Making changes to your alcohol use can have a positive effect on your health and well-being. Cutting down on your drinking can help you:
Watch Your Weight
Just like any other food or beverage, alcohol has calories. What many people don’t know is the amount of calories they are drinking. For example, there are around 600 calories in an average bottle of white wine! Cutting down on how much alcohol you drink is a great way to cut out some empty calories.
Sleep Soundly
Drinking less alcohol can improve the quality of your sleep and feel more refreshed in the morning. Cutting down on alcohol can put a little spring in your step.
Save Face
Alcohol dehydrates your skin and robs it of vital nutrients, leaving skin red, splotchy and dry. By drinking less alcohol you are keeping your skin fresh, hydrated and youthful!
Reduce Stress
Some people say that they drink alcohol to relax, but in fact alcohol is a depressant. Over time alcohol can increase depression, anxiety and stress.
Avoid Hangovers
Drinking within the CDC recommended guidelines (individuals assigned male at birth no more than 2 drinks/ day and individuals assigned female at birth no more than 1 drink/day) can reduce your risk of any alcohol related harm. The more abstinence days you have in a week the better.
Stay Healthy
Cutting down on your drinking can be a positive step to your overall health. Drinking less alcohol reduces the risks of alcohol-related cancers, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Drinking less also keeps your liver happy!
Strategies to Drink Less Alcohol
- Know what a drink is (a drink =12 ounces of beer, 5 ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor).
- Keep track of your drinks. • Plan ahead and set a limit.
- Alternate with non-alcoholic drinks, such as water.
- Space your drinks. Take a break of 1 hour in between.
- Eat and drink water before and while you are drinking alcohol.
One method of evaluating whether you may be making risky choices with alcohol is to compare your usual drinking practices with those listed below. Review the following statements, or print them out and circle the response which best applies to you:
- I have more than 14 alcoholic drinks per week (men) or 7 alcoholic drinks (women or men and women over age 65) per week. A “drink” is 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of table wine, 1.5 ounces of liquor or 12 ounces of wine cooler.—True or False
- I have more than 2 alcoholic drinks (men) or 1 alcoholic drink (women or men and women over age 65) on any day.—True or False
- I sometimes drink alcohol and drive.—True or False
- I have more than one alcoholic drink per hour.—True or False
- I drink alcohol every day.—True or False
- I drink alcohol to become high, buzzed or intoxicated.—True or False
- I drink alcohol and take medication.—True or False
- I drink alcohol before, during or after physical or sports activities.—True or False
- I drink alcohol to help deal with unpleasant feelings or stress.—True or False
- Most of my free time involves drinking alcohol.—True or False
If you answered true to even one statement, you may want to consider cutting back or quitting drinking altogether. The more questions to which you answered “True,” the higher your risk of developing serious problems. You are unlikely to develop alcohol-related consequences if you answered “False” to all the statements.