How Alcohol Affects Hormones, Sleep, Gut Health & Anxiety in Women | Dr. Tabatha Barber

How Alcohol Affects Hormones, Sleep, Gut Health & Anxiety in Women | Dr. Tabatha Barber

What if the glass of wine you've been reaching for to relax is actually making your anxiety, hormones, sleep, and health worse? In this episode of the Love Life Sober Podcast, Christy sits down with Dr. Tabatha Barber (aka @GutsyDrTabatha) for a powerful conversation about alcohol, women's hormones, gut health, fasting, and faith. Together they explore why alcohol often becomes a counterfeit comfort for overwhelmed women and how true healing begins when we stop numbing and start listening to what our bodies are trying to tell us. Dr. Tabatha shares her remarkable journey from teenage mother and high school dropout to triple board-certified physician, along with the season God used to completely redirect her life and calling. If you've ever wondered whether alcohol could be impacting your hormones, sleep, anxiety, energy, or relationship with God, this conversation will give you both hope and practical tools. If You've Ever Thought... “I deserve this drink.” “I can't sleep without wine.” “I feel too far gone to fix my health.” “Maybe this is just part of getting older.” Babe, this episode is for you. 🩷 ---------------------------------------- What You’ll Learn In This Episode • The difference between “band-aid medicine” and listening to what symptoms are trying to tell you • Why your body is designed to heal and how you can partner with God in that process • How fasting impacts the body and spirit, and why it can quiet distractions so you can hear God more clearly • How alcohol impacts women’s hormones, especially estrogen balance in perimenopause and menopause • Why your liver prioritizes alcohol over metabolizing hormones, and how that contributes to hormone chaos • The gut health connection: how alcohol kills good bacteria and affects mood, anxiety, and neurotransmitters • Why 3am wakeups often point to blood sugar and liver stress, not “just perimenopause” • Hope for the woman who feels too far gone: how the gut, liver, and brain can heal with the right support • Why this is not about religion, but relationship with your Father and your Creator Links & Resources 🌿 Learn more about Dr. Tabatha's programs https://FastToFaith.com [https://FastToFaith.com] 📲 Follow Dr. Tabatha on Instagram: @GutsyDrTabatha 📖 Fast to Faith, The Book https://amzn.to/3Zjr6Gn [https://amzn.to/3Zjr6Gn] 🌟 Join the Love Life Sober Community https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/community] 🌿 Join the Love Life Sober 40-Day Alcohol Fast https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/the-fast] 📖 Order Christy's book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book] Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy [instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/?hl=en] Subscribe on YouTube  [https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober] Disclaimer The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

Are the 12 Steps Based on the Bible? | John Ortberg

The 12 Steps didn't begin as a recovery program. They began as a path of Christian discipleship. In this episode of the Love Life Sober Podcast, Christy sits down with bestselling author and pastor John Ortberg for a powerful conversation about the biblical foundations of the 12 Steps, the role of surrender in spiritual transformation, and why willpower alone is never enough to create lasting change. John shares how practices like confession, self-examination, renewing your mind, habit change, and surrender are woven throughout Scripture and why the church may have more to learn from the recovery community than it realizes. If you've ever struggled to change through sheer determination, felt unsure about the 12 Steps as a Christian, or wondered why God hasn't simply removed the desire to drink, this conversation will give you hope. If You've Ever Thought... "What does surrender actually mean?" "I've asked God to take this desire away, so why hasn't He?" "How do I practice the 12 Steps as a Christian?" "Why do I keep falling back into the same habits?" This episode is for you 🩷 In This Episode, We Discuss: • The Christian origins of the 12 Steps • How the recovery movement emerged from Christian discipleship • Why surrender is the doorway to freedom • The difference between trying harder and training wisely • Why confession and self-examination matter • Renewing your mind and changing your habits • Progress over perfection • How God works through imperfect people and why growth is often slower than we expect. Links & Resources Join the June 40-Day Alcohol Fast https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast] Get John's book, Steps: A Guide to Transforming Your Life When Willpower Isn't Enough https://amzn.to/43fFyS1 [https://amzn.to/43fFyS1] The Aligned Conference https://www.alignedconference.org/ [https://www.alignedconference.org/] 📖 Order Christy's book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book] Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy [https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/?hl=en] Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober] Disclaimer The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

Alcohol-Free Vacations: How to Travel Without Wine Stealing the Joy | Susan Larkin

Can you actually enjoy vacation without alcohol… or does wine still feel like part of the experience? In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy sits down with Susan Larkin, alcohol freedom coach, podcast host, and one of our Love Life Sober coaches and Fast Captains, for a practical, honest, and hope-filled conversation about alcohol-free vacations. Susan shares how vacations once became a trigger for drinking, from beach trips to wine country and how learning to plan ahead, stay connected to her why, and practice vacationing differently changed everything. If you’ve ever thought… “I can’t start now because I have a holiday coming up.” “Vacation won’t feel fun without wine.” Babe, this episode is for you 🩷 What You’ll Learn In This Episode • Why vacations can feel so triggering when you’re changing your relationship with alcohol • How Susan’s first alcohol-free vacation helped her build confidence • Why fixation on “when and where will I get my drinks?” is a sign to pay attention to • How to plan for alcohol-free travel before you go • Why mocktails, morning routines, and visualizing ahead can make a huge difference • How to stop romanticizing holiday drinking and play the tape forward • Why being alcohol-free is a lifestyle, not a life sentence • How community, prayer, and support help you stop shrinking back Links & Resources Join the June 40-Day Alcohol Fast https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast] Susan’s Website: https://susanlarkincoaching.com [https://susanlarkincoaching.com] Susan's AF Vacation Workshop: https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/vacation-workshop [https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/vacation-workshop] The Aligned Conference https://www.alignedconference.org/ [https://www.alignedconference.org/] 📖 Order Christy’s book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book] Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy [https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/?hl=en] Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober]— Come hang with us! Disclaimer The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

From Grief to Cancer to Grace: A Journey of Holding On to God | Rina Bowring

What happens when life completely falls apart… and you can no longer numb the pain? From early struggles with alcohol  to finding freedom through faith, this episode explores Christian sobriety, alcohol and anxiety, emotional healing, grief, surrender, and how to trust God during life’s hardest seasons without numbing out. In this episode of Love Life Sober, Christy sits down with Rina Bowring for one of the most raw, emotional, and faith-filled conversations ever shared on the show.  Rina opens up about the seasons that tested her most: motherhood overwhelm, grief after losing her father, and eventually walking through a cancer diagnosis without returning to alcohol to cope. If you’ve ever thought… “I just want to escape this feeling.” “Wine feels like the only thing helping me cope.” “I’m scared to face my emotions without alcohol.” “I don’t know how to sit with hard emotions.” This episode is for you 🩷 In This Episode, We Discuss • How alcohol quietly became emotional coping  • The connection between anxiety, belonging, and drinking  • What surrendering alcohol actually looked like  • Walking through grief and loss without numbing out  • Facing a cancer diagnosis sober  • Practical encouragement for women navigating grief, anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional drinking. 💌 Links & Resources Join the June 40-Day Alcohol Fast https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast] Rina’s Website: https://alcoholfreedom.com.au [https://alcoholfreedom.com.au] The Aligned Conference https://www.alignedconference.org/ [https://www.alignedconference.org/] 📖 Order Christy’s book, Love Life Sober: A 40 Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book] Connect on Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy [https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/] Watch on YouTube — Come hang with us! [https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober] Sign up for the newsletter on Substack [https://christyosborne.substack.com/] Disclaimer The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].

From Shame to Freedom: A Bible Teacher’s Sobriety Story | Carol McCracken

What happens when the woman leading Bible study is secretly struggling with alcohol? In this powerful episode of Love Life Sober, Christy sits down with Carol McCracken—Bible teacher, author, and podcast host—to share the honest story of how alcohol slowly became a coping mechanism during one of the hardest seasons of her life. Carol is living proof that God can meet you in the mess, redeem what feels beyond repair, and turn shame into a testimony that sets other women free. While serving in church and trying to hold everything together, Carol found herself overwhelmed by stress, parenting challenges, marriage strain, and shame. Then came the moment she could no longer hide it: flashing blue lights, a DUI arrest, and a surrender that changed everything. But this testimony is not about condemnation. It’s about grace, redemption, healing, and the God who still pursues us in the middle of our mess. If you’ve ever felt too ashamed to admit you’re struggling—or too “Christian” to have a problem with alcohol—this episode is for you 🩷 ---------------------------------------- 💭 If you’ve ever thought… “I’m supposed to have it together.” “I don’t drink every day, so maybe I’m fine.” “I’m terrified of what will happen if I stop drinking.” Then babe.. this episode is for you. 🩷 ---------------------------------------- What You’ll Learn • How alcohol quietly becomes emotional coping • Why shame and secrecy keep women stuck • What happened the night Carol hit rock bottom • How community responded when she told the truth • What healing and restoration looked like afterward ---------------------------------------- Resources & Links 🌿 Join the June 40-Day Alcohol Fast https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/june-fast] 🌐 Carol’s Website https://www.carolmccracken.com [https://www.carolmccracken.com] 📖 Christy’s Book https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book [https://lovelifesober.co.uk/book] Instagram: @lovelifesoberwithchristy [https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/] Youtube: @LoveLifeSober [https://www.youtube.com/@LoveLifeSober] ---------------------------------------- Disclaimer The creators, hosts, and producers of the Love Life Sober podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, psychological, or professional advice nor intend for the podcast or any Love Life Sober communication to substitute for such. Views and opinions expressed in any referenced or linked resources do not necessarily reflect those of the Love Life Sober team or guests. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com [https://www.lifeaudio.com/] and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us [https://www.lifeaudio.com/contact-us].