Valerie Bertinelli, 64, reveals WHY she stopped drinking nine months ago

Valerie Bertinelli is still relishing in her alcohol-free lifestyle as she approaches nine months sober on October 1.

And while the actress and TV personality maintained that she never had a problem with alcohol , she was initially inspired to go sober when the clock turned to 2024 as she partook in Dry January as an experiment.

Now the former Food Network star, who has since joined The Drew Barrymore Show as a 'Drew Crew' expert, is revealing the main motivator behind her decision to stop drinking alcohol while attending Food & Wine Classic in Charleston on Saturday.

'I actually think a lot of it has to do with aging,' Bertinelli, 64 — who is in a happy relationship — confessed to People .

I think the older you get, the less you really want to really be putting that in your body. I mean, anybody can do whatever the heck they want, but I feel better.'

Since going sober, Bertinelli claims she rarely craves wine or spirits.

'I don't miss it because I don't miss how it actually made me feel either after having it or the next day,' the former wife of late rock legend Eddie Van Halen said.

The Charleston, South Carolina event is part of Valerie's trip with Ross Mathews as expert reps for The Drew Barrymore Show that also included the 2024 State Fair Of Texas in Dallas, Texas the previous day.

The former One Day At A Time star would also take to her Instagram page on Saturday to share a mirror selfie of herself dressed in white overalls over a white t-shirt and a big brown cowboy hat over her long dark locks.

'LA->Dallas->Charleston->LA,' she wrote in the caption, in a reference to her travel itinerary in recent days. 'Three days. Two events.'

She added, 'More fun stuff coming for As one the newest Drew Crew members Bertinelli will make regular appearances on The Drew Barrymore Show to dish on various lifestyle segments.

So far, her favorite topics have been those related to health and wellness.

'Drew tackles subjects that I wish I had heard about 10 years ago, like menopause alone,' the Wilmington, Delaware native said of Barrymore. 'She tackles subjects that not a lot of people do, and she does it with such grace and such vulnerability and authenticity to her and that all of us can relate to. I love being there.'

The actress went on to confess that she loves being on the talk show to learn and get informed on issues like menopause just like the audience and viewers at home.

'I love being able to talk about it because things are happening to my body. I ask my doctor but he's just, like, "I don't know,"' she says. 'So it's fun to talk to other women that are going through the same thing and we can relate and we can say, "Oh my God, [I] don't feel alone."'

Earlier in this past summer, Bertinelli shared about the changes she's noticed since incorporating an alcohol-free lifestyle.

'I feel good when I wake up in the morning. I'm not groggy. I'm not tired. I'm not: 'What did I do last night?"' she revealed to People.

The mother of one has seen what heavy drinking can do to a person, so she considers herself 'one of the lucky ones' who havsn't had to struggle with addiction over her lifetime.

'I don't think I ever really had a problem [with alcohol] and that's why it was a bit, I don't want to say easy, but it was an easier path for me to start with dry January,' she said, adding, 'And then go, "Well, I'm halfway through February, now I might as well just keep going.' And now for me, I kind of make a game of it.'

And by making a game of it Valerie Bertinelli will celebrate nine months sober living on October 1.