ALCOHOL AWARENESS

OUTCOMES

What are the daily recommended units of alcohol per day for men and women?

What are the short and long term affects of excess alcohol on the body?

Looking at calories and alcohol.

The body and the ability to process alcohol.

Quiz time.

TRIVIA

How many units are women recommended to have no more than per day?

How many units are men recommended to have no more than per day?

Name 3 things which may influence how you are effected by alcohol?

Do large amounts of alcohol encourage the body to store fat?

Does the body see alcohol as a poison?

ALCOHOL & THE BODY

Alcohol is classified as a depressant because it slows down the central nervous system, causing a decrease in motor coordination, reaction time and intellectual performance. At high doses, the respiratory system slows down drastically and can cause a coma or death.

ALCOHOL & THE BODY

How does alcohol move through the body?

Once swallowed, a drink enters the stomach and small intestine, where small blood vessels carry it to the bloodstream. Approximately 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and most of the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine.

Alcohol is metabolized by the liver, where enzymes break down the alcohol. Understanding the rate of metabolism is critical to understanding the effects of alcohol. In general, the liver can process one unit of alcohol in one hour. If you consume more than this, your system becomes saturated, and the additional alcohol will accumulate in the blood and body tissues until it can be metabolized. This is why having a lot of shots or playing drinking games can result in high blood alcohol concentrations that last for several hours.

UNITS

The idea of counting alcohol units was first introduced in the UK in 1987 to help people keep track of their drinking.

Units are a simple way of expressing the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour. This means that within an hour there should be, in theory, little or no alcohol left in the blood of an adult, although this will vary from person to person.

The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink as well as its alcohol strength. For example, a pint of strong lager contains 3 units of alcohol, whereas the same volume of standard lager has just over 2 units.

DRINKS & THEIR UNITSDrink Glass/Bottle Percentage Units

Wine (Red, Rose or White)

Small Glass 125ml 12% 1.5 Units

Wine (Red, Rose or White)

Large Glass 250ml 12% 3 Units

Lager/ Beer/ Cider Pint Lower Strength 3.6% 2 Units

Lager/ Beer/ Cider Pint Higher Strength 5.2% 3 Units

Alcopop Bottle 275ml 5.5% 1.5 Units

Single Shot of Spirits 25ml 40% 1 Unit

Large single shot of Spirits

35ml 40% 1.4 Units

EFFECTS ON THE BODY

Everyone reacts differently to alcohol. Your height, weight and gender are just some of the factors that play a part in how alcohol affects you. Even what you've had to eat that day or how much sleep you've had recently can make a difference to how you feel when you drink.

How hydrated you are also makes a difference so if you have been exercising be aware alcohol may have more of an effect on you. The same can be said if you are on medication always check the label to see whether it is safe to drink alcohol.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS POSITIVES

Can allow you to feel more relaxed (some people are more talkative)

Some people may feel more sociableMay feel more energetic Happy elevated mood

SHORT TERM EFFECTSNEGATIVE

Dizziness/ sickness/ confusion/ aggression/ drowsiness

Low blood sugar

Hangovers- dehydration, headaches

Falls, accidents and injuries

Impaired judgement/ decreased coordination & perception

Poor or interrupted sleep/ feeling lethargic

Distorted vision & hearing

Breathing difficulties, anxiety, blackouts, unconsciousness

LONG TERMS EFFECTS

Positive: Research shows drinking in moderation can help fight against heart disease and can be more beneficial then being tee-total.

Negative: Liver, nerve and brain damage

High blood pressure, increased risks of heart disease & strokes

Vitamin deficiency, malnutrition, gastritis (inflammation of stomach wall) mouth & throat cancer.

Alcohol poisoning

Social & mental problems i.e. job loss, depression, anxiety etc.

ALCOHOL & CALORIES

Often when thinking about alcohol we forget to think about the calories it contains. Often we are unaware about the calorie content of each drink.

Alcohol contains about seven calories per gram whereas fat contains 9 calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. Alcohol has little or no nutritional value to the body so all the calories are stored as fat unless burned as energy.

Alcohol has a tendency to make us crave unhealthy foods such as kebabs, pizza, chips etc. Again, this adds loads of unwanted calories to your evening.

ALCOHOL & CALORIES

Alcohol- especially beer- is associated with the fat storing hormone cortisol which encourages fat to store around the belly, hence the term “beer belly”

B vitamins are involved in both the processing of alcohol and fat burning therefore we struggle to burn fat efficiently when the body is busy processing large quantities of alcohol.

Large amounts of alcohol also hinder the bodies ability to recover from exercise, illness or injury again because your body is busy trying to remove the toxic levels of alcohol.

ALCOHOL & CALORIESThe average wine drinker in England takes in around 2,000kcal from alcohol every month.

Drinking five pints of lager a week adds up to 44,200kcal over a year, equivalent to eating 221 doughnuts.

Many drinkers add to their calorie count by having snacks, such as crisps, nuts or pork scratchings, to accompany their drinks.

A heavy drinking session is often followed by an unhealthy breakfast to help cope with a hangover, which again helps to pile on the pounds.

Going for a fry-up instead of your usual bowl of cereal can add an extra 450kcal to the calorie count from the night before.

CALORIES & ALCOHOLDrink Size or Type Estimated Calories Exercise To Burn It

Off

Beer/Lager/Cider around 4%

Pint 200 20 minute run

3 Spirit & Mixers + 2 glasses of wine

Single shots175ml

600 1 hour running

Jager Bomb Inc red bull 213 25 minutes rowing vigorous effort

Pina Colada 245 (2.7g fat) 60 minutes weight lifting

Rum & Coke 379 45 minute intense boxing class

• Many women don’t realise that two large glasses of white wine not only puts them over the recommended daily limit for regular alcohol consumption, but also provides them with nearly 20% of their recommended daily calorie intake, at approximately 370kcal in total.

• Most people would baulk at consuming a full glass of single cream, but wouldn’t think twice about the calorie content of a couple of pints. But the calorie content is similar and, over time, excess alcohol intake can easily contribute to gaining weight.

ADVICE

After drinking alcohol try to leave at least 48 hours for the body to recover.

Keep track of how much alcohol you are drinking weekly. If you feel you are drinking most days try some of the change for life schemes such as planning other alcohol free events. I.e. cinema, exercise etc.

Make sure you know your limits, eat well and have plenty of sleep before social situations involving alcohol.

Try to alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on nights out. Bars should offer free water but be aware some do not.

http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/cutting-down-alcohol.aspx

ADVICE

Drinking in rounds can mean you drink more than intended. Drink at your own pace and opt out of rounds.

Don’t drink on an empty stomach; not only will alcohol effect you quicker but you are more likely to choose unhealthy food options later on.

Pace yourself and set a time limit on when you will stop drinking.

Make sure you are hydrated during the day.

If you do get a hangover drink plenty of water the next day. Try eating a banana too; they are particularly good due to potassium content, being gentle on the stomach and also containing essential electrolytes which will have been lost while drinking.

QUIZ

http://www.callitanight.co.uk/alcoholawareness/

TRIVIA

How many units are women recommended to have no more than per day?

How many units are men recommended to have no more than per day?

Name 3 things which may influence how you are effected by alcohol?

Do large amounts of alcohol encourage the body to store fat?

Does the body see alcohol as a poison?

TRIVIA ANSWERS

2-3 units per day, that’s no more than a standard 175ml glass of wine. (13%)

3-4 units per day, that’s no more than a strong pint of beer, lager or cider per day (5.2%)

Height, weight, gender, mood, amount of sleep, medications, hydration levels, amount of food eaten, amount of activity levels during the day.

Yes the body tends to store more fat because the body is to busy trying to process the alcohol to be able to burn fat efficiently.

Yes the body sees alcohol as a poison and will try to get rid of it. This places a lot of pressure on vital organs.

QUESTIONS & REMINDERS

Any Questions?

Reminder that next month is Weight Loss March

UPSU will be working with the NHS, Livewell Plymouth, Plymouth City Council, and our very own Sport and Recreation Centre to help our staff make good food and exercise choices. This campaign will take place from 1 - 31 March 2015

Please see the website for more details.

Thank you all for listening-enjoy some sensible and safe drinking