Here’s why you should cut back on the booze after the silly season
There’s no better time to assess the (many) drinks you may have consumed in name of the festive season, writes
As the new year kicks in and Christmas recedes in the rear-view mirror, there’s no better time to take stock of how much alcohol we may have consumed in the name of festive spirit.
Recent research from Canada found we should only be consuming two standard drinks a week to avoid adverse health effects. This advice is glaringly different to New Zealand’s current alcohol consumption guidelines, which recommend an acceptable amount as two standard drinks a day for women, and three for men.
Here in NZ, a recent study completed by life insurance company
AIA NZ found 90% of all
Kiwi deaths link back to modifiable behaviours, one of them being alcohol consumption.
The study highlighted how five risk factors of physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking, excess alcohol and environment interaction, contribute to five common diseases – cancer, diabetes respiratory disease and poor mental health.
The research also found nearly three quarters of New Zealanders are close to someone who has suffered from a noncommunicable disease – ie, a disease that is not spread through infection or other people, but is usually caused by unhealthy behaviours.
A third of Kiwis surveyed for the study have personally suffered from a noncommunicable disease, and more than half are worried they’ll suffer a heart attack or heart condition at some point.
A quarter of those who have suffered with a noncommunicable disease say they could have prevented it with better understanding of the precursory risk factors and how to prevent them.
‘‘That’s more than 465,000 Kiwis who, by making small lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of disease, could have saved themselves suffering from a noncommunicable disease,’’ said Nick Stanhope, AIA New Zealand chief executive.
‘‘It’s imperative we focus on a preventative healthcare mindset to significantly reduce this burden on our families, friends and communities.’’
AIA NZ has developed a programme for Kiwis called AIA Viality, which supports users to modify their behaviours and therefore lower the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
The programme uses ‘‘microincentives’’ in which the user gains points for certain activities that improve their lifestyle, and are then awarded with things like Countdown vouchers or an Apple Watch.
Len Elikhis, chief product and investments officer at AIA NZ, said the programme launched in 2019, and so far has 40,000 members. He said users were motivated to continue their new healthy habits over a long period of time, rather than going for one run and then giving up.
Elikhis said the programme acted like a ‘‘circuit breaker’’ for someone who may have been struggling with something like excess alcohol consumption.
He described the ‘‘negative feedback loop’’ someone may go through while drinking heavily – they are drunk or hungover so won’t exercise, then may feel bad about themselves, so they have another drink.
‘‘Circuit breakers can help to change that, and create a positive feedback loop instead,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s never too late to start, better to do something if it’s small, it’s still something.’’
For those looking for a beverage to sip at your next backyard BBQ but are wanting to cut back on the booze, look no further than Lyre’s.
The Australian-based company, which produces alcoholfree spirits, was co-founded and launched in 2019 by Mark Livings.
It is now the world’s leading independent non-alcoholic spirits brand, selling in more than 60 countries.
Livings said he launched Lyre’s because the ‘‘ambitious goals’’ he set for himself didn’t match up with ‘‘a lifestyle around alcohol and entertainment’’.
‘‘I saw an opportunity to take the drinks that I loved, and stay in the moment, stay in the occasion, and take the alcohol out,’’ Livings said.
He likened it to taking the sugar out of a fizzy drink, or taking the meat out of burger.
‘‘I was confident I could build a good brand and package it well, but I had to solve what was going to be inside the bottle,’’ he said.
He brought in a team, and 12 non-alcoholic spirits were born.
‘‘With those first 12 we launched with, we could create 80% of the top 50 cocktails in the world in the non-alcoholic format,’’ Livings said.
Livings said there was a
degree of ‘‘social anxiety’’ around opting out of drinking alcohol.
‘‘If people don’t drink, they feel like they’re not part of the party,’’ he said. ‘‘We have spent the last three years normalising more mindful choices, and helping people say yes to being social, but saying no to alcohol.’’
Livings said he still consumes alcohol, but does it mindfully.
‘‘We’re not in combat with alcohol, we want to provide people with options,’’ he said.
‘‘People are actively looking to change their relationship with alcohol, but what people are not trying to do is stop being social and connecting with other people.’’
Living said that cutting back on the booze ‘‘immediately’’
increased his energy levels, and gave him more clarity and focus.
Living said it was important to ‘‘be prepared’’ if you’re going out but not drinking.
‘‘Bring drinks with you, or if you’re hosting, provide nonalcoholic options,’’ he said.
‘‘Be prepared to let people know you’re not drinking and why. Don’t be sanctimonious about it. If you need alcohol to have a good time you have a problem.’’
‘‘I saw an opportunity to take the drinks that I loved, and stay in the moment, stay in the occasion, and take the alcohol out.’’
Mark Livings