Ep 124: Wired, Tired, and Reaching for Wine | Rethinking Alcohol and Your Nervous System

What if that evening glass of wine isn't just a habit, but your body reaching for balance it's missing elsewhere?Anna Donaghey is joined by certified clinical nutritionist Beverly Meyer to decode the neuroscience behind our relationship with alcohol, specifically GABA, the nervous system's key calming neurotransmitter, and why modern life is quietly depleting it. Beverly shares practical, food-first strategies to genuinely restore GABA levels and explains why your body is always trying to help you, never sabotage you.If you've ever wondered, "Why can't I just say no to that drink?", this episode is for you.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Alcohol and why nervous system regulation matters01:06 Meet Beverly Meyer: clinical nutrition and the missing GABA link05:14 GABA 101: The neurotransmitter explained in plain English10:05 Does alcohol “pretend” to be GABA?12:22 Are you GABA deficient before you ever pick up a drink?16:24 When alcohol “parks” on GABA receptors and why that matters 18:13 Alcohol as a solution, not the problem- the real story about depletion20:00 Changing the drinking conversation21:09 Why food matters most25:00 Paleo eating and asking “What did humans evolve to eat?”28:18 Why Beverly ditched Wi-Fi and breakfast cereal40:09 Herbal strategies for sleep and stress45:27 Your body is on your side, learn to listen and support it47:15 Where to find out more.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Beverly Meyer:Beverly Meyer is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN) who has been in practice since 1985. Her journey into functional health began in the 1970s when, facing a debilitating virus that traditional medicine couldn't resolve, she sought out alternative practitioners - and never looked back. Hospitalised twice with Epstein-Barr Virus and living with chronic pain, hormonal issues, severe anxiety and poor sleep, she didn't just study these conditions. She lived them.In 2016, told to put her affairs in order after a mysterious health crisis, Beverly did what she has always done - researched her way to an answer, identifying a rare genetic disorder herself and finding the treatment she needed.Today she shares her knowledge through her website, consultations, and her long-running podcast Primal Diet - Modern Health, and is particularly known for her work on sleep, anxiety and the adrenals.Beverly’s website contains hundreds of articles, a free eBook, a newsletter and an online store that offers supplements to support a huge range of health needsFind out more: https://www.ondietandhealth.com/