Top Tips for Healthier Drinking

It doesn't take much to make a change for the better.

To help you along, we've put together this list of easy ways to limit how much you drink/ drink more healthily.

Stick to the limits

A bit obvious really, but the best way to stay healthy is not to drink more than the sensible daily limit and to have at least two alcohol-free days every week. To find out about drink strengths and sensible limits, see our section on what's in a drink.

Eat before you drink

Food helps absorb alcohol and so limits how quickly what you drink will get into your bloodstream. If you're going out for the night, eat a decent meal before you go. It'll give you more energy to be having fun with too!

Eat while you drink

Just as eating before you start drinking can help limit how quickly alcohol gets into your bloodstream, it's a good idea to have a few nibbles along the way too. Giving your stomach something other than alcohol to chew also prevents the booze irritating your gut so much as well.

Set a 'drinking budget' and stick to it

Think about how much you're going to drink before you start. One way of helping to make sure you don't go over this is to take only enough money to buy the drinks you decide you want to drink (and a bit more to get you home safely).

Use soft-drink 'spacers'

Why not alternate between alcoholic and soft drinks? That way, you can spin your alcohol quota out for longer. It'll stop you getting dehydrated too and lessen the chance of having a hangover in the morning.

'Sneaky softies'

If you're worried about your mates thinking you've turned into a wet blanket, when you go to the bar why not get a tonic or a cola in a short glass? Nobody but you and the person serving will know there's no alcohol in it.

Avoid drinking in rounds

Drinking in rounds can mean everyone ends up drinking more than they want to. If you do drink in rounds, order a soft drink when it comes to your turn to go to the bar. If you want, you can get the bar staff to put it in a short glass – nobody will know there's not a vodka or a gin in there.

Dodge unwanted drinks

There are a number of ways you can dodge unwanted drinks without hurting anyone's feelings. You can tell them you're on antibiotics or some other medication. You can ditch the contents of your glass into an empty one. If you're drinking shorts with mixers, you can pop back to the bar 'for more ice' and get it replaced with a drink that only contains mixer. Tell them you're on a diet and have had too many calories today already.

Alternatively, you can be honest and say "No thanks – I'm trying to look after my health." If they really are your mates they should respect your wishes.

Don't drink every day

The human liver is an incredible (and vital!) organ. Not only does it deal with all kinds of poisons for us, including alcohol, it can also repair itself. Drinking alcohol causes changes in some liver cells and kills off others. But you have to give it a chance. Give yourself a 'liver detox' by making sure you have at least two alcohol-free days every week.

Hit the mixer

Hey, Supa-Dee-Jay, not that mixer – we mean drinks mixers! Dilute your spirit measures with more mixer and you can make each one last longer and drink less across the night.

Be a trendsetter

A lot of the time, we just assume that folks will think we've gone weird if we don't order alcoholic drinks all the time when we're out. Try ordering lemonade or an orange juice once in a while – you might encourage someone else to join you. And if some folks do think you've gone soft, well, that's their problem.

Keep a drinking diary

With the best will in the world, trying to remember exactly what we drank over the last week can be hard. Keep a daily diary for a couple of weeks, detailing what you drank and where. It will help you get a better picture of what's going on and to decide what you should do to keep your drinking at a sensible level. Follow the link to start your own personal drink diary http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/