ALCOHOL

This fact sheet provides you with basic information about alcohol. It is not a substitute for medical or dietetic advice and you should contact your GP for further information.

Drinking alcohol is both enjoyable and part of many social lives. If alcohol is important to you it would be unrealistic to expect that you could cut it out of your diet overnight.

Fitbug recognise that drinking in moderation can be part of a healthy, balanced diet and enable individuals to maintain realistic dietary changes in the longer term.

Every gram of alcohol contains 7kcal, so it is high in energy. The body uses the energy from alcohol first because it is a toxin. This increases the tendency of dietary fat to be stored as body fat.

Alcohol in excess (more than 2 units per day) can increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. It can also lead to problems with weight management.

If you are trying to lose weight you do need to appreciate that the less you drink the fewer calories you are consuming, which will help you manage your weight better.

The current guidelines for health are no more than 2-3 units per day for women and no more than 3-4 units per day for men. You should also include 2-3 alcohol free days.

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to ½ pint normal strength beer, ¼ pint strong beer, 125ml wine or a pub measure of spirits.

Following the guidelines for health will not necessarily help you to lose weight as part of other changes you are making towards a healthy, balanced diet.

Three glasses of wine each night would provide about 300kcal. Every pound of body fat is 3500kcal and so to lose 1 lb in a week you need to save an extra 500kcal per day through a combination of reducing your energy intake an increasing your energy expenditure. If you were to reduce the wine to 2 glasses on 3 nights per week this would save an extra 1500kcal in a week which equates to about ½ lb of body fat.

You can take measures to reduce your energy intake from alcohol by alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones, drinking water in-between alcoholic drinks and using low calorie mixers.

Pubs and bars pose a huge potential dietary dilemma because of the high fat, salty snacks that they serve to encourage you to buy more drinks. Nuts, crisps, Chinese crackers, pork scratchings and Indian snacks are all high in fat and energy.

Healthy eating is therefore not about cutting out alcohol, as this may increase the likelihood that you will binge drink. It is about enjoying a drink in moderation.

1-2 units of alcohol per day can actual help to improve your health, particularly if your chosen drink is red wine.

Alcohol can help to thin the blood, which reduces the risk of blood clots. It can also help to increase your HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Red wine contains flavonoids which act as antioxidants in the body to help to protect the heart. It is not advised that you start drinking, but if you already drink, then red wine is a healthier choice.

Monitor your alcohol intake and if you decide you need to reduce it, make small changes and be comfortable with one change before you move onto the next.