October has once again rolled around – and with it, the clarion call for Britons to spend 31 days sober. The benefits of cutting your alcohol intake are now firmly established, promising everything from improved sleep to reduced cancer risk.
But the intention to do Sober October doesn’t always mean follow-through. According to a new nationally representative study of 2,000 UK adults conducted by Censuswide, six in 10 people who’ve tried Sober October didn’t make it through alcohol-free to November.
Happily, this does not mean all is lost. While there are many people for whom total abstinence is the best, if not only, solution, experts also argue that an “all-or-nothing” approach can be counter-intuitive for some people.
“We’ve done studies where we’ve shown that if you get people to think these problems or risks exist on continuums, they’re actually more likely to cut their drinking down,” says James Morris, at the Centre for Addictive Behaviours, London South Bank University.
So whether or not you are taking part in Sober October, it can still be hugely beneficial to try and reduce your drinking.
Here experts give their favourite and sometimes unexpected tips for reducing your drinking long term:
Drink water like it’s wine at the end of a long day
“Open a bottle of still or sparkling water and drink it from a wine glass – if you start with that you often don’t crave the alcohol. You were actually just thirsty at the end of the day.” Dr Ayan Panja, GP and lifestyle medicine expert
Don’t say to yourself you can’t drink
“Instead, know that you can drink whenever you want, but wait for a special occasion.” Dr Panja
Choose your drink before you leave
“Look at the venue’s menu online and pick an alcohol-free option you’ll enjoy. If you can’t find one, ask the venue what they have. I have been known to even phone them in advance!” – Laura Willoughby, co-founder of Club Soda, the world’s largest “mindful drinking” movement
Keep the rituals you like
“If a drink marks the end of your working day, stock something alcohol-free that you look forward to opening. You can keep the moment and change what’s in the glass. All the supermarkets have a great range, there are specialist retailers online like Wise bartender, and Majestic Wines has a range that their trained staff can take time to guide you around to find the right drink for you.” Willoughby
Find a willing accomplice
“Ask a friend to try a new alcohol-free drink with you, or plan a walk, meal or night out together. It’s much more fun when the month feels like an invitation to do things, rather than a test of willpower.” Willoughby
Do not drink when you are thirsty
“If you are thirsty, drink water or a soft drink first. Starting alcohol when you are dehydrated makes it more likely that you will drink quickly.” David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at University College London
Say no to champagne and sparkling wine
“Champagne, prosecco and other sparkling wines are often offered at the start of an event, when people have not eaten. The bubbles can make alcohol feel more immediate, and these drinks are often stronger than people realise. You can say no. You can also say no when champagne is offered with dessert, when you may already have had enough.” Professor Nutt
Do not wash down food with wine
“Put water on the table and drink it with your meal. If plain water feels unappealing, try sparkling water, with ice, lemon, lime or cucumber. Another useful rule is to drink wine only between courses rather than while food is in front of you. This encourages slower, more deliberate drinking.” Professor Nutt
Stick to two drinks
“Two drinks is a simple, memorable limit for many occasions. It makes it more likely that you will stay within a lower-risk pattern, whether you are drinking beer, wine or spirits.” Professor Nutt
Aim never to get drunk
“Feeling drunk is a sign that you have probably consumed at least three or more standard drinks, and possibly much more if you have a higher tolerance. Be careful about judging your own intoxication by the people around you. If everyone else is drinking heavily, feeling ‘less drunk than them’ does not mean you are sober.” Professor Nutt
Never have ‘one for the road’
“If you are ready to go home, you have probably had enough. You may be tired, your judgement may be reduced, and an extra drink is unlikely to improve the night.” Professor Nutt
Do not get alcohol delivered or from your supermarket shop
“Alcohol delivery can make drinking feel frictionless and anonymous. Avoid wine clubs, automatic deliveries and late-night alcohol orders. If you want alcohol, go to a shop and make a deliberate decision about what you are buying, why you are buying it and when you plan to drink it.” Professor Nutt
Book in drink-free days – aim for at least two a week.
“Even one is better than none, and two consecutive nights gives the body more time to recover. On the nights you do drink, avoid bingeing.” Professor Nutt
Avoid salty snacks
“Salty snacks make people thirsty, which can encourage faster drinking. Avoid them in bars and at home if you are trying to reduce your alcohol intake.” Professor Nutt
Do not get involved in rounds
“Rounds make it harder to control both pace and quantity. Buy your own drinks so you can decide what you drink, when you drink and when you stop.” Professor Nutt
‘Something you sip on [such as a bitter negroni] rather than something that disappears in five minutes can reduce your alcohol intake without consciously rationing yourself,’ says dietitian Helen BondDon’t ‘save calories’ for alcohol
“Skipping dinner because you’re going out is usually counterproductive. Eating beforehand slows alcohol absorption and tends to make drinking more considered, too. As a dietitian, I’d much rather someone eat their normal dinner than try to budget 600 calories for drinks. Alcohol contains lots of ‘empty’ calories – seven calorie per gram – in fact, almost as many as pure fat and has no nutritional value or benefit, either!” Helen Bond, registered dietitian
Alternate – but make the alternative enjoyable
“We’ve all heard it before: ‘Drink water between drinks’ to hydrate, but this is good advice that nobody particularly wants to follow. However, an alcohol-free beer, a slimline tonic and lime, kombucha, diet ginger beer, etc look and feel much more like another round, and you don’t need to give in to peer pressure, as no one needs to know that you’re not ‘drinking’.” Bond
Size does matter!
“Half pints instead of pints, 330ml bottles rather than large cans, single-serve wine glasses rather than opening a bottle. Portion size affects alcohol content and in turn, the calorie content, just as reliably as it affects food. Try downsizing your wine glasses or using a champagne flute to enjoy a white wine spritzer. They can be half the size of a wine glass, so using them is an easy way to cut down on alcohol and calories.” Bond
Watch the ‘top-up’ problem
“A constantly topped-up wine glass makes it almost impossible to know how much you’ve consumed. So if you are going to drink, finish each drink before you have a top-up so you can gauge the amount you’re drinking” Bond
Choose naturally slower drinks
“Something you sip on [such as a bitter negroni] rather than something that disappears in five minutes can reduce your alcohol intake without consciously rationing yourself. Likewise, lower-ABV versions can make quite a difference over an evening – as a rule of thumb, the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage, the more alcohol is in the drink, and the more calories it contains!” Bond
Hence then, the article about 21 easy ways to drink slightly less according to experts was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 21 easy ways to drink slightly less, according to experts )
Also on site :
- Investors thought they were buying pre-IPO OpenAI and SpaceX shares. Their cash went to strip clubs, Bloomingdale’s, and shopping on Amazon, SEC alleges
- In 1983, Congress set aside $42 million to move a Pennsylvania town off a burning coal seam; Centralia went from 1,017 residents to five by 2020
- Pandora’s MLC Royalties Lawsuit Heads to Trial as Judge Declines to Sift Through ‘Corpulent’ Case File