food

5 things you never knew about alcohol.

Image: iStock

1. The Standard Glass measurement is not based on any medical fact.

It is based on statistics from doctors who realised that people tend to under-calculate by 3 times how much they consume. The truth is that if people pace their drinking with one glass an hour over a 2-4 hour period whilst hydrating with water and eating food, a few times a week will generally be healthy.

2. Many people assume that drinking makes them more confident, sexy, witty and clever.

This is a fallacy. Alcohol shuts down the critical and judgmental part of the brain, which is why some socially shy and anxious people like to drink a lot. Self-esteem is key to building confidence, so that you don’t need to drink to feel better.

How much alcohol can I really drink?

3. A lot of people who are worried about their drinking do not belong in Alcoholics Anonymous.

They are emotional drinkers and use alcohol as a way to escape from the world. Once the emotional driver is understood, then with the right sort of stress management tool they can reduce.

5 drunk meals you don’t need to be ashamed of.

4. Drinking without eating to save on calories actually makes your hangover worse.

Then, to make themselves feel better, many people consume lots of carbohydrates. It's best to eat while drinking, so the alcohol can be absorbed into food, so that you don’t binge the next day.

5. Some people assume that drinking the next day helps the hangover.

This is untrue. It can lead into an unhelpful cycle of drinking every day. A hangover is a sign that your body is toxic and needs some recovery time.