Alcohol And Menopause: How Can I Drink Less? [Part Two]
Have you made the decision to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, but have no clue where to start?
Are you worried you might miss out on social events, or that people might give you a hard time about your decision? Or maybe you’re feeling excited about making a change?
However you’re feeling – we’re here to help!
We’re going to discuss all the tips and tricks to help how to successfully navigate this lifestyle change.
Let’s get started.
LOW-ALCOHOL vs ALCOHOL-FREE
When trying to reduce your alcohol intake, you might come across different labels such as ‘Low-alcohol’ or ‘Alcohol-free’.
What’s the difference?
Alcoholic drinks are measured in ‘alcohol strength by volume’ (ABV).
Low-alcohol drinks have an ABV strength of between 0.05 and 1.2% (1). Whereas, alcohol-free drinks should contain even less.
‘Reduced alcohol’ means they have an ABV lower than the average strength of a particular drink (1). For example, a ‘reduced alcohol’ wine may have an ABV of 5.5%, rather than something like 12%
Something to note:
One study found that 30% non-alcoholic beverages contained more alcohol than stated on the label, with some drinks labelled as 0% which when tested had levels closer to 2% ABV. (2). This is particularly important to be aware of if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy but is also something to be mindful of if you are watching your weight as could result in extra calories.
BESIDES THE ALCOHOL CONTENT, WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER?
Free Sugars
You might be thinking what on earth are Free Sugars? Well, when looking at the sugar in our diet, it can roughly be put into two categories:
naturally occurring sugars
free sugars
Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk, fruit and vegetables.
Free sugars are sugars that we add into food, like honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, maltose…the list goes on!
Free Sugar Recommendations
In the UK, the recommendation is to have no more than 30g free sugar every day (3). Too much sugar can be bad for our teeth and add extra calories without the benefit of nutrients or fibre.
Why is this relevant? Low or no alcohol options often contain significantly more free sugar than their alcohol-containing counterparts.
Let’s look at wine – because of the way non-alcoholic wine is produced, there can be up to 18g sugar in a large glass of non-alcoholic rose (300ml) (4). Just two glasses of this, and you’ve already had more than your recommended daily sugar intake!
Whilst non-alcoholic spirits may contain less sugar (5), the overall sugar content of your drink will depend heavily on which mixer you choose (some mixers can be very high in free sugars).
Calories
The amount of energy in food or drink is measured in calories. It’s important to fuel ourselves with enough calories throughout the day, but too many calories might lead to weight gain.
Whilst higher in sugar, non-alcoholic drinks are generally lower in calories than alcoholic drinks. For example, a 330ml bottle of alcohol-free beer has 73kcal, compared with 122kcal for its alcoholic counterpart (6)
However, we know that women tend to gain weight during and after the menopause, so even though the calories are reduced, the numbers will quickly add up if you are having multiple drinks. When you know there’s little alcohol in a drink, it can be tempting to have another…and another… and just one more! But do be of how many drinks you’re having if your weight is something you’re watching.
Another catch is that if you are drinking non-alcoholic spirits, you also might need to be mindful of the number of calories in the mixer you are using depending on your drink of choice.
Taste
It’s all very well having a drink that contains less alcohol, but what about how it tastes?!
It may take some trial and error to find low or no alcohol drinks that you enjoy drinking, but rest assured there will be some options out there that excite your tastebuds.
WHERE TO START?
What low/no alcoholic drinks are available?
You’ll be pleased to hear that most supermarkets, pubs and restaurants have a wide choice of low/no alcohol spirits, wines and beers.
Luckily, there’s now access to hundreds of low/no alcohol cocktails and drink ideas online. Here’s a couple of links to get you started:
And don’t forget, plain old soft drinks can taste just as good and can be a bit cheaper too!
Non-alcoholic beers
Our top picks
Lucky Saint (UK)
Non-alcohol spirits
Our top picks
Non-alcoholic ciders
Our top picks
Non-alcoholic wine
Our top picks
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER?
It’s all about the little touches
Now that you’ve got the support from friends and family around you, and you’ve discovered the array of different low/no alcohol options available to you, what else can you do to feel included in social situations?
Little things, like still drinking from your usual wine or cocktail glass, can help to still bring the feeling of having a drink without needing the alcohol.
Support Network
Having a strong support network around you can help reduce some of the worries you may have around going alcohol-free.
You may want to explain why reducing your alcohol is important to you, what their support would mean, and what actions they could do to help you feel supported.
Moderate alcohol consumption is what you are aiming for.
If you need professional support, please do not be afraid to reach out.
Some points of call are the NHS Alcohol Support, or Alcoholics Anonymous.
Want to know more about alcohol guidelines and recommendations?
Read our part one article that discusses the latest studies, cancer risk, drinks recommended per day and per week and the increased risk of heavy drinking and moderate drinking. These risks will be very similar for both menopausal women and postmenopausal women and may change based on hormone replacement therapy usage.
Read Now: Alcohol and Menopause: A Good Cocktail [Part One]
LET’S RECAP
So, we’ve discussed the difference between low, no and reduced alcohol drinks, and given you a flavour for which types of options are available to you.
Remember that just because a drink doesn’t contain alcohol, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be mindful of the sugar and calorie content of whichever drink we’re choosing.
Moderation is still a good thing to heed for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic look-alikes.
(Please note that none of the links in this post are sponsored)
Looking for more support? Grab my Digestive Issues in Perimenopause (and beyond) Workshop. Put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your gut and “get your life back”.