New guidelines for daily alcohol consumption

The recommended daily alcohol consumption is currently under review. Not only has it been suggested that we should lower the daily recommendation of 2-3 units a day for Men, but we should also abstain from alcohol completely at least 2 days a week.

Everybody tolerates alcohol differently, and that is one of the reasons the new guidelines will match women and men equally. Some people have a higher tolerance than others – but that is not to say the alcohol isn’t physically affecting one more than the other.

Lowering your unit intake may not be so easy when so many drinks today nowadays have such high alcohol content. For example, the current recommended daily allowance for women is roughly 2 units. A small (175ml) glass of 13.5%ABV wine is 2.36 units. It may seem a tough challenge but there are some additional tips you can follow to improve your alcohol intake without worrying too meticulously about unit consumption:

• Enjoy your beverage of choice after eating a meal. Before and during a meal your tolerance to alcohol is likely to be lower. Wait till the meal is finished and then you will have lots of food to soak up the alcohol rather than it hitting your bloodstream too quickly.
• Don’t drink alcohol just before going to bed – finish drinking a few hours before. This way your body has time to process the alcohol while you are awake. Therefore, you can sleep more naturally without having your dreams disturbed. Want to be sure you have processed that alcohol? Check yourself with a breathalyzer before going to sleep.
• Choose a drink with less alcohol content after a work out. We all enjoy a pint after a long walk or session at the gym – but this is when we have the highest need for water for our muscles – not alcohol. Because of this our tolerance level is lower – it’s best to have a weaker alcoholic drink or preferably just water.