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Keeping well

A glass of wine or one or two beers while out with friends isn’t likely to play havoc with your health. If you do choose to drink, the best way to ensure alcohol won’t adversely affect your health in the future is to stick within the government's daily unit guidelines. The guidelines advise that women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) and men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units daily (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer). Our unit calculator and MyDrinkaware will help you achieve this.

When you listen to your body’s needs and take care of yourself , you’ll find it much easier to enjoy that glass of wine or beer with a clear conscience.

Of course, not regularly drinking to excess is just one important way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Here are a few other easy wins, to get you looking and feeling great.

Waist not, want not

Building exercise into your regular routine is good practice, whether you drink or not. It helps with your mental and physical health, gets those feel-good hormones pumping around your body, keeps you trim and can even improve bone density. If you sometimes feel like having a drink to calm your post-work stress, exercise can be a great alternative.

Regular bites

Many weight-conscious men and women who like a drink are slipping into the habit of fasting during the day so that they can ‘spend’ the calories on booze. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is not good for your health, It’s far healthier to eat three low-fat, healthy meals a day than starving yourself and drinking to excess every evening.

Slow-releasing, complex carbs, such as whole-wheat bread, pulses or brown rice, give your body more energy for longer. Combine them with lots of vegetables and some lean protein and you’ll be the life and soul of the party, without feeling the need to turn to alcohol to keep your spirits high.

Take a break

Try not to drink alcohol every night to give your liver a chance to rest and recuperate. It was not designed to fight a constant barrage of booze, so if you treat it more kindly and allow it some respite, you’ll help ward off booze-related liver problems and stay in tip-top condition.

Deep breaths

Grumpy with colleagues or so shattered from work you slump on the sofa? A certain amount of adrenaline is common for most busy professionals, but too much stress can have a negative effect on the body and play havoc with your personal life. Sometimes people can turn to booze as they think it helps deal with stress, but it makes it worse.

Instead, try some other stress busting techniques. Look into taking some kind of meditation or yoga class. You can incorporate small things into your daily routine, such as breathing deeply when you feel yourself getting stressed; or taking regular walks round the block. And take time to enjoy life. Spending time with friends and family can be a great tonic at the end of a hard day.