Ban the binge

IF YOU’RE like me, over the summer holidays you may have slipped into an easy habit of drinking alcohol every day. That cheeky glass of wine at 4pm; maybe a beer over lunch in the sun. These are enjoyable holiday habits and, once we get back to work and regular life, it can be all too easy to keep them up. (And that glass of wine may well feel like a necessity after our first couple of weeks back at work!)

This is a habit, though, that we all know can have unwanted consequences. Most of us are aware that alcohol increases our risk of a range of diseases, from cancer to high blood pressure. And, yes, there are also studies that show moderate drinking can have health benefits, but the key there is the ‘‘moderate’’ part. Many of us drink more than is healthy, and far more than we need to so we end up tipping the scales from the ‘‘healthy’’ to the ‘‘unhealthy’’ side of the ledger.

If we’re honest, though, the thing that prompts most people to cut down, when they do, is the weight factor. Alcoholic drinks are packed with kilojoules; alcohol is second in energy density only to fat. Consuming three 180ml glasses of your favourite red wine or three 330ml bottles of cider adds nearly 2000kJ to your day – that’s the equivalent of eating nearly seven slices of white bread. Three 330ml bottles of lager has around 1500kJ (more than five slices of white bread) and three double gins with standard tonic a whopping 2200kJ (nearly eight slices of white bread). Do that every day over the holidays and you’re looking at a noticeable spare tyre after a few weeks.

Whether weight-loss or longterm health is your motivation, you may want to consider joining me in febfast, starting next Friday. This initiative, run by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, is when people give up alcohol for the month of February, to give their bodies a break and to raise money for the foundation’s education programmes for young people. I’m an ambassador for febfast this year, and I’m hoping I can raise a little money and also start a few discussions about the role of alcohol in our lives and the drinking culture here in New Zealand. It does worry me that young men and women are growing up in a culture where ‘‘preloading’’ before a night out is

Alcoholic drinks are packed with kilojoules; alcohol is second in energy density only to fat.

the norm, and the goal of drinking is purely to get drunk, sometimes so drunk that you can’t remember what happened. I would love to see us teaching our young people a healthy respect for alcohol; that a great night doesn’t have to include getting hammered; that savouring alcohol as part of a meal with good food is a grownup and healthy way to live. For more information on febfast (or to sponsor Niki) go to febfast.org.nz. Niki Bezzant is a healthy cooking expert and the editor of

magazine, latest issue on sale Do you have a question for Niki? Email editor@healthyfood.co.nz with SST in the subject line.