The drinks are on me! But what about alcohol-free?

Alcohol, a popular but powerful chemical, is often made through fermentation of natural sugars and starches and has effects on the brain and other organs.

Many people can enjoy the odd glass in moderation, but people who drink alcohol frequently can develop a tolerance or become addicted, leading to poor health consequences.

Reducing alcohol intake is key to improving your metabolic health. UK healthcare guidelines recommend drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more- that's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer. However, there's no completely safe level of drinking, and under Roczen guidelines we aim to minimise alcohol consumption to help you achieve your health goals.

Not only does it affect us mentally (not always in a good way), it can potentially worsen symptoms such as low mood. Unfortunately,  it also adds ‘empty’ calories and prevents the body from accessing fat stores for energy, which could compromise your progress on your plan.

How to reduce alcohol, not your social life

Alcohol has a lot of cultural significance in the U.K., with alcoholic drinks often marking periods of celebration or relaxation. To avoid feeling like you’re missing out, or even to avoid unwanted questioning about why you are not drinking, it can help to drink non-alcoholic drinks in glasses typically associated with alcoholic drinks, like wine, champagne or cocktail glasses.

Alcohol free options are a great segway into still socialising with others in situations where there is normally alcohol, but reducing the amount you consume. They often taste just as good and these options are increasing in popularity, leading to a wider range available. If you find yourself in a situation where you would normally drink and are struggling to resist, try a 0% option and reflect on how you feel about that choice the next day.

Often, when you make a healthy choice to reduce your alcohol consumption, it can make people around you call their own habits into question. Sometimes this can translate into ‘peer pressure’ with people probing you as to why you are abstaining, and tempting you to join them! It is a good idea to plan for this ahead of time and think of what you will say. Something as simple as ‘I’m not drinking at the moment as I’m focusing on my health’ can be enough to appease potential saboteurs!

Support with any sort of lifestyle change is always key. Consider telling your friends and family about your intentions to cut down so they can support you, they may even decide to join you and incorporate some alcohol free time for themselves.

Reducing alcohol safely

If you have been regularly drinking alcohol daily, and notice withdrawal symptoms when you reduce, it is not safe to stop suddenly. In this case please reach out to your GP for support in cutting down. Help is also available from local NHS services which can be found here https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services/.

Speak with your clinician if you would like to check in regarding your alcohol intake and set a plan to cut down the amount you’re drinking. When reducing, you can still enjoy the occasional glass of wine/beer in moderation (ideally no more than 1-2 a week). In some instances, your Roczen clinician may sign post you to other healthcare professionals or sources of support.

A useful app, designed by UCL scientists to help you gradually reduce your alcohol intake is available at https://drinklessalcohol.com/

Next Steps

For further information about anything mentioned in this article, or for help incorporating alcohol reduction into your plan, please get in touch with your Roczen clinician, we are here to help!