Let the festivities begin

The Christmas season is a time for meeting with friends and family and attending office parties. These events inevitably involve festive drinks which some people choose to avoid completely, others like a tipple and some may over-indulge at this time of the year. Following is some information that may help, without interfering with a fun-night out.

What is a standard Drink?

Alcohol should only be taken in moderation – World Health Organisation define a binge as six or more standard drinks in one short session.
Low-risk guidelines are-
- 11 standard drinks per week for women (1.5 bottles of wine approx)
- 17 standard drinks per week for men (8.5 pints of beer or 17 shots)
- If you drink 11 or 17 units a week, it is advised to spread this over three days or more
- Pregnant women are advised that no level of alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy.
- binge drinking is warned against – a binge is three or more pints of beer or six or more pub measures of spirits in one sitting
- Aim to have 3-4 alcohol free days per week

Over the Christmas period and between parties, spread out the festivities.

Visit www.drinkaware.ie to calculate your intake. Images courtesy of DrinkAware.

Alcohol Guidelines for people with Diabetes

The general advice on alcohol consumption for a person with diabetes is the same as that for everyone. However, there are some precautions a person with diabetes should take, if your diabetes is diet controlled:

Choose ordinary varieties of beer or lager as opposed to the low sugar ones e.g. Satenbrau, Holsten Pils
Avoid sweet drinks or liqueurs and use sugar free, diet or low calorie mixers
Alternate an alcoholic drink with a low calorie mixer or sparkling water
Remember that alcohol contains calories and these must be taken into account for overall food intake for the day
If you have been recommended to reduce your weight, consider limiting your alcohol intake to special occasions

Diabetes managed with medication or insulin
For the person whose diabetes is treated with insulin or sulphonylureas please remember that extra care is required to prevent hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Your judgement may be affected when you drink and you may not recognise when blood glucose levels are low.
To reduce the risk of a HYPO after drinking:

Keep to sensible drinking levels
Do not drink on an empty stomach. Always have some carbohydrates like bread before you go out for an evening
Take a hypo treatment with you- glucose tablets or sweets
You may need to eat some starchy food during the evening to keep your blood glucose levels up
Always carry identification and let your friends know that you have diabetes so that a low blood sugar is not mistaken for drunkenness
Choose sugar free mixers and avoid alcopops. Have a glass of water or diet drink for every second drink, this will not only reduce the calories, but will also help the hangover
Remember a hypo can happen some hours after a drinking session so test your blood sugar before going to bed
Avoid low sugar beers/lagers as they are high in alcohol (Satenbrau, Holsten Pils )
Use a spirit measure when at home
Know your drinks and check the ABV (alcohol by volume) of your regular drink.

Remember

Have a snack before going to sleep
Set the alarm clock for getting up in the morning and have someone reliable check that you are up
If you have had more to drink than 2-3 standard drinks, it is a good idea to check your blood glucose more frequently than normal the following day as you are still at risk of hypo.

NB: It is illegal in Ireland for persons under the age of 18 to purchase or consume alcohol.

Further Tips that may help you –

WINE