Cutting Down on Alcohol

Cutting down on alcohol for the New Year

 

With the festive season well and truly over, many of us take pledges to ourselves to cut down on alcohol and rethink our approach and attitudes to alcohol intake.

 

Most of the food and drink we consume (e.g. cereals, dairy, fruit and vegetables, meat/pulses) provide us with nutritional value- calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. However, calories from alcohol are described as empty calories as they have no nutritional value.

 

Calories count!

Remember that alcohol is high in liquid calories and very easy to overconsume.

1g of protein= 4kcals

1g of carbohydrate= 4kcals

1g of fat= 9kcals

 

Remember that pure alcohol contains 7kcals/gram but that many drinks will also have added sugar, cream and fruit juice/mixers which will add even more calories.

 

Facts about alcohol

•           Alcohol will also interfere with your sleeping patterns, particularly the deep sleep phases of the sleeping cycle.

•           Using alcohol to cope with difficult feelings and thoughts will lead to more issues including- weakened coping skills, negative effects on relationships and tiredness. Alcohol can also make symptoms of depression and anxiety much worse.

•           Binge drinking means drinking more than 4 units of alcohol at any one sitting.

•           Alcohol is an appetite stimulant, this leads to overeating at mealtimes, late at night after a night of heavy alcohol consumption and also the next day, making it difficult to balance with a healthy eating diet if you are trying to lose weight.

•           Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning you lose more body water than normal.

 

The physical effects of alcohol overconsumption

The risk of developing negative physical health problems such as weight gain, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and liver disease increase with any amount of alcohol consumed.

•           Those who regularly drink more than the recommended intake of alcohol, are greater than three times more likely to develop mouth cancer and are three times more likely to have a stroke

•           Women who regularly drink two large glasses of 13% wine or more a day are two times as likely to develop high blood pressure and have a 50% increased risk of breast cancer

•           By keeping within the recommended levels, you can reduce this risk

 

Safe alcohol intake

If you do wish to drink alcohol, try not to exceed the recommended safe limits.

In Ireland the recommended safe limit is no more than 11 standard drinks spread out over the week for women and 17 standard drinks spread out over the week for men.

A standard drink equates to a small glass of wine (100mls), 1/2 pint of beer or lager (284mls) or 1 single measure of a spirit (35.5mls).

 

In the UK the recommendation is for both men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

 

A pint of beer is approximately 2.3 units, a glass of wine (175ml) 4.6 units and a measure of spirit (25ml) is 3.3 units.

 

For more information on alcohol and tips to help you reduce your intake visit:

Ireland: www.askaboutalcohol.ie UK: www.drinkaware.co.uk

 

Other tips to cut down

•           Use low calorie or diet mixers with spirits- low kcal tonic or soda water and diet cola/7up.

•           Set yourself a limit on how much you will drink and set aside a budget for a night out

•           Eat before you start drinking alcohol and avoid salty snacks of treats during the night as these make you thirstier!

•           Have a glass or bottle of water with out to sip on throughout the night to prevent dehydration. Bring a glass of water to bed with you and drink a glass when you come home from a night out.