Do not drink alcohol at all or a maximum of one glass
Jacqueline van Lieshout stopped drinking alcohol completely in July 2016. That was certainly not without a struggle. After her personal struggle and her new insights, she launched the online program ‘Untwine’ in December 2017. She has now written eight books on this subject. She wrote a blog especially for Health Net.
Our health is a great asset. In fact, we hardly talk about anything else these days. Resolutions come in handy now, because most of us have habits that really have a big effect on our health, energy and weight. Drinking alcohol is one of these habits and you will be surprised what (even temporarily) drinking less or no drinking does to you. A good resolution for a fresh new year.
There are many good intentions. Eat better, stop smoking, really start exercising now. Drinking less (or none at all) alcohol has been added for several years now. For many because they drink too much (or too often), but in the meantime we also know that alcohol is not healthy at all. No, not even those one or two glasses. No matter how unsociable I am now at home, there is no safe lower limit (source: Health Council) and the advice is therefore: do not drink alcohol at all or a maximum of one glass, and certainly not every day.
Drinking no or less alcohol turns out to be quite difficult in practice. If you stop smoking, the flag will be hung in front of you. Do not drink? Then you are really unsociable and you just have to participate. There are always occasions: drinks with the neighbours, Friday afternoon drinks at work, or dinners with friends. So here are three valuable tips
1) Treat alcohol as something very exclusive, only intended for really special occasions
However broadly this may be interpreted, it does make a lot clear. For many of us, alcohol is always part of the occasion, whether it’s Sunday evening or Tuesday afternoon. Normal and a ‘must do’. So choose your moments carefully when you drink and take as little as possible. In science, one glass of wine means 100 ml, which means that you would have to pour 7½ glass from a bottle.
2) Be strict and clear: make agreements with yourself whatever you stick to
Just saying ‘I’m going to drink a little less, I think I’m going to try it this weekend’ often doesn’t get you anything. It gives a lot of people a lot of frustration when you try to limit your drinking, sort of out of control. Are you having a party? Then think for yourself whether, and if so, how much you want to drink. Then really stick to that! If necessary, skip an occasion and or meet your friends at other times, at times when there is no alcohol on the table.
3) Outlier? Then don’t drink anything at all for at least a week
It can of course happen that that drink with colleagues turned into a drinking bout. A dinner with family was still manageable alone with a lot of wine. When this happens, be gentle on yourself that night but strict the week after, so put your alcohol consumption on hold for at least seven days. Importantly, if this happens to you often, think about the fact that alcohol has more control over you than you might like. Read about it and/or seek help.
Of course you can also consider having a completely alcohol-free period once or several times a year.
Webinar ‘Alcohol-free start of 2022’
Do you want to stop or cut down on alcohol and would you like answers to questions such as ‘what should I drink?’ or ‘is life still fun then’. Then follow the live webinar Alcohol-free start of 2022 by Jacqueline van Lieshout. Register here. Participation is free.
More inspiration, recognition and motivation? View on www.ontwijnen.nl and read this book.
