by Gina Burn Naturopath at Elysia Wellness Retreat
The following tips for safe alcohol consumption may be particularly helpful when people tend to drink more alcohol at festive functions.
A standard drink contains the equivalent of 10g of ethanol. A standard drink is an equivalent of:
- 100 mL of wine (9.5–13% alcohol)
- 250 mL of full-strength beer (4.9% alcohol)
- 375 mL of mid-strength beer (3.5% alcohol)
- 470 mL of light beer (2.7% alcohol)
- 30 mL of spirits (37–40%)
Standard serving sizes often contain more than one standard drink.
- In restaurants, wine may be served in 150 mL glasses (1.4–1.6 standard drinks)
- Standard cans and bottles of beer contain 375 mL of alcohol (1.4 standard drinks)
- Cans of pre-mixed spirits can contain up to 2.1 standard drinks
Stop drinking alcohol before or once you have reached the daily limit of 3 standard drinks. Never drive a car if you’ve had more than one standard drink in an hour.
Choosing beverages containing no alcohol or lower concentrations of alcohol (e.g. light beer) or adding non-alcoholic mixers to spirits and wine, can help reduce the amount of alcohol consumed per glass.
Having food in the stomach reduces the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream and reduces the intoxicating effects of alcohol. It is very important to eat before or while consuming alcohol, and to eat enough food to fill the stomach. Drinking on an empty stomach can aggravate insulin resistance, which doesn’t help the waistline either.
To be mindful about your alcohol consumption, space alcoholic drinks throughout the day or evening, by:
- Starting with a soft drink, fruit juice or glass of water
- Drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic drink. This will help to rehydrate the body and also lengthen the period of time between alcoholic drinks
- Use a small glass for alcoholic beverages
- Drink slowly, taking sips, not gulps
- Avoid ‘shouts’ or ’rounds’ of drinks or drinking competitions. These may encourage people to drink too quickly to keep up with the rounds
- Only have one alcoholic drink at a time
- Keep busy while drinking, for example by playing pool or talking with friends
- When planning a party, ensure there are plenty of alcohol-free and low alcohol options available
- Avoid refilling a half empty glass
- Keep track of the serving size of drinks: Convert them to standard drinks
- Check how much alcohol the beverage contains
- The morning after alcohol consumption, do something nice for your liver, such as lemon or lime squeezed into water, a breakfast of oatmeal to soothe the digestive lining and a B vitamin supplement to help the hang-over feelings
Enjoy yourself and be safe over the festive season.
(Ref: National Health and Medical Research Council NHMRC)
