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A sample of our most read substack posts.

Tracing My Alcohol-Free Journey Through the Love You More Podcast

A woman smiling and holding open her jacket to reveal a sweatshirt with the words 'LOVE YOU MORE' in red letters. The image is part of a promotional graphic for a podcast called 'LOVE YOU MORE' with dietitian Jennifer McDaniel, featuring a microphone icon and decorative gold stars.

I launched the Love You More Podcast around the same time I stopped drinking — and in many ways, the two grew up together. This collection of episodes follows my evolving relationship with alcohol, from early curiosity and questioning to what life looks like years into an alcohol-free life. Along the way, I share personal reflections and conversations with guests who are rethinking what “normal” drinking really means. If you’re sober-curious, alcohol-free, or simply wondering what more presence and ease might feel like, these episodes meet you right where you are.

Sober Sisters in STL: Our First Gathering

Three women standing close together, smiling for a photo indoors. They are wearing casual clothes, and each has a name tag: Jen on the left, Liz on the right, and a woman in the middle with no visible name tag.

Our first Sober Sisters in St. Louis gathering was filled with open hearts, laughter, and honest conversation. Held at Goldie’s Hair + Wardrobe, the morning included a grounding sound bath led by Liz McCandless, meaningful sharing around sober journeys, and a little collective joy (including an unofficial “Sober Sisters uniform” moment).

Mocktail recipes from our first meet-up are available for anyone wanting something festive—buzz optional.

A timeline with markers indicating 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and beyond, with illustrations of two glasses of wine and a mug with a heart.

Just Wait. It Keeps Getting Better.

When I first stopped drinking, I was fascinated by what was happening inside my body and mind—and encouraged to learn that the benefits of sobriety don’t plateau after a few weeks. They keep evolving.

This post walks through the science-backed timeline of what happens when alcohol is removed: better sleep and steadier mood in the first weeks, gut, skin, and brain recovery over the following months, meaningful liver and hormone healing by six months, and a surprising sense of ease and confidence that often emerges after a year and beyond.

What I love most about this timeline isn’t what’s given up, but what’s gained—more energy, clarity, self-trust, and peace. Fewer mornings filled with regret. More nights remembered. And a deeper sense of showing up as yourself, fully and honestly.

Dietary Guidelines, Alcohol, and the Lack of Transparency

A woman in a pink blazer speaking at a conference with a screen behind her displaying a slide titled 'Consumer Education Campaign' with images of various drinks such as wine, beer, and a cocktail.

As the Dietary Guidelines resurface, this piece explores how nutrition information reaches the public, and how “evidence-based” guidance is often shaped by funding, influence, and marketing.

Drawing on my experience at a dietitian influencer conference, I reflect on where education can quietly blur into promotion, particularly when it comes to alcohol.

This isn’t about shame or prohibition, but about transparency: who funds health messages, what gets softened or omitted, and why clear information matters for people making everyday decisions about their health.