Many of us might have previously embraced the idea of Dry January. It can make us feel we are in control, creates a positive start to the year, helps to lose weight, will make you feel healthier and sometimes it is a good idea to prove to yourself that you can do without alcohol!
The Spanish ‘way of life’
It is easier in Spain than anywhere to become accustomed to drinking more than the recommended amount, the fine weather is conducive to more socialising and sipping cold drinks and of course, the cheaper prices. Another issue here in Spain is the size of the measures. There are no real measurements on glasses in bars and patrons often feel they are being “short-changed” if their glass is not “full”. This holiday mentality has become a way of life for many.
Do you know how much you are actually drinking?
But are you aware of how much you are drinking? And although you may feel healthy, do you know what those extra few glasses are actually doing to your insides?
The risk of drinking too much..
It is a common occurrence in today´s world that people don´t equate 2 or 3 glasses of wine or beer a night as “problem drinking”. However, regularly drinking more than 14 units a week risks damaging your health.
How many units?
Fourteen units is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 6 glasses of wine. New evidence around the health harms from regular drinking have emerged in recent years. There is now a better understanding of the link between drinking and some illnesses, including a range of cancers. The previously held position that some level of alcohol was good for the heart has been revised. It is now thought that the evidence on a protective effect from moderate drinking is less strong than previously thought.
If you drink less than 14 units a week, this is considered low-risk drinking. It’s called “low risk” rather than “safe” because there is no safe drinking level. The type of illnesses you can develop after 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week include:
- cancers of the mouth, throat and breast
- stroke
- heart disease
- liver disease
- brain damage
- damage to the nervous system
Social drinking
If you think only alcoholics and binge drinkers are putting their health at risk, think again. Many people who see themselves as “social drinkers” are at risk of developing long-term health conditions because of the amount they regularly drink. Most drinkers are unaware that regularly drinking more than 14 units a week can lead to a wide range of long-term health problems, including cancer, stroke and heart attack.
More than 10 million people in England drink above low risk levels. There were about 23,000 alcohol-related deaths, including just over 17,000 from liver disease, in England as a result of a medical condition caused by alcohol. Typically, longer-term alcohol-related illness or death affect older people who drink more than 14 units a week and consider themselves to be “social drinkers”.
Is social drinking OK?
Professor Nigel Heaton, a liver transplant consultant, says: “Some people think it’s natural to have a bottle of wine a night. It seems respectable because you’re drinking with food and it’s not associated with any drunken behaviour or even feeling drunk. But if it happens regularly, you may have problems later on. Most of us believe that people with alcoholic liver disease are alcoholics. You may not be an alcoholic, but if the overall amount of alcohol you drink regularly exceeds the low risk guidelines, it may still cause serious harm.”
Calories in alcohol
Did you know a standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate, and a pint of lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps?
The average wine drinker in England takes in around 2,000kcal from alcohol every month. Drinking five pints of lager a week adds up to 44,200kcal over a year, equivalent to eating 221 doughnuts!
A standard glass (175ml) of 12% wine- 126kcal = 1 Cadbury Chocolate Mini Roll
A pint of 5% strength beer – 215kcal = 1 packet of McCoy’s salted crisps
A glass (50ml) of (17%) cream liqueur – 118kcal = 1 Milky Way bar
A standard bottle (330ml) of 5% alcopop – 237kcal = 3 Lees teacakes
A double measure (50ml) of 17.5% fortified wine – 65kcal = 1 Asda bourbon biscuit
Success story
One “Dry January” success story is featured on the NHS website, a story of Joanna who decided that “wine-o-clock” was becoming too much of a habit. After two weeks of feeling a bit fed up, she began to sleep better, her skin improved, she lost weight and feels great. Read her full story here, https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/dry-january-helped-me-take-back-control-of-my-drinking.aspx
As with all things, alcohol can be enjoyed in moderation, providing you have no long term health complications. Enjoy life in moderation, and perhaps take a few days, weeks or months off the booze, to give your health a boost!
If you are concerned about your health, you can book blood screening to check for kidney and liver disease. Alternatively, you can have a confidential consultation with the nurse who will conduct an alcohol audit for you.
Or you can opt for a full Health Check. Call Medcare on 966 860 258 or email doctors@medcarespain.com
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