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Reducing Your Alcohol Intake

Where to Start with Sensible Drinking

Jul 14, 2009 Emma Gibson

Are you drinking to be merry or to get mashed? Many of us enjoy a tipple or two to relax, to bond with friends or to create a buzz, but how much is too much?

UK guidelines recommend that women drink no more than 2-3 units and men no more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day and any reliable health professional will tell you to make sure you have at least two alcohol-free days every week to give the liver a rest.

According to Drinkaware, the UK organisation to promote responsible drinking, up to 33,000 deaths in the UK every year are caused by alcohol, either alone or in combination with other factors, and 1 in 25 adults show signs of dependency. The UK has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe and there is little reason to believe that this will improve any time soon.

Tips for Reducing Your Alcohol Intake

An excellent way to begin is by alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Always try to start off with the non-alcoholic, particularly if you find you are happier with a boozy beverage at hand to help relax into a situation. Learning to be content and at ease without a drink to get the conversation flowing nurtures a great sense of personal freedom. If you are someone who feels noticeably more confident and sociable after having a drink, feel safe in the knowledge that these more extroverted aspects of your personality are always present within you and that, in fact, they will be even more attractive if you let them shine through when you are sober.
Choose drinks that you are likely to sip slowly rather than down in haste. Avoid taking shots of spirits if this increases the likelihood of a binge.
Allocate a set amount of time for each alcoholic drink. For example, if you know you’ll be out for roughly 5 hours and in this time frame you’d usually have several drinks, why not start by aiming for one drink per hour? Remember, in order to have control over how much you drink you have to know how much you are drinking!
If necessary, arrive at your destination venue later or leave earlier. If you feel you are beginning to lose your sense of control remove yourself from the situation.

As with healthy eating, the key lies in balance and moderation. Savour the flavour, slow down, appreciate each and every mouthful, take breaks between sips and learn to recognise when enough is enough.

If repeated attempts to reduce your alcohol consumption fail, you may want to give serious consideration to cutting it out altogether. Also, do not feel reluctant to seek advice from somebody you can trust. An understanding ear could be just what you need to help you get on the right track.

The copyright of the article Reducing Your Alcohol Intake in Mind/Body Fitness is owned by Emma Gibson. Permission to republish Reducing Your Alcohol Intake in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Enjoy sensible drinking