Not overdoing alcohol
By Catherine Saxelby
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Drinking too much? Nutritionist Catherine Saxelby has some advice
on how limiting your drinking can improve your health. |
The benefits of cutting down
Many people make it their New Year's resolution to give up alcohol for a few weeks or to cut down on their drinking for a longer period of time - as limiting your alcohol intake can benefit both your overall health and longevity.
Here are but a few reasons to give up the drink in 2008:
- Alcohol is packed with kilojoules (calories) and is often the culprit behind weight gain. At 29 kJ per gram, it supplies more kilojoules than protein or carbohydrates per gram.
- Excessive drinking can cause liver disease (like cirrhosis and fatty liver), high blood pressure and cancer of the mouth, oesophagus and larynx.
- Too much alcohol damages the pancreas (a small organ behind the stomach) which can eventually lead to diabetes, as the pancreas produces digestive enzymes as well as the hormone insulin needed to mobilise carbohydrates into the body. Recent studies have shown that rising alcohol consumption in young people has led to a rise in pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) over the past 30 years.
- Alcohol is also a major cause of injury and accidents. Statistics show that alcohol is involved in around half of all serious/fatal car accidents.
Standard drinks
Current medical opinion is that women should not have more than two standard drinks per day and men not more than four drinks.
A standard drink contains around 10 grams of alcohol which you'll find in:
- One nip (30ml) of spirit such as rum, bourbon, scotch or vodka
- A small glass (only 100ml) of wine
- A can or stubbie (375ml) of low-alcohol beer
- One middie (285ml) or two-thirds of a regular beer; or
- Two-thirds of a 350ml bottle of ready-to-drink spirits.
It is important to be aware of the size of your glass as many drinks are now served in larger glasses. A large big-balloon glass of wine can hold 200 or 250 mls - equivalent to two or three standard drinks, not one.
Drinking lighter
- Have a glass of mineral water or juice when you first arrive to quench your thirst before you start drinking.
- Have something to eat before you drink to slow the absorption of alcohol into your system. Champagne on an empty stomach is the worst because the bubbles cause the body to absorb alcohol more quickly.
- Dilute wine with ice and mineral water or order spirits in a long glass topped up with plenty of soft drink.
- If you know it's going to be a long evening, sip slowly and pace yourself. Enjoy your drink and think quality rather than quantity.
- Have a soft drink in between drinks.
- Switch to light beer or lower-alcohol wines (see below).
Non-alcoholic drinks
It is important to remember that alcohol will not guarantee a good time for you, or the people around you. Don't forget the non-alcoholic options such as:
- Lime, soda and bitters
- Tomato juice
- Clayton's and soda
- Grapefruit or cranberry juice with mineral water
- Ginger beer
- Brewed soft drinks
- Diet soft drinks; and
- Iced tea.
Try lower-alcohol choices
There are currently many low-alcohol variations to traditional beer and wine ranges at your bottle shop. So if you need to drive home or just hate a hangover, you may want to consider:
Early Harvest wines
If you pick grapes early, they have less sugar so you end up with a wine with around 30 per cent less alcohol. This also translates to fewer kilojoules which is also good for your waistline.Light Italian-style wines
These light fruity wines are a little sweet with a slight spritzer effect. They have only 5.5% alcohol - less than half of most wines.Light low-alcohol beers
Light beers generally have half the alcohol of full-strength beer and half the kilojoules. They're a good choice if you're thirsty, but need to drive home later.Low-carb beers
Low-carb or blond beers have one-third of the carbohydrates of regular beers, but the same alcohol level. If you like them, they'll save you kilojoules so you're less likely to put on weight.