A toast for Christmas

As the holiday season approaches, the clinking of glasses and the joy of toasts become synonymous with celebrations. However, for those on the path to fertility, the relationship between alcohol and conception often takes centre stage. At The Fertility Nutrition Centre, we recognise the unique challenges this festive time can bring for those seeking a balance between merriment and fertility-conscious choices.

In this blog, we’re here to guide you through the world of festive drinks with a collection of practitioner-recommended alcohol-free drinks and recipes designed to support your fertility goals during the Christmas holidays. 

Emily Barker, Nutritional Therapist & Fertility Expert

Emily’s shared her 3 festive favourites, and her top tip is: “Make it fancy AF, so that you’re actually excited by your drink options instead of feeling bored and restricted with a soda and lime.”

1. For Aperol/Negroni vibes, try Lyre spirits, Italian Spritz topped up with a can of their Amalfi Spritz and sparkling water over ice with an orange slice.
2. Try Agua de Madre Kefir Water, poured straight from the bottle, quite similar to kombucha. It’s delicious, simple and also feeds your gut bugs – bonus!
3. Sleep Girl Mocktail (because sleep is a fertility essential) using Biona’s Tart Cherry Juice. Add a tbsp of apple cider vinegar topped up with sparkling water and a squeeze of lime.

Milena Mastroianni, Nutritional Therapist & Fertility Specialist

Milena’s advice is to choose drinks that support your gut bacteria with some added nutrition from herbs and fruit. Here are her 3 alcohol-free drink ideas:

1. Switchel Aperitif. Made using 20ml of Mother Root’s ginger and apple cider vinegar switchel and topped up with sparkling water. Add a sprig of Rosemary, a slice of lemon or orange.
2. For a probiotic powerhouse, try making a Water Kefir cocktail, made with orange or clementine juice, lots of ice and water kefir or kombucha. Not forgetting a sprig of thyme, pomegranate seeds and/or a slice of citrus fruit to finish.
3. For something more warming, mulled pomegranate is a delicious alternative to mulled wine. A litre of pomegranate juice, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1-2 slices of ginger, 1 tsp of sumac, 1 star anise and some orange slices to taste.

Julia Young, Nutritional Therapist, Fertility, PCOS, IVF

Julia’s all for spreading the word about the numerous alcohol-free alternatives to popping the prosecco. Here are her ideas for alcohol-free Christmas tipples:

1. Seedlip and tonic – if you’re a G&T drinker, this is a nice alternative. Make sure you add some lemon or lime and plenty of ice cubes to get that G&T taste.
2. Alcohol-free beer – there are loads of alcohol-free beers on the market, and with some, it’s hard to tell which are alcohol-free. One of my fave’s is Heineken Zero.

For those who like things hydrating and simple, there are so many ways to jazz up your sparkling water – add lemon, lime, ginger or a dash of elderflower cordial to make this a lovely non-alcoholic drink.

Jen Walpole, Fertility Nutritionist

Jen is keen to promote not being too strict on yourself. She very much advocates an 80/20 approach to health, and her favourite alcohol-free drink this Christmas is Pentire’s non-alcohol aperitif, Coastal Spritz. Here’s how she makes it:

Pour into a spritz/wine glass full of ice:

Add 50ml Pentire Coastal Spritz and 150ml light tonic or soda, and garnish with a wedge of orange and a sprig of rosemary.

Sandra Greenbank, Fertility Nutrition Specialist and Founder of The Fertility Nutrition Centre

Sandra loves to create her own mocktail recipes. And, her secret is that nobody usually knows they’re alcohol-free; however, they make a nice welcome break in amongst the stronger stuff.

Here’s her Berrytini recipe: Fancy glass is a must. Some frozen berries in first, then a generous shot of Botiveo’s Non-alcoholic aperitif, topped up with Agua De Madre’s Kefir Water. Garnish with orange peel and a sprig of Rosemary.

We sure hope these are giving you some food (or, drinks) for thought!

We wish you a merry Christmas and mindful sipping, and we hope you enjoy discovering some of these delightful concoctions that contribute to both celebration and well-being.

Here’s to a season of joy, relaxation and fertility

Cheers!

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