Valerie Bertinelli Starts 'Dry January' Without Alcohol To Reset From 'Fight' Mode

Valerie Bertinelli is making some life-changing health decisions this year.

The talented chef kicked off the new year with resolutions to “reset” her whole body

by staying away from alcohol, and she would be doing this all through January.

According to the star, this decision was necessary to settle the built-up tension in her nervous system from the past six years when she was married to her ex-husband, Tom Vitale.

The Food Network star shared the health update with her over a million fans on her Instagram Story and outlined what the plan entails. Bertinelli, who was sipping a cup of tea, began her message by saying that her year has been going well so far before announcing her decisions.

“I have decided to go Dry January. I like it so far," she said. The mom of one noted that she was inspired by one of her friends and then dished her reasons for the decisions saying, “I'm doing it for two reasons. One, I want to try and cut down the cravings for my sugar. And I think alcohol exacerbates that."

She continued, “I want to calm down the cortisol in my body that has been raging for the last five, six years. I've been in fight, flight, freeze, fawn mode. And I want to go into rest and digest. I think cutting alcohol will help me do that."

The Tv host carried on with her message in a subsequent clip. She expressed that she had reduced her alcohol intake some months back and the whole idea behind the dry January is to reset her nervous system. Also, the actress expressed that she included meditation and journaling and hoped they helped reset her body. However, she pointed out that she is not a doctor, and this is just her "theory.”

At the end of the message, the “One Day at a Time” actress said, “If you're doing a Dry January, let's have fun. Let's do it together. If not, it's OK. It don't matter. You take care of yourself; I'll take care of me."

Indeed the actress' new year has been going well as at the beginning of the year, she celebrated being the happiest for the past six years. Per The Blast, the chef posted a video of herself beaming in smiles while enjoying a quiet lake house. 

Captioning the post, the Emmy Award winner expressed her joy over the year. She penned, “This new year day is coming in so much happier than last year’s. From a young age, New Year’s Day has been one of my absolute favorite days, for the last 5-6 years it’s been one of the saddest.”

She, however, added, “No more. There is so much to look forward to now when before, it just looked endlessly sad, scary, lonely, and stressful. I have no idea what’s ahead for me, and I’m not worried. I’m free. This new years day, 2023, is the first day of the rest of my life”!

As you may know, the 62-year-old filed for divorce from Vitale in May 2022 after 11 years as a couple. Bertinelli cited the cause for divorce to be irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized in November 2022, and the renowned cook was asked to pay $2.2 million as a settlement to her former spouse.

The Golden Globes recipient’s decision to reset her nervous system is totally understandable. A few weeks ago, she got scared when two suspected burglars came around her house, which she immediately reported to the police.

According to The Blast, the “Apples Way” actress shared photos and footage of the alleged robbers captured on her CCTV. The footage showed a man dressed as a domestic worker, carrying a bag over his shoulder and a box in hand. Explaining what the video seemed to be, the celebrity cook wrote, “This is one of the men that came to scope out my house last night. I think he stops because he sees my camera lit up.”

Also, the “Kids Baking Championship” host mentioned that another burglar had come around that way before, and she described the experience as “f*cking scary.”

Not wanting to take chances, the “Hot in Cleveland” actress alerted the police, who showed up promptly, and then she started making plans to tighten the security in her home. She said, “I’m installing more motion detector lights and thinking of putting barbed wire on my front fence, and of course, my alarm gets set every night.”