Working on my 3rd night no alcohol. Out in the Cascades getting ready for a big hike tomorrow… Trying to replace the poison with the happy things I used to do more often. We went out to dinner and I got an appetizer and beer cheese soup, because I’ve never had it before. The only thing I had in my mind was it had the alcohol cooked out. The second I tried it I felt triggered and guilty. Just the flavor made me feel bad. I didn’t finish the cup because of feeling like I was cheating. I guess I didn’t understand how strong the flavor would be. Now the negative part of my brain wants to tell me I fucked up, my date starts over now, ect. Positive side says, you weren’t consuming with the intent altering your consciousness, quit being so hard on yourself. Thoughts?
I also drink Kombucha and that’s never made me feel guilty or like I cheated. I imagine the alcohol content is around the same as beer cheese soup. That flavor was just a no go for me. No sir I don’t want it. Are there other foods that trigger you or make you feel triggered? Things you choose not to drink or eat?
I apologize if there is already a thread like this.
First off, what area do you hike in? I like the Glacier Peak/Wenatchee forest and along the Highway 2 corridor!
Second, personally, I will occasionally cook with cooking wine. The boiling point of alcohol is 173° so it gets cooked out. I will also use extracts that have alcohol (e.g. vanilla), even if its not cooked. I’m not that hard core and it doesn’t bother me.
I try and avoid alcohol in food at all cost, because I know I might get triggered, that’s just me though and other people may vary. I’d rather not have the guilty feeling and have to question myself if its a reset or not. Even the Christmas pudding is out this year but my husband has got mini puddings for himself
Cooking with alcohol is not supposed to add an alcoholic flavour, its supposed to deepen the flavours around it so i will always cook with alcohol; whether its wine, bourbon, anise liquor, calvados, ale…whatever.
Its not known whether alcohol is ever completely ‘cooked out’ - the only way you can know for sure is to physically burn it off with a flambe.
My personal opinion is yeah of course, if its a trigger, avoid it. My professional opinion is you have very little to worry about. The wine I use at work is a NA cooking wine - Its perfect for what we use it for, i dont remember the brand off the top of my head but ill get it for you tomorrow.
We are all different…what triggers some won’t trigger others. For example kombucha tastes like ginger ale to me so it would never trigger me but lots of people here stay away.
Wine is my drink of choice so I could never eat something with a red wine sauce.
I wouldn’t restart the clock over that. You learned something new about yourself and will use it to your advantage.
Anything that suggests alcohol to me is something I personally avoid. Kombucha is fine for some people, but I know it’d be a stepping stone for me. I accidentally bought a fermented lemonade and i could immediately feel it. I know if I let myself play around with that, then I’ll be drinking again in no time.
I did Fall Creek Falls this weekend. The route I took was about 5 miles. This is my first weekend drinking zero alcohol in… God I dunno how long. I knew it would hurt. It did. I cried a little lol. But I did it and didn’t drink and I feel amazing.
I have decided full heartedly I don’t need to reset my clock. NA beer just sounds pointless I agree. I’d rather drink my healthy drinks that benefit me as a drink replacement.
Yeah, the beer cheese soup just did straight up taste like beer even more so than soup. It reminded me of my desparate non caring moments of drinking super warm stale beer to continue the buzz. Gag. It was a good feeling being instantly turned away from it though. Even though there was initial guilt. Feeling repulsed was great. Though I know there are cravings to come in the future.
Agreed. I ate a taste of jam with port last week. It didn’t occur to me that I’d need to start over. Like, come on, I wasn’t drinking or trying to get drunk, nor did I go home and grab a case of beer on the way. It just wasnt a trigger for me.
