Podcast Summary: Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

BITESIZE | The Surprising Truth About Alcohol | Andy Ramage (#615)

Release Date: January 23, 2026
Guest: Andy Ramage, Performance Coach & Bestselling Author

Main Theme

This bite-sized episode explores the hidden impact of "middle lane" or moderate alcohol consumption on health, wellbeing, and personal confidence. Dr. Rangan Chatterjee interviews Andy Ramage—co-founder of One Year No Beer—about how taking a break from alcohol can reveal transformative benefits in physical, mental, and social domains. The discussion focuses on why so many people drink by habit or social expectation, and practical steps listeners can take to reassess their relationship with alcohol.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Understanding the "Middle Lane" Drinker

• Definition: People who aren’t dependent but regularly consume alcohol are termed "middle lane" drinkers—arguably the majority.
• Cultural Blind Spot: Society trivializes alcohol as just part of life, not recognizing the subtle harm even moderate drinking can cause.
  • “We treat it like water or a fizzy pop… for every celebration and commiseration and day that ends in ‘y’.” — Andy Ramage [03:52]

Simple Test: Can You Take a Break?

• Self-Test: The suggestion to stop drinking for 90 days often provokes fear or resistance in "middle lane" drinkers.
  • If you feel anxious about abstaining, it could indicate alcohol has a stronger hold over your life than you think.
  • “If there's any sense of fear or a rejection of that, I think that's a really good indication that maybe alcohol has a grip over you, then you don't realize.” — Andy Ramage [02:33]

Behavior Change & the Role of Alcohol

• Uncovering the Reason: Dr. Chatterjee mentions that to create lasting behavior change, you must first understand what function alcohol serves in your life (e.g., stress relief, social lubrication).
  • “Too often we try and change our behaviors without understanding the role that those behaviors play in our life.” — Dr. Chatterjee [05:00]

Benefits of Longer Breaks

• 28 vs. 90 Days: Andy argues 28 days off alcohol is a good start, but 90 days is often needed for people to truly feel the benefits—better sleep, improved mental clarity, weight loss, reduced anxiety, etc.
  • “It was the 90 day break… anxiety disappeared and never came back… like you've removed the Kryptonite from your backpack.” — Andy Ramage [06:10]
• Reclaiming Superpowers: Many middle lane drinkers don’t realize they’re only operating at a fraction of potential; removing alcohol is “like getting a superpower back.”

Overcoming Social & Internal Barriers

• Social Anxiety: Many drink to overcome social insecurities. Andy shares that he had to learn to sit with discomfort—often passing within 15 minutes—rather than automatically drinking.

  • “What I'd never done in most of my adult life is just sat with that [social anxiety]. So I just had to sit with it. And what I found… after 15 minutes, it just went away.” — Andy Ramage [12:00]

• Authenticity & Confidence: Stopping drinking helps people reconnect with their authentic selves and rebuild confidence.

  • “There’s a real power when you meet someone that’s showing up and shining through their authentic energy.” — Andy Ramage [13:40]
  • “The quickest thing that comes back when people remove alcohol is that confidence again…. Our middle lane drinking feeds that beast [of insecurity].” — Andy Ramage [15:42]

Practical Exercise: The "Ambivalence Seesaw"

• How to Begin: Andy describes the “ambivalence seesaw” as a tool for visualizing your relationship with alcohol:
  1. Draw a seesaw. On one side, list your perceived benefits of drinking (usually short); on the other, all negative consequences (often long).
  2. On top, list potential benefits of being alcohol-free.
  3. Question whether the perceived upsides are really true, and brainstorm new ways to achieve the same rewards (e.g., relaxation, socializing).
  • “It's really visual... those little perceived upsides are causing all those consequences. You're missing out on all those incredible benefits… It's like light bulbs going off everywhere.” — Andy Ramage [19:22 & 22:04]

Reducing vs. Abstaining

• Any change is positive. Andy explains that halving your intake is beneficial, but a longer period of abstinence (28–90 days) gives the best chance to personally experience the benefits and reset habits.
  • “Any change is good because 3 versus 6 is a massive benefit. But on a personal note, I want people to take a break to experience all the benefits for themselves.” — Andy Ramage [23:20]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On societal blind spots:
  • “I remember being mid-30s, overweight, unhappy… This is middle age. My destiny is to feel a bit rubbish for the rest of my life. What a load of nonsense. I'm almost 50 now—fitter, faster, healthier than I've ever been in my life.” — Andy Ramage [06:50]
• On the self-coaching tool:
  • “When you’re inside the jar, you can’t read the label… that exercise gets you out of the jar.” — Andy Ramage [22:04]
• On showing up as your authentic self:
  • “There’s a real power in that. It’s attractive. You can sense it. You pick up on it.” — Andy Ramage [13:40]
• On cultural fears around quitting alcohol:
  • “My biggest fear, and this is the truth, how the hell am I gonna dance at weddings? That's impossible, right?” — Andy Ramage [09:00]
• On the process for change:
  • “We grow stronger through doing hard things, don't we?… Through that process, we regain confidence.” — Andy Ramage [16:50]

Important Timestamps

• [02:33] — The test for a healthy relationship with alcohol
• [06:10] — 28 days vs. 90 days: real physical/mental changes
• [10:42] — Social anxieties and alcohol
• [13:40] — Power of authentic energy
• [19:22] — Ambivalence seesaw tool for self-reflection
• [23:20] — Reducing vs. abstaining—what’s most effective?

Takeaway

This episode offers a compassionate, practical exploration of why so many people drink by habit or due to social pressure—and how re-evaluating and potentially changing that relationship can unlock surprising personal benefits. Andy Ramage and Dr. Chatterjee emphasize curiosity over judgment, encouraging listeners to simply try a break from alcohol and openly assess their experience. Their message: authentic confidence and better health may be just a small experiment away.