Excessive amounts of alcohol can negatively affect your health in many ways.
The hazards of heavy drinking include an increased risk for high blood pressure, dehydration, liver cirrhosis, and several forms of cancer. Alcohol can also be a source of unneeded calories and for many people excessive drinking is linked to increased body weight.
Beverage Serving Size Average
- Beer, Regular 12 oz 150 3 drinks/day x 5 days =2,250 calories!
- Wine, Red 5 oz 100 1 glass per day x 7 days = 700 calories
- Pina Colada 9 oz 460 Out to eat with friends? It adds up quick!
- Wine Cooler 12 oz 180
If you are regularly drinking 2 or more servings of alcohol per day and find it difficult to go 2 full days without alcohol you are at risk for developing alcoholism.
If you are trying to limit your intake consider strategies such as turning wine into a spritzer by adding club soda, or try a “mocktail” such as muddled mint leaves with limes, or club soda, bitters and limes.
If this is a daily routine that you would like to better control, start out by adding a few alcohol-
free days each week. Using this method to take a break from alcohol is a good way to change this habit and start drinking less. You can also keep a diary of your drinking and then make a goal as to how much you would like to cut back. Once you've reached your goal try to maintain this level and then reassess in a few weeks.