As we near the end of Dry July it is timely to reflect on our drinking habits. Responsible drinking means balancing your enjoyment of alcohol with the potential harm that alcohol can cause. Choosing no more than 2 standard drinks per day reduces your risk of alcohol related harm. How does your drinking add up?
A standard drink of alcohol contains 10g of alcohol. Examples include:
100ml of wine or champagne
375 ml stubby of mid-strength beer
250 ml of full strength (5% beer)
30ml nip of spirits
250ml of pre-mixed spirits
This means that if you are drinking more than half a bottle of wine per day you may be risking your health.
Some tips for managing your drinking behaviours are:
Set limits. For example avoid having your first drink before 5pm
Quench your thirst first with a non alcoholic drink.
Take your time and drink slowly.
Choose lower alcohol drinks. Examples include reduced alcohol wine and beer, wine spritzers (mixed with soda water) and 1/2 strength spirits.
Make sure you eat.
- You need help with managing your weight
- Your teenager has problems eating healthily
- You have been diagnosed with a lifestyle condition such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, fatty liver, blood pressure, cholesterol, gout
- You care for an ageing parent or a person with a disability
- You are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- You have a gut problem such as IBS (irritable bowel), diverticulitis, Coeliac Disease or inflammatory bowel disease
- You have an intolerance or allergy to certain foods
- You are either considering or have had bariatric surgery (eg lapband, gastric sleeve or bypass)
- You are concerned about specific nutrients such as calcium and osteoporosis, iron deficiency anaemia, Vitamin K and warfarin
- You would like to eat better or simply have concerns about your diet and nutrition
In the same way you see your dentist and optometrist regularly for teeth and eye check ups, it’s a good idea to have a diet check up once a year to be sure that you are fueling your body with the right balance of nutrients and meeting your nutrition goals. Susan practises in Brisbane south locations including: Annerley, Acacia Ridge, Sunnybank and the Logan areas of Browns Plains and Slacks Creek.