own fears, insecurities, and troubles. This may be especially true when you’re trying to accomplish something big, like giving up alcohol for a period of time. Without meaning to, you can begin to slide into negativity, allowing your fears and problems ...
Sep 04, 2019•56 min
What is happening in your gut when you drink alcohol? If you’ve never thought about it, now is the time to give it some thought. On today’s episode of One Year No Beer, Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum explains what an imbalance in the gut biome is, what happens when you have an imbalance, and what alcohol has to do with it. Dr. Ghannoum is the author of the book Total Gut Balance. He explains how people get involved with his organization, Biohm, and what happens when people have a gut imbalance. He explain...
Aug 28, 2019•28 min
No one has unlimited time in this world to do all of the things that they may want to do, so why waste time? Today’s guest says that he plans to live to 100, and understands that if he wants to work and build and create all the things that he wants to do in that time, then it’s important to get started now. Richie Crowley has been alcohol-free for about two years now. He stresses the importance of health, wellness, meditation, and connecting with others. Richie points out that while people often...
Jul 24, 2019•44 min
Today’s guest is a motivational speaker, business coach, and bestselling author. Pete Cohen joins the One Year No Beer podcast to talk about addiction, delayed gratification, and meditation, among other things. Pete describes his own background when it comes to drinking. He says that he began drinking at around age 14 and that the pub he went to never asked for ID until shortly before he turned 18. Pete also says that drugs were accessible and available where he lived, but some early bad experie...
Jul 10, 2019•49 min
Getting through a 365-day challenge is no small feat. It’s an achievement that deserves to be celebrated. And what’s the best way to celebrate an alcohol-free year? Why not with a Spartan race? In today’s episode, Ruari talks to Zoe Grant and Sharon Hartley not only about their experiences going alcohol-free but also about their experiences running a Spartan Race. The interview was recorded in a tent at a Spartan event, shortly after Zoe finished her first race. And though she signed up for the ...
Jun 28, 2019•45 min
If you’re new to One Year No Beer, or if you’re just considering taking a challenge and starting to change your relationship with alcohol, you may be wondering not just about the short-term challenge, but what going alcohol-free might look like in the long term. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from a long-time member of One Year No Beer about her journey from her first challenge in 2017 to now. Louise Vickers discovered One Year No Beer in January of 2017. She had done Dry January a few times be...
Jun 26, 2019•49 min
Everyone knows about rehabilitation facilities and Alcoholics Anonymous, but what is out there for people who want to live a healthier, alcohol-free life or who want to moderate their drinking, but aren’t in need of interventions or total permanent abstinence? One Year No Beer provides one community for people in those situations, and today’s guest is also helping to create a community by hosting events for the sober curious and talking about her own journey with alcohol and with giving up alcoh...
Jun 19, 2019•43 min
The stories of One Year No Beer members themselves can be some of the most powerful and compelling evidence for people who want to learn about how One Year No Beer works. On today’s episode, you’ll hear one of those personal stories from Sharon Hartley, a One Year No Beer member who joined eight months ago. Sharon is a married mother of three from Lancashire. She has a background in broadcast journalism, and says that she got used to the culture of parties and freebies when she was working in ra...
May 29, 2019•39 min
In today’s episode of the One Year No Beer Podcast, Ruari is trying out a new format. Rather than interviewing a guest, Ruari is going to spend some time talking about the community and some of the things that are going on with the OYNB community and its members. First of all, Ruari shares some updates from the OYNB HQ, including the fact that OYNB has expanded to about 16 full-time members of the team. There’s also a new community manager, and OYNB members should expect to see some big changes ...
Apr 24, 2019•29 min
If you or someone close to you has ever tried to give up alcohol for a stretch of time, you know that it can be a challenge, and hitting an anniversary or another milestone is a real achievement. Have you ever wanted to celebrate a sober achievement with someone? If so, you may have looked for a greeting card to commemorate the occasion – and if you did that, you probably noticed that there weren’t many choices. Today’s guest made that very discovery, then decided to do something about it. Lucy ...
Apr 17, 2019•26 min
Joining the One Year No Beer podcast today is Eric Edmeades, a true serial entrepreneur. Over the past 20 years, Eric has started, bought, sold, and turned around businesses in 6 different countries. He’s also a speaker who has spent more than 10,000 hours on stages across 20 countries, and a trailblazer in the food revolution. In today’s interview, Eric explains how he ended up becoming a serial entrepreneur. His story begins with graduating high school and not having the means to go to college...
Apr 10, 2019•50 min
Giving up alcohol and other substances can help clear your mind and allow you to see things that you couldn’t see before. But once that’s accomplished, what do you do? What are your gifts? What’s your purpose? Today’s guest knows something about how you can find out. Kitty Waters spent years working in the city in a recruitment business, and while she may have looked successful during that time, she wasn’t happy. Kitty had a nervous breakdown at 22, precipitated by an affair, and while she sough...
Apr 04, 2019•35 min
On today’s episode of One Year, No Beer, guest Rob Fink will be joining the podcast to talk about alcohol-free, nonalcoholic, and 0.5% beers. Rob Fink is the founder and CEO of Big Drop Brewing. However, he wasn’t always the founder of a brewing company. Rob is a lawyer by trade, and when he and another lawyer set up their office in a city, Rob had to go out and meet with clients to bring in business. This meant meetings in pubs and bars and led to a lot of drinking. When Rob’s son was born, he ...
Mar 20, 2019•25 min
One thing that can be seen over and over again is that changing the way you incorporate alcohol into your life, whether that means quitting drinking entirely or simply becoming more mindful about when and where you choose to drink, can have a big positive impact on your overall health. People often describe feeling more energetic and clear-headed when they give up alcohol. But why stop there? Changing your diet can also have a big impact on your health. Today’s guest has expert information on th...
Feb 27, 2019•57 min
Changing your relationship with alcohol changes a lot of other things as well, including the way you related to other people. And when it comes to dating, cutting out or limiting alcohol can be a dramatic change, because so many date scenarios include – or are even centered around – alcohol. Today’s guest brings an important perspective to the conversation around alcohol-free dating. Dalya Heron Brook is a Transformational Coach who has a special focus on dating and intimate relationships. She w...
Feb 13, 2019•38 min
It’s easy to imagine the world in black and white terms, especially when it comes to things like alcohol use. However, there are always gray areas, and questioning your drinking doesn’t necessarily mean that you need rehab or AA. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should keep drinking the way you are now, either. Today’s guest calls this “sober curiosity.” Ruby Warrington is a British writer who currently lives and works in New York. She was the former Features Editor of the UK Sunday Times St...
Jan 30, 2019•31 min
Things are happening at One Year No Beer HQ. Before introducing today’s guest, Ruari has an update about some recent fundraising activities and about some of the changes and growth coming to ONYB. Keep an eye out for some new and exciting things coming in 2019. And now that the holiday season is underway, new listeners to ONYB may want to go back and look at older podcasts from around this type of year for tips, tricks, and advice to help you handle alcohol-free Christmas and holiday parties and...
Dec 11, 2018•28 min
Weekends can be tough. For people who struggle with their habits around alcohol consumption, weekends can be especially difficult because of the way they feel after drinking too much on Friday or Saturday nights. Today’s guest understands what it’s like to struggle with Sundays. Emma Mainoo is the founder of the mental health platform Surviving Sundays. The platform came about because of Emma’s own struggle with her mental health. She notes that Sundays were usually her hardest days. “In my case...
Dec 06, 2018•38 min
Will Polston is an award-winning mindset strategist and the founder of Make It Happen, an organization that works to help its clients gain clarity, take action, stay accountable, and make a difference as they make their way to the lifestyle that they want. He’s worked with celebrities, athletes, business owners, and regular people at low points in their life to help them reach the goals that they wanted to achieve. Will was on a mission to find success when he got into the field of personal deve...
Nov 20, 2018•33 min
Hearing the stories of people who have walked a similar path to the one that you’ve walked and arrived at a similar destination – or at the destination you want to arrive at – can be powerful. Today’s episode of the One Year No Beer podcast is with another One Year No Beer member, Gary Allen. Gary says that his relationship with alcohol was a typical one. He was born in a rural background and had a happy childhood, but he was also born with Spina Bifida, which caused him to spend some weeks or m...
Oct 29, 2018•30 min
When things go wrong, it can be easy to turn to alcohol and use it as a crutch, especially when you’re involved in a culture that encourages and promotes drinking as a way to have fun, relax, or cope with problems. Today’s guest is a One Year No Beer member who understands what it’s like to come from a drinking culture, as well as the temptation to turn to alcohol during difficult times. Gareth Davies joins the podcast today to talk about his journey to One Year No Beer and what giving up alcoho...
Oct 19, 2018•33 min
Welcome to Spartan season! Today’s episode of One Year No Beer comes to you from the Spartan Windsor races. Rather than one long interview, today you’ll get to hear from a number of different One Year No Beer members who have chosen to join this year’s Spartan races, as well as some of the Spartan staff members. We’re going to talk about what it’s like to participate in the Spartan races, the sense of achievement it can bring, and how lives have been changed by One Year No Beer. Listen to the ep...
Oct 10, 2018•46 min
Members of One Year No Beer may have heard about the Manchester Power-Up that’s coming up on September 22nd. Whether you’re looking to start your first alcohol-free challenge or you’ve sorted your relationship with alcohol and you’re looking to focus and improve on other aspects of your life, the Manchester Power-Up is the event for you. OYNB is excited to announce that one lucky person who attends will win a special prize – the keys to One Year No Beer. The winner will receive lifetime access t...
Sep 17, 2018•27 min
One of the best reasons to change your relationship with alcohol is that it’s an effective method of improving your health. Another way to improve your health is to change your relationship with food. Many people have found that the health benefits of going vegan, or even simply reducing how much meat they eat, can dramatically improve overall health. Going vegan is also good for animals and the planet as a whole. Today’s guest is interested in encouraging more people to give veganism a try. Mat...
Jul 26, 2018•35 min
When you change your relationship with alcohol, you leave more room in your life to challenge yourself in a number of ways, and that includes physical challenges. Giving up alcohol, or even choosing to drink less, improves your body’s health and your own energy levels and can help you get ready to take on challenges that you never thought that you could before. “I want to look after my body, everything from what I eat, to drink, to what I put in it. I realize alcohol’s probably the worst thing y...
Jul 18, 2018•37 min
When you consider giving up drinking, it’s easy to think about the things that you believe you’ll be losing, like nights out with friends or the social confidence that alcohol can help bolster. But not only do you not necessarily have to lose those things, it’s important to also think about the things that you can gain from an alcohol-free life. There are many benefits to changing your relationship with alcohol, but often people don’t discover these benefits until after they take the plunge. Tod...
Jul 13, 2018•30 min
One of the things that people worry about when they consider giving up drinking is what they’re going to drink at events, at bars with friends, and even with dinner. What do you do when you want the taste of an alcoholic drink, but without the alcohol? Nonalcoholic beers have been around for some time, but many people avoid them. There’s a perception that nonalcoholic beers just don’t taste as good as the real thing, but even if that weren’t the case, many people feel that there’s a stigma attac...
Jun 14, 2018•39 min
People often find that when they give up alcohol, their sleep improves. They get more sleep or more restful sleep than they got while they were drinking. However, there’s always room for improvement. If you’re still not feeling rested or you struggle with getting as much sleep as you think you should, you may need to optimize your sleeping habits. Today’s guest knows a lot about sleep, and some of it might surprise you. Nick Littlehales is a sports sleep coach and the author of the book Sleep: T...
May 31, 2018•1 hr 11 min
One barrier to giving up drinking is the feeling that you’re being asked to stop doing something you like. But another way to look at it is that you’re challenging yourself to try a new way of doing things. It may be difficult at first, but when you’ve done it, you’ll have new skills and achievements to add to your list of accomplishments. If you’re the sort of person who relishes rising to a challenge, this can be a helpful way to think about things. Today’s guest knows something about rising t...
May 25, 2018•37 min
