Show Notes
You already know something needs to change. This conversation might be the nudge that finally makes you do something about it.
I sat down with Andy Ramage, co-founder of One Year No Beer and someone I genuinely consider the godfather of the alcohol-free world, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations I've had on this podcast. Andy went from burnt-out city broker to thriving alcohol-free coach, and together we unpack exactly why so many people stay stuck in the middle lane of drinking, and what it actually takes to get out.
If you've ever told yourself "I just need to cut back," "wine helps me relax," or "I'm not that bad", this episode is for you..
What We Cover:
- Why alcohol and anxiety are more connected than most women realize
- Why alcohol and anxiety are more connected than most women realize
- Why moderation fails for grey area drinkers
- How alcohol creates the exhaustion and anxiety driving you to drink
- What the WHO says about safe alcohol limits and cancer risk
- How going alcohol-free rebuilds confidence in midlife women
- Why removing alcohol accelerates self-discovery
- The one question to ask if you are a middle lane drinker
Timestamps:
00:00 Andy Ramage: Pro Footballer to Alcohol-Free Coach
07:04 Lost 42 Pounds and Beat Anxiety Without Alcohol
10:34 Why Alcohol Creates the Problems It Claims to Solve
17:11 Turning 50 Feeling Better Than Ever
25:13 What Cortisol and GABA Do When You Drink
29:16 Why Going Alcohol-Free Improves Every Area of Life
33:12 Why Alcohol Is the Last Habit People Address
36:17 The Simple Experiment to Test Alcohol's Effect on You
43:45 Why Moderation Fails and Grey Area Drinking
47:13 What Heavy Drinking Really Means
50:17 The Biggest Benefit of Going Alcohol-Free
57:11 The One Question If You're Stuck in the Middle Lane
01:00:28 Find Andy Ramage and One Year No BeerAndy Ramage is the co-founder of One Year No Beer, a global alcohol-free behaviour change platform, and author of The 28-Day Alcohol-Free Challenge. A former professional footballer and city broker, Andy transformed his own life by going alcohol-free and now coaches thousands of people, particularly high performers, to do the same. Website: https://andyramage.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyramageofficial
Documentary: Going Dry. Coming soon, keep your eyes and ears peeled here: https://goingdrymovie.com/
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Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia's leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help more women find this community.***
Follow along and see the behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/sarahrusbatch
I'm inviting you to join my 30-Day Alcohol Reset Challenge this July, a program that has already transformed the lives of over 11,000 women. I designed this challenge for women, because I've lived it myself and I know exactly what you're going through.
The challenge begins Wednesday 1st July 2026. I'd love to see you there.
Find out more about my other programs here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/
If you want to join a space where women feel safe to be seen, ask the questions they don't always say out loud and connect with others going through the same, join my free Facebook group, Women's Wellbeing Collective here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067
And if changing your relationship with alcohol is something you want to explore fur
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Taking 30 days off alcohol in midlife rarely feels the way social media promises. Boredom, flatness and broken sleep often come first, and none of it means you're doing it wrong.In this video I share the five most unexpected things women discover in their first 30 days without wine, from the 5 to 7pm boredom to the friend who suddenly goes quiet. I explain why your brain can feel flat once alcohol stops lighting up your dopamine reward centre, and why sedation is not the same as restorative sleep. Most importantly, I explain why all of it settles.Key Topics Covered- Why boredom hits hardest between 5 and 7pm when you stop drinking, and why taking alcohol out means adding something in, like an evening walk, a class or a hobby.- Feeling flat after quitting alcohol: how years of drinking dysregulate your dopamine receptors, and why it evens out with time.- What to do when friends get weird about you not drinking, and why talking to your closest friends first helps.- Why sleep without alcohol can get worse before it gets better, and how to ride the emotional rollercoaster of the early weeks.Timestamps What Happens When You Stop Drinking For 30 Days (00:00) Thing 1: Boredom Between 5 And 7pm (00:40) Thing 2: Feeling Flat After You Stop Drinking (02:01) Thing 3: When Friends Get Weird About You Not Drinking (02:44) Thing 4: Why Sleep Gets Worse Before It Gets Better (03:37) Thing 5: Feeling Emotional Over Nothing (04:40) Free Support To Change Your Drinking (05:20)Also Watch My Previous Episodes:- Seven Signs You Are a Grey Area Drinker- Six Reasons Successful Women Are Quietly Quitting Alcohol- Three Reasons Women Cannot Metabolise Alcohol as Effectively as Men***Struggling to know what to do when stress, boredom or big emotions hit?Download my free guide "100 Things to Do Instead of Drinking", a toolkit for sitting with those feelings instead of reaching for a glass of wine.Get your free guide → https://bit.ly/4qOiGUw***Sarah Rusbatch is an accredited Health and Wellbeing Coach and one of Australia's leading experts on grey area drinking. Her podcast, Stronger, Bolder, Wiser, is the go-to space for women who are questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating life alcohol-free, or simply curious about what life could look like on the other side of the bottle. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help more women find this community.Find out more about my other programs here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/If you want to join a space where women feel safe to be seen, ask the questions they don't always say out loud and connect with others going through the same, join my free Facebook group, Women's Wellbeing Collective here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067And if changing your relationship with alcohol is something you want to explore further, you can find my book Beyond Booze on Audible, Spotify, Kindle and Amazon. Click the link here: https://sarahrusbatch.com/beyond-booze
Nobody walks into a marriage planning to leave it, yet so many midlife women are quietly asking whether to stay or go. Your body often knows the answer first.