11 Ways to Curb Your Alcohol Intake
In these unprecedented, challenging times, it’s easy to try to comfort ourselves in unhealthy ways. Too many chocolate chip cookies...every day. Extra large order of fries. Make that two. A nice big glass of wine with dinner is so relaxing. So let’s have another. And again tomorrow…
If you feel your alcohol intake is becoming a bit excessive, our friends at Harvard have 11 strategies to help you rein it in.
Make a list of important reasons why you want to cut back, in other words, your purpose for changing. These can be great motivators. Examples: better sleep, better family relationships.
Set a limit on how much you will drink when you do. Make sure your goal does not exceed the recommended daily limits: one standard drink for women, two for men.*
Keep a journal of your drinking for several weeks: how much, when, where, with whom. Journaling provides self-awareness and accountability.
Don’t keep alcohol in your home. That’s tempting yourself.
Sip your drink, don’t guzzle it. Follow it with a glass of water, and don’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
Take a break from alcohol with alcohol-free days, weeks or months.
Watch out for peer pressure. Learn to politely say, “No, thank you,” to well-meaning family and friends.
Keep busy doing things you enjoy with those you love.
Ask for support. Cutting back on alcohol is not always easy, so ask your family and friends to support you. Let them know specifically how they can do that. If needed, enlist the help of your doctor or an appropriate counselor.
Guard against temptation. Avoid places and people that make you want to drink. If certain unavoidable holidays and social events have been associated with drinking, plan a success strategy ahead of time.
Stick with it. They’ll be ups and downs, but if you persist you’ll eventually reach your goal.
Recommendations
Medical experts agree: if you don’t drink, you don’t need to start drinking alcohol to protect your heart. If you do drink, stay within the recommended limits of moderate alcohol intake: one standard drink every 24 hours for women, two standard drinks every 24 hrs for men.
What is one standard drink? *5 ounces of wine (128 calories) OR 12 ounces of regular beer (146 calories) OR 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (97 calories).(3) And not a lot of nutrition to show for it.
If you’re not sure what you should do, your doctor can help you decide what’s best for you - cut back or cut out.
