98: Natural Health & Sobriety with Janey Lee Grace - Episode 9898: Natural Health & Sobriety with Janey Lee Grace - Episode 98
UK Health Radio Podcast
Janey Lee Grace and William Porter talk with a live audience about how alcohol affects the brain, cravings, sleep and mood, and how community and nutrition can support sobriety. The conversation blends scientific explanation with personal stories from the Sober Club and William’s journey alcohol-free.
44:49•1 Oct 2026
Natural Health, Cravings and Life Beyond Alcohol with William Porter
Episode Overview
- Cravings are conscious thought processes of obsessing and fantasising about a drink, rather than mysterious external forces.
- Understanding the physiology of alcohol and withdrawal can reduce self-blame and help people see addiction as a response to a substance.
- Alcohol-induced unconsciousness is not true restorative sleep and regularly drinking can seriously undermine mental health via lost REM sleep.
- Early sobriety often includes strong associations with drinking in social situations and on holidays, but these can be rewired over time.
- Nutrient-dense, real food and awareness of sugar and artificial sweeteners can support brain chemistry and mood in the first weeks alcohol-free.
“There’s nothing actually wrong with me; it’s that I’ve been taking this addictive substance for however many months, years and decades.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This Natural Health & Sobriety show episode brings together host Janey Lee Grace and author William Porter in front of a live audience to mark seven years of the Sober Club and talk honestly about alcohol, cravings and life without drinking. You’ll hear Janey share how her nerve-racking TEDx talk on choosing to be alcohol-free sparked countless private conversations with people who “wake up at 3 a.m.
William, known for his book Alcohol Explained, talks through his own binge-drinking past and the turning point in 2014 when he “just knew that I had to stop drinking.” He explains cravings as “obsessing and fantasising” about a drink rather than some mysterious force, and shows how understanding the logic of addiction can reduce shame: “There’s nothing actually wrong with me; it’s that I’ve been taking this addictive substance for however many months, years and decades.” The conversation breaks down what alcohol actually does to the brain, why even one glass can be harmful, and how alcohol-induced unconsciousness is very different from restorative sleep.
and wonder what the hell’s going on” and don’t connect with AA. That moment led her to create the Sober Club, a small, cheerleader-style community focused on both sobriety and holistic wellbeing, with members ranging from day one to over a decade alcohol-free. There’s plenty on early sobriety too: persistent thoughts about drinking, social anxiety, the lure of sugar, and why nutrient-dense, real food can make those first weeks far easier.
With humour about cowpole, coffee and parenting on little sleep, the episode blends science, lived experience and community spirit. If you’re sober-curious, alcohol-free, or supporting others, this chat offers both practical understanding and a reminder that “it’s never only about not drinking” – it’s about building a richer life beyond it. What new level of wellbeing could sobriety open up for you?
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