Tribe Sober - inspiring an alcohol free life!

This week we're celebrating our 300th podcast by taking you through our top 10 podcasts. The episodes that have had the most downloads since we started the podcast back in 2020. So coming in at number 10 is James Swanwick who has some great advice about Alcohol and your Body Fat He explained how Alcohol consumption can compromise sleep quality, metabolism, and overall health. It can also disrupt the body's natural processes, leading to weight gain, reduced productivity, and increased cravings for unhealthy foods. Coming in at number 9... Recovery it's a Brain Thing – which is the name of the book by my two guests – David & Susan Kenney They run a program to train Recovery Coaches and one of our Tribe members Darren was so impressed by their approach he signed up for their course and is now a qualified recovery coach working with our Breaking Free program Coming in at number 8 is Dr. Loretta Breuning, who helped me to unpack the cause of my own early sobriety blues. Have a listen to the first interview I did with her, which was in August 2021 We called her episode - how to be sober...and happy At number 7 we have the brilliant William Porter William is a lawyer with a passion for the science behind alcohol dependence, and he's written two books, Alcohol Explained and Alcohol Explained 2. They're both essential reading, and I think the more we understand the damage that alcohol does to our bodies and brains, the less likely we are to want to drink it. His episode is called Why we get Hangxiety Coming in at number 6 we have Neuroscientist Staci Danford Stacy taught us about our lizard brain and how we need to manage it before it manages us. She even recommended that we give it a name. She calls hers Ernie. My interview with Stacy came out in August 2021 and is called Your Lizard Brain At number 5 is Stanford Psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke Anna has written a top selling book called Dopamine Nation. It's an awesome book, which I highly recommend if you're interested in the science of addiction. Her explanation of the pain pleasure balance is superb. That episode is called, Why We Get Addicted, and it came out in November, 2023. Next up at number 4 is a firm favourite with Tribe Sober – Ken Middleton with his “How Drinking Limits our Potential” episode He's the author of Bamboozled, which has the clever subtitle of How Alcohol Makes Fools of Us All, Do grab a copy if you haven't yet read it. Such a brilliant description of how we've been manipulated by big alcohol for decades. I often quote Ken, who says, "even if alcohol doesn't destroy us, it will limit our potential". His Tribe Sober episode is called How Alcohol Limits Your Potential - released in April 2023 Ken was also one of our guests back in November 2020 when he shared his own story and explained the science behind alcohol dependence. And why drinking regularly for 20 years means you're very likely to develop a problem Next up at number 3 is me sharing my story - our very first podcast episode, which was released in May 2020 to celebrate my fifth soberversary. At number 2 we have another episode by William Porter - called Managing Cravings Finally, still hogging the number one slot is Australian sobriety coach, Kathryn Elliott. It's called "How to Stop Binge Drinking" and came out in June 2022. Like me, Catherine's had breast cancer, which prompted us to do an episode together recently. Because neither of us had realized that our heavy drinking was putting us at risk of breast cancer, so we celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month by having a conversation about it, spreading the word to other women that more than three glasses of wine a week increases your risk of breast cancer. We called it "Drink Less for Your Breasts" and it was released in October 2023. So that's our top 10. I'd like to say a big thank you to all our listeners. Thanks to you, the Tribe Sober podcast has had nearly 450, 000 downloads, which keeps its global ranking in the top 2 percen

On this weeks solo episode I talk about our 3-month Breaking Free program which we run just three times a year. Registration for the current program is open - more info on tribesober.com We limit each Breaking Free group to 20 so you’ll always get personal attention In this episode:- I talk about the warning signs of alcohol dependence as well as the benefits of an alcohol free lifestyle The Breaking Free program has four components… Four pieces of a puzzle that come together to create a transformation… The first piece of the puzzle is Community Support so we connect you with the other people on the Breaking Free program We put you in a chatgroup with where you’ll also find some TS team members to answer any questions you may have You'll also be invited to several Zoom meetings every week The second piece is our 4 hour Masterclass – a group session which we hold via Zoom. Another opportunity to get to know the other people on the program as everyone will share their story at the beginning of the session. By the end of the Masterclass you’ll understand:- The importance of a mindset change and the damage alcohol does to our health We’ll be sharing our tried and tested sobriety toolkit and you’ll end the session feeling motivated and excited about the changes ahead. While the Masterclass will give you an overview of the Tribe Sober approach to thriving in sobriety the online course will enable you to dive deeper at your own pace. You’ll get all the theory and training you need to overturn your limiting beliefs around alcohol which is the key…. Just as we’ve been programmed into thinking that alcohol is an essential part of our daily lives our online program will de-program you and enable you to understand that you will be happier and healthier without it! The third piece is our online course which includes videos, podcasts, articles and book recommendations so you’ll be able to throw the book at your sobriety – you’ll be able to treat it as a 3-month project that will take a deep dive into psychology, biology and neuroscience - a project that will change the trajectory of your future. The fourth part of the puzzle is the personal support. You’ll have a 1.2.1 Zoom call with Monica who will explain how everything work and help you with any tech issues Mid-way through the 3 month program you'll have a session with Coach Darren to review learnings so far A final session with our Coach Lynette who will discuss how you are applying the theory of the Breaking Free program to your daily life So that’s the four pieces of our Breaking Free puzzle, four pieces that will come together to create an alcohol free lifestyle that you love.. Apart from creating a program that will get results we’ve created a program that is flexible and will fit in with your busy lives…. All of the 1.2.1’s can be scheduled to suit your convenience, the online course can be worked through at your own pace so the only timeslot you need to fit in is the four hour Masterclass. (we can send you a recording if you can't make it) While we’re on the subject of time that’s one of the unexpected benefits of sobriety….. when we no longer spend time drinking and recovering from the drinking we find ourselves with extra time on our hands…. As well as the energy to do something constructive with that time! Registration for the current Breaking Free program is open - more info on tribesober.com More Info Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program. If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spr

This week I'm doing a solo episode - 10 reasons to do an alcohol free January - and 14 tips to get you through. In This Episode REASONS TO DO AN ALCOHOL FREE JANUARY You've got a great "reason" to not be drinking when people ask! A dry month is a great way to test your dependency - if you can't get through a month without booze then you need to make some changes Alcohol is so toxic that just taking a month off will have significant health benefits Alcohol is linked to liver disease and 7 different types of cancer - 1 glass of wine will raise your risk of breast cancer by 15% Alcohol will weaken our immune systems - and put us more at risk of becoming infected with Covid 20% of regular drinkers will become dependent over the years - drinking more than a bottle and a half of wine a week may damage your health A month off alcohol will reduce your anxiety, freshen up your looks, help you lose weight and enable you to get some good quality sleep Making a donation to our January fundraiser will give you a dopamine hit (giving makes you feel good) and enable you to receive online and community support for 31 days - you can sign up here TIPS TO GET YOU THROUGH Shake up your daily routine and exercise every day Be ready to cope with your emotions - if you've been numbing your feelings with alcohol they will come to the surface Use a journal to track your progress, note your triggers and process your emotions Listen to music, make a soundtrack for your January Challenge - a real mood changer Have your go-to drinks -drinknil.co.za are offering 10% discount on all their alcohol free drinks for people doing our Challenge Find your tribe - its hard to do this alone - check out our membership program here Please donate to our Earthchild Fundraiser - and get 30 days of community and online support - sign up link is here MORE INFO To access our website click here Please subscribe and share this podcast so we can reach more people who need our help. Thank you

My guest this week is a psychotherapist Dr Ginny who has had her own struggles with alcohol and food addiction. Dr Ginny had a long history of drinking - since college Like many of us she was “High-functioning” — working as a director for a non profit Drinking + emotional eating became her escape Hit crisis point at 55: inflammation, pre-diabetic, struggling to walk Realised she was heading toward chronic illness — and possibly a nursing home 🍷 Drinking & Denial Told herself it was “self-care” Rationalised with rules (“only weekends”, “never a bottle... then more”) Depended on wine to soothe stress, numb emotions Felt ashamed, trapped, out of alignment with her values Emotional crash cycle: regret → resolve → repeat “She would say every morning, ‘I won’t do it tonight,’ and by the end of the day I wanted it again.” 💡 Turning Point Came when she worked in a nursing-home and many patients her age Realised alcohol + ultra-processed food = metabolic decline Fear of losing mobility + independence Began exploring science-based nutrition and alcohol-free living Joined Annie Grace’s work early & became a coach 🥗 Healing Through Nutrition Quit drinking and ultra-processed foods together Focus on abundant, nutritious whole foods Massive improvement in: Inflammation Sleep Weight (lost 60 lbs naturally) Pre-diabetes reversed Mental clarity + emotional calm 📚 Her Program Slender for Good Science-based nutrition & mindset work Focus on adding nourishment, not restriction Works especially well for women in midlife & recovery Book: Slender for Good After 50 🌐 Where to Find Her Website: slenderforgood.com Works with clients worldwide via Zoom If Dr Ginny inspired you to avoid that metabolic decline she spoke of then why not buy her book “Slender for Good” and sign up for a Tribe Sober membership. On December 1st we open our Annual Fundraiser for Earthchild – make a small donation to this very good cause and in exchange you’ll get a month of support. Just go to tribesober.com and click on the Earthchild Banner…

Today’s guest is the wonderful Ann Dowsett Johnston who many of you will have heard of – she is a pioneer of the modern recovery movement and published her book "Drink" back in 2013 – which makes it one of the very first QuitLit books In this episode:- Ann's book Drink has been out for more than a decade and is still selling well – her TED talk has had 1.5m views I did a previous interview with Ann a couple of years ago that you can listen to here. The prologue to the book describes alcohol's seductive charm…and eventual harm I love this analogy and here at Tribe Sober we suggest that our members write a "Goodbye Letter" to alcohol as it evolves from a handsome stranger to an abusive lover Ann predicted the dramatic rise in risky drinking for women, which has sadly come true over the last decade There is an epidemic of female drinking, especially among younger women, with serious health consequences – we are even seeing young women presenting with liver disease The alcohol industry has been targeting women for the last couple of decades – using the tobacco marketing playbook and they’ve been stunningly successful Many of us believed that we couldn’t have fun or relax or cope with stress without alcohol – and it certainly takes a few months to deprogram our thinking, to overturn those limiting belief Ann is from Canada so had first hand experience of the public backlash that the low drinking guidelines (two drinks a week) caused! The reduction in drinking guidelines came as new research was published linking alcohol to cancer and many other health conditions Ann and I both love the modern recovery movement and the many different recovery pathways – I often say that if you want to give up drinking you need to find your people – if you think that Tribe Sober might be your community then click here Ann mentioned the three levers for change: price, marketing reduction, and availability, but government action is slow and Big Alcohol will continue to use its lobbying power So as individuals we must actively seek out the knowledge – we need to educate ourselves about the harm that alcohol can do to our brains and our bodies Knowledge is power and the more we understand about alcohol the less we’ll feel like drinking it Even if we decide to drink it should be an informed decision, we need to understand the risks Ann talked about her "Writing Your Recovery" courses which offers support and tools for memoir writing. Its a powerful 8-week online memoir-writing course. Go to her website annsdowsettjohnston.com for more info Ann will also be facilitating a South African writing retreat during week commencing 25th November – more info on that HERE Ann now has more than 15 years of sobriety and spoke of the many benefits she has experienced She returned to school at 64 to become a psychotherapist, specializing in women's substance issues and trauma She has a wonderful relationship with her grandchild Ann strongly believes that once we walk away from alcohol remarkable things will happen – the universe has a plan for us – she is awakened to wonder as she puts it She’s built a rich and an alcohol free life that she loves, a life she definitely doesn’t want to escape from! More Info Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program. If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spread the Word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help. Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast, then please leave us a 5-star review on Apple podcasts

On this weeks solo episode I talk about our 3-month Breaking Free program which we run just three times a year. Registration for the current program is open - more info on tribesober.com We limit each Breaking Free group to 20 so you’ll always get personal attention In this episode:- I talk about the warning signs of alcohol dependence as well as the benefits of an alcohol free lifestyle The Breaking Free program has four components… Four pieces of a puzzle that come together to create a transformation… The first piece of the puzzle is Community Support so we connect you with the other people on the Breaking Free program We put you in a chatgroup with where you’ll also find some TS team members to answer any questions you may have You'll also be invited to several Zoom meetings every week The second piece is our 4 hour Masterclass – a group session which we hold via Zoom. Another opportunity to get to know the other people on the program as everyone will share their story at the beginning of the session. By the end of the Masterclass you’ll understand:- The importance of a mindset change and the damage alcohol does to our health We’ll be sharing our tried and tested sobriety toolkit and you’ll end the session feeling motivated and excited about the changes ahead. While the Masterclass will give you an overview of the Tribe Sober approach to thriving in sobriety the online course will enable you to dive deeper at your own pace. You’ll get all the theory and training you need to overturn your limiting beliefs around alcohol which is the key…. Just as we’ve been programmed into thinking that alcohol is an essential part of our daily lives our online program will de-program you and enable you to understand that you will be happier and healthier without it! The third piece is our online course which includes videos, podcasts, articles and book recommendations so you’ll be able to throw the book at your sobriety – you’ll be able to treat it as a 3-month project that will take a deep dive into psychology, biology and neuroscience - a project that will change the trajectory of your future. The fourth part of the puzzle is the personal support. You’ll have a 1.2.1 Zoom call with Monica who will explain how everything work and help you with any tech issues Mid-way through the 3 month program you'll have a session with Coach Darren to review learnings so far A final session with our Coach Lynette who will discuss how you are applying the theory of the Breaking Free program to your daily life So that’s the four pieces of our Breaking Free puzzle, four pieces that will come together to create an alcohol free lifestyle that you love.. Apart from creating a program that will get results we’ve created a program that is flexible and will fit in with your busy lives…. All of the 1.2.1’s can be scheduled to suit your convenience, the online course can be worked through at your own pace so the only timeslot you need to fit in is the four hour Masterclass. (we can send you a recording if you can't make it) While we’re on the subject of time that’s one of the unexpected benefits of sobriety….. when we no longer spend time drinking and recovering from the drinking we find ourselves with extra time on our hands…. As well as the energy to do something constructive with that time! Registration for the current Breaking Free program is open - more info on tribesober.com More Info Tribe Sober membership – you can join up HERE. To access our website, click HERE. If you would like a free copy of our “Annual Tracker” or our e-book 66 Days to Sobriety, please email janet@tribesober.com. If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community, just email janet@tribesober.com. Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program. If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up todayRead more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to Spr

Meet Julie, a Johannesburg-based music therapist who uses music as a powerful tool for healing and recovery. In this episode:- Learn how music therapy differs from sound healing — and why it’s an interactive, evidence-based process. Discover Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), where curated music helps clients process emotions, grief, and life transitions. Hear how music therapy supports sobriety by building resilience, self-expression, and the ability to sit with difficult feelings. Get practical tips on using music in recovery — from mindful listening to creating playlists and even learning an instrument. A moving client story shows how music therapy can open new pathways for growth and self-discovery. Contact Julie via https://juliemusictherapy.co.za/Join our FREE 7 day Bootcamp (7-14th September) via this link More info Subscription membership for Tribe Sober join up HERE To access our website click HERE If you would like a free copy of our "Annual Tracker" or our e-book "66 Days to Sobriety" please email janet@tribesober.com If you would like to come to our Saturday afternoon Zoom Cafe as a guest and meet our community just email janet@tribesober.com Episode Sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Tribe Sober Membership Program. If you want to change your relationship with alcohol then sign up today Read more about our program and subscribe HERE Help us to spread the word! We made this podcast so that we can reach more people who need our help. Please subscribe and share. If you enjoyed the podcast then please leave us a 5 star review on Apple podcasts, take a screenshot of your review and DM it to Tribe Sober’s Instagram page - see PS for instructions - we'll send you something special to say thank you! We release a podcast episode every Saturday morning. You can follow Tribe Sober on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram You can join our private Facebook group HERE How to leave an rating/review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device) 1. Open the Podcasts app. EASY. 2. Choose "Search" from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (Tribe Sober) into the search field. 3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes). 4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews. 5. Click "Write a Review" underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate the show on a 5-star scale, and write a review (you can rate without writing, too but it's always good to read your experience).