Written By: Ritual Zero Proof

We all know that alcohol is bad for us. The calories, the fatigue, the hangovers. But a cocktail is one of life’s great pleasures. Choosing health always meant losing the experience. But what if you would have both?

Enter Ritual Zero Proof – a spirit alternative with the taste and bite of a gin, whiskey, tequila or rum, but without the alcohol. Imagine, all the flavor of a margarita, an old fashioned, a piña colada, or a G&T, but without the negative side effects. Sound too good to be true? The great taste and life-changing health benefits will make a believer out of anyone.

Here are 7 reasons to try spirit alternatives and hack your health in 2022:

1. You’ll Lose Weight The Easy Way

A new survey shows that over half of all Americans want to lose weight this year. While many of us have tried to shed pounds implementing drastic changes to our diets, like going keto or plant-based, there’s a much easier solution to rapid weight loss… cutting the booze! A typical cocktail has 300 to 500 calories. Multiply those calories several times over the course of an evening or weekend afternoon, and we’re talking about some serious extra weight. But when you swap in Ritual (at zero to 10 calories per serving) for traditional liquor, you can lose weight without overhauling your diet. Talk about a life hack!

2. You'll Sleep Like A Baby

Sure, alcohol makes it easy to crash – but it also disrupts your circadian rhythm, preventing the body from entering the most restorative sleep phase. Studies show that more than two servings for men and one for women decrease sleep quality by a whopping 39.2%. Operating at 60% sucks. Neither your brain nor your body can function on a poor night’s sleep. But when you opt for a non-alcoholic alternative like Ritual, you maximize your REM sleep, and wake up feeling refreshed, ready to take on the day.

3. You’ll Supercharge Your Brain

We’ve all found ourselves in a poor mental state after a long night of cocktails -- slow, irritable, and generally foggy. But the mental fog from excessive alcohol consumption isn’t just an acute hungover state. It’s a chronic condition. Excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to depression, anxiety, memory loss, dementia, and learning problems. But thankfully, the solution is as easy as a break from the hard stuff. In fact, in a New Scientist study, participants who quit drinking for 30 days reported an 18 percent increase in concentration and a 17 percent boost in performance at their jobs.

4. You’ll Restore Your Gut Biome

Gut health has become the buzz of the wellness world in recent years, and for good reason. The nutrients that support all the body’s systems originate in the gut. But even small amounts of alcohol can negatively affect digestion by altering the stomach’s secretion of gastric acid, and hindering the stomach muscles’ ability to break down food. When you reduce your alcohol intake, you allow your stomach to return to a natural state of digestion, improving its ability to provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Muscular, skeletal and cardiovascular health all begins in the gut. 

5. You’ll Reduce Your Risk For Chronic Disease

The deleterious effects of alcohol aren’t limited only to performance and cosmetics, but are expressed over time through chronic disease. When excess alcohol is metabolized through the liver, it produces free radicals that oxidize into bad cholesterol and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Links are also shown between the consumption of alcohol and various forms of cancer. But with a non-alcoholic spirit like Ritual, you can achieve healthier, more balanced drinking without giving up the experience. Apples are great, but a Ritual a day actually has the power to keep the doctor away.

6. You’ll Have That “Healthy Glow”

Alcohol is a diuretic. That means it leeches fluids from your body, leading to the usual effects of dehydration -- fatigue, dizziness, confusion, headaches. But well before you find yourself seeing double, you’ll notice the effects of dehydration on your face. Research has found a close correlation between alcohol use and skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, spider veins, post-adolescent acne and even superficial skin infections. Replace your weekday cocktail with a Ritual and give your skin a chance to return to its naturally healthy state.

7. You’ll Enjoy A Natural Buzz

Our brains are hardwired to reward themselves. Frequently, that takes the form of a cocktail. But that doesn’t really mean we want the alcohol—slower thought, slurred speech, false confidence—we want the experience. The ritual (wink wink) – of preparing and measuring, shaking and straining, holding and sipping. In fact, people often report that after a few sips of a Ritual cocktail, they feel more relaxed, looser, more fun. Science!