There's no way around it. If you're giving up alcohol you're bound to have cravings sometimes. You know, those itchy moments where your body craves a drink but your mind knows you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Here are a few thoughts on how to handle cravings.

A few years ago, as a woman in my mid-40s, I started taking inventory of my life. I asked myself questions about where I was and where I wanted to be. I was exactly where I wanted to be in many areas of life. One area I was not happy with was my drinking. The questions that kept popping into my head were “What will this look like in 10 years? In 20 years? In 30 years?” “What will this do to my health? My brain? My relationships?” “Where am I going with this?” And the answer that I knew deep down inside was “Nowhere good”.

Have you ever set parameters around drinking - broken them - and then said “oh fu@% it”? Do you decide to not drink during the week, have a glass of wine on Monday, and throw the whole plan in the garbage? Do you promise yourself you'll only have 2 drinks at the party but then have a third so all bets are off? Here are a few thoughts on beginning again.