EP 460- Grey Area Drinking, Hormones & Midlife: What Every Woman Needs to Know | Sarah Rusbatch author of Beyond Booze

High Performance Health Podcasts -460

Grey Area Drinking, Hormones & Midlife: What Every Woman Needs to Know | Sarah Rusbatch author of Beyond Booze

In this deeply honest and empowering conversation, Sarah Rusbatch, author of Beyond Booze, joins Angela to unpack the hidden costs of "grey area drinking"—the space between social drinking and addiction where many high-achieving women quietly struggle.

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Description

What if alcohol isn’t the harmless stress reliever it’s been marketed to be—but a silent saboteur of your confidence, hormones, and nervous system? In this deeply honest and empowering conversation, Sarah Rusbatch, author of Beyond Booze, joins Angela to unpack the hidden costs of "grey area drinking"—the space between social drinking and addiction where many high-achieving women quietly struggle. Together, they explore how alcohol affects female physiology, from rising cortisol and disrupted sleep to impaired hormone detoxification and loss of confidence.

Angela and Sarah also dive into the neuroscience of GABA, the truth about alcohol’s effect on your brain chemistry, and what it takes to reclaim joy, vitality, and authentic self-connection without reaching for a glass. Whether you're sober curious, navigating perimenopause, or questioning your relationship with alcohol, this episode is filled with science, stories, and soul-deep wisdom to help you create a life you love—alcohol free.

Key Takeaways

Grey Area Drinking Defined: The silent space where women drink regularly but don’t identify as having a problem—yet still experience negative consequences.

Alcohol’s Hormonal Hijack: Alcohol raises cortisol, disrupts estrogen detox, and accelerates hormonal imbalances—especially in perimenopause.

The GABA Trap: Alcohol mimics the calming GABA effect—but leads to a crash in neurotransmitters and increased stress over time.

You’re Not Broken—You’re Biologically Wired: Struggling to stop after one glass isn’t a willpower issue; it’s neurochemistry and marketing manipulation.

Sex, Intimacy & Sober Confidence: Alcohol isn’t a prerequisite for pleasure—Sarah explains how connection, nervous system regulation, and communication create better intimacy without booze.

Curiosity Over Judgment: Take a break. Track the changes. Reconnect with who you really are—free from the fog of alcohol.

Timestamps and Key Topics

0:00 – Introduction

5:20 – Social and relational challenges of quitting

11:16 – The neurotransmitter rollercoaster

17:51 – The tipping point: rock bottom vs. gradual awareness

25:25 – How alcohol affects female hormones and liver health

33:49 – How to naturally boost GABA

37:51 – The role of nervous system regulation in sobriety

44:37 – Sex and the nervous system connection

49:08 – The hardest myth to break: alcohol = fun

53:04 – Try a 90-day alcohol-free experiment

High
Performance
Health

The High-Performance Health Podcast is all about optimising your body, mind and lifestyle for high performance.

Packed full of actionable insights, strategies, bio hacks, lifestyle hacks, mindset strategies and expert performance advice, Angela Foster is on a mission to optimise your human potential. Featuring interviews with some of the top experts on the planet in the fields of health, performance and business, this show aims to inspire, educate and empower you to live an energetic, healthful and limitless life.

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Valuable Resources

Listen to Angela’s solo episode on how she started with a 90 day alcohol free challenge, how she navigated the first year and the challenges and personal growth she experienced - listen here

Click here for discounts on all the products I personally use and recommend

Sarah’s book Beyond Booze https://amzn.eu/d/i6R9R7a

Facebook community - The Women's Wellbeing Collective -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/342319476897067

A BIG thank you to our sponsors who make the show possible:

LVLUP HEALTH: Slow aging, repair gut health boost collagen and recovery and more with LVLUP Health’s amazing products. Save 15% with code ANGELA at https://lvluphealth.com/angela

LUMEN: Develop metabolic flexibility and remove the guesswork with Lumen - use code ANGELA for your exclusive discount at http://angelafoster.me/lumen

Save 10% on The Ultra Human Ring at www.ultrahuman.com/AngelaFoster

About the Guest

Sarah is author of the best selling book “Beyond Booze, How to create a life you love Alcohol Free’, a multi-award winning Health and Wellbeing Coach, an accredited Grey Area Drinking Coach, a menopause coach and a Key-Note speaker sharing her journey to Sobriety and impact of alcohol on mental health to global audiences. Sarah works tirelessly to support women all over the world to create and live their best lives as they age.

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About Angela

Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Keynote Speaker and Host of The High Performance Health Podcast.

A former corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela regularly gives keynotes to large fitness, health and wellness events including the Health Optimisation summit, The Biohacker summit, Dragonfly live, Elevate Fitness conference and Gaia TV. She also delivers Health Optimisation and Performance Workshops to large multinational corporations and senior leaders with a strong focus on women’s health and burnout prevention.

Angela is also the creator of BioSyncing® a blueprint for high performing women who want to ditch burnout, harmonise their hormones and elevate their life.