Alcohol - How much is too much?

Alcohol. How much is excessive? Maintaining that balance between good health and the 'you only live once' mantra at times of celebration can be difficult. Striking that balance is the key to enjoying life but most importantly feeling your healthiest. If I have learnt anything this year it is the art of balance and everything in moderation, even moderation. After all, there really is nothing worse than spending the Christmas season in a blurred state of hangovers, egg mc-muffins, bad skin, fatigue, bloating & a self-inflicted January no-drinking ban. If i told you, you could not only drink but feel good, would you want to know the secret? I will let you in to a little secret, there is none, it really is simple and its just BALANCE.

Uncorking the truth There is a general consensus that a little wine each evening is good for us, although we know swigging a bottle on a regular basis is not only very easily done but is likely too much. But what's the evidence behind this? Studies show there is a link between the risk of all causes of death being higher for people with complete alcohol abstinence (Corraeo et al., 2004). However, the reason for this, could be that those not drinking alcohol in the studies were doing so due to medical conditions with bad health rather than the fact that drinking affects their mortality rates (Stockwell et al., 2016). Excessive alcohol use counts for 10% of deaths for adults between the ages of 20 and 64, according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That's 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year!

Alcohol consumption has been linked to a mass of problems including alcohol addiction and dependency - after all it is a psycho-active solution. It has been linked to hundreds of diseases and health conditions including; liver disease, high blood pressure, cancers of the mouth, throat, colon, breast, liver and rectum & accidental injury.

There is evidence that a traditional Mediterranean diet and drinking red wine in particular is more beneficial than beer or spirits due to the polyphenol content (dietary antioxidants). However, it is widely debated that to reap the benefits of this you would need to be consuming a substantial amount which in turn would not be beneficial.

On the flip side, if someone sold a pill that offered all the benefits of not drinking—better sleep, clearer skin and weight loss—people would pay a fortune for it, so why not give it a try and feel the benefits. It turns out 'mindful drinking' is bigger than ever, with many millennial's going t-total to assess their relationship with alcohol and the impact that non drinking has both on your mental and physical health.

What's my advice as a nutritional advisor?

• If you do drink, then try your best to stick within the limits recommended by government advisory boards, (NHS) which is now 14 units per week for both men & women, spread over at least three days.

• If of course you do not drink, I would not advise you to start drinking as the benefits of not drinking outweigh those of drinking alcohol.

• My personal opinion would be to aim for less than 12 units per week with at least 3 alcohol free days. To give perspective a single unit (25ml) of Gin & Tonic or Vodka & Soda is 1 unit and a medium glass of wine (175ml) has 2 units, large glass (250ml) has 3 units.

• Speak to your GP regarding abstaining from alcohol if you have certain health condition or diseases. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive it is important to abstain also.

Tips for cutting down

• Seedlip produce a lovely non-alcoholic spirit, which tastes great with tonic, if your a fan of a G&T and feels like a grown up drink. Lots of bars sell it and I always have a bottle at home for booze free nights.

• I know this is common advice but it really does work, hydrate with a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have, opting for sparkling water always feels with ice and lemon always feels nicer than still water. Alcohol dehydrates and dilates blood vessels in the brain causing headaches so by hydrating this will stop you from waking up with a hangover tomorrow by replenishing what is lost by alcohol.

• Invest in a decent wine stopper, to avoid glugging the last of the bottle, saviour it for another night.

• It feels like very British culture to catch up at the pub with your mates, plan social events that do not involve drinking alcohol - try a brunch, coffee date, yoga class or dog walk - not only will you feel better for it, you will most likely get to have a decent conversation with your friend catching up properly rather than in noisy bar.

• Take on a fitness challenge, whether its a half marathon, tough mudder, triathlon, charity walk or swim, training for an event especially if you rope in a friend will help focus your attention on your health and the upcoming challenge.