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This Week - J : Just Cut Down Alcohol

Make a plan

Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you're going to drink.

Set a budget

Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.

Let others know

If you let your friends and family know you're cutting down and it's important to you, you could get support from them.

Take it a day at a time

Cut back a little each day. That way, every day you do is a success.

Make it a smaller one

You can still enjoy a drink, but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.

Have a lower-strength drink

Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %). You'll find this information on the bottle.

Eat first and stay hydrated

Try to have something to eat, and drink a glass of water, before you have alcohol. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other non-alcoholic drinks.

Take a break

Have several drink-free days each week.

Benefits of cutting down

The immediate effects of cutting down on alcohol include:

• feeling better in the mornings
• being less tired during the day
• better-looking skin
• feeling more energetic
• better weight management

There are also many long-term benefits.

Serious health conditions

Cutting down can help lower your risk of serious conditions linked to drinking too much alcohol, such as:

• cancer
• diabetes
• dementia
• stroke
• heart, liver and kidney problems

Mood

There's a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxious and low. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can make this worse, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally.

Sleep

Drinking can affect your sleep. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply. So cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.

Behaviour

Drinking can affect your judgement and behaviour. You may behave irrationally or aggressively when you're drunk, or make decisions you regret. Memory loss can be a problem during drinking and in the long term for regular heavy drinkers.

Immune system

Regular drinking can affect your body's ability to fight infections. Heavy drinkers tend to catch more infectious diseases.

Take the healthy choices quiz

If you want to improve your health and wellbeing but are not sure where to start, the Healthy Choices quiz on the NHS Better Health website can give you personalised advice about how to live a healthier life.

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.