alcohol and the holidays: how to avoid excess alcohol intake this festive season
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drinking non-alcoholic beverages will help you still feel a part of the group while keeping your alcohol intake low.
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the holidays are often a time when social gatherings are ramped up, and feelings of both joy and sadness can be amplified, depending on a person’s current situation. it’s also a time when people consume more alcohol.
“for some people, they already drink at a level where they drink fairly regularly, and then because it is the holidays, there’s an uptake in that regard,” said dr. karen spivak, psychologist and clinical coordinator with the pain and wellness centre in vaughan, ontario. “in social settings, for celebrations, alcohol is still the number one choice of social lubricant … so obviously it’s because it is more celebratory.”
she also notes that there’s a darker side to the increased alcohol consumption because for some people, the holidays aren’t happy at all. it can be “sad and depressing” for people who don’t have a large social network or are isolated. these people tend to cope by drinking in excess.
the social pressure to drink alcohol to celebrate the holidays also increases, simply because people want others to join in the fun of the season.
“a lot of the events are focused on, just late nights, kind of that typical feel of, ‘oh, i should have a drink right now, or everyone else is drinking so i’ll have a drink,’” said dr. christine cho-d’souza, naturopathic doctor with the pain and wellness centre in vaughan, ontario. “there is the social peer pressure component involved.”
regardless of the reasoning behind increased alcohol consumption during the holiday season, one thing is for certain: both short- and long-term health effects can be detrimental to one’s wellbeing both now and in the future.
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alcohol’s effects on your health
alcohol is classified as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning it can directly lead to the development of cancer. there are various types of cancers as well that alcohol plays a role in, including esophagus cancer, rectal cancer, and others that people are more prone to. for women, it “most likely tends to be breast cancer,” notes dr. spivak.
however, it’s not just the risk of cancer that increases the more a person consumes. other adverse health effects also occur. the short-term effects are often felt swiftly, including impaired cognitive function, alcohol poisoning, vomiting, stomach issues and hangovers.
“most people would have had the experience that they drink too much, they can have vomiting, you could have blackouts, you can have injuries, higher risk-taking behaviours,” said dr. spivak, all of which increase the risk of short-term health consequences.
in the long term, the entire body can be affected because “alcohol use can really affect multiple systems,” according to dr. cho-d’souza.
“long-term use can affect memory development, development of neurological conditions. it can affect nutrient absorption of certain vitamins and nutrients, like b vitamins, which are particularly affected by alcohol consumption. and obviously, more for women, pregnancy is highly affected by alcohol as well,” said dr. cho-d-souza.
according to dr. spivak, consuming too much alcohol also comes with increased risks for preventable diseases, such as liver damage or disease and heart disease. alcohol overconsumption also affects the mind.
“there’s the emotional overload because alcohol is a depressant. if you drink too much, then those depressant effects kick in, and that can lead to mood swings, anxiety, those kinds of things,” she said.
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is there a safe amount of alcohol?
the safe amount of alcohol consumption has changed drastically over the years, with new studies into its effects. dr. cho-d’souza notes that the evolution of this type of research has changed the way people view alcohol, showing that there “really is no completely safe amount of alcohol.”
it used to be that drinking no more than three or five drinks on any one occasion for females and males, respectively, was considered safe. the upper limit was capped at 20 per week for males and 16 for females.
with new research on the subject, the canadian guidelines have updated the recommendation to reflect a more realistic range: 0 for no risk and one to two drinks per week for low risk.
but it’s not just about a fixed rate anymore, according to dr. spivak.
“you have to look at the cumulative effects over time, and that’s where they’ve now reduced those levels to one or two drinks per week if you want to really keep your risk for health issues at an absolute minimum,” she said.
safe alcohol consumption also depends on the person, as those who rarely drink will experience the short-term consequences with fewer drinks than those who have year-round alcohol intake, making excess holiday intake more dangerous for them.
those who take certain medications may also experience different effects. for example, a person taking sedatives who is also drinking in excess can put themselves at risk for serious issues. people taking other drugs for various reasons, such as birth control or antibiotics, may also see those drugs work less effectively due to excess alcohol intake.
how to avoid excess alcohol intake over the holiday season and beyond
while statistics are showing a turn away from alcohol in younger populations, meaning that the pressures for consuming alcohol are lessened, it can still be challenging for many people to avoid excess alcohol intake, especially over the holidays.
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for those who want to reduce health risks while enjoying time with their family and friends, there are a few ways to approach the season so you can still have a festive season while prioritizing your health.
know what the limit actually is
many people aren’t aware of how much they’re drinking, especially when out with friends or at parties. waitstaff may come by and refill your wine glass without you thinking about it, or friends make cocktails freely, using more than the typical one ounce of liquor.
in this case, it also helps to understand what one drink actually means. for example, one five per cent beer is considered one drink, whereas five ounces of wine would be the equivalent.
it’s all about paying attention to those things and “setting hard limits around” them, said dr. cho-d’souza.
it can be challenging to keep track at times, so dr. spivak suggests finding a tracking method that works for you.
“i’ll often say to my clients, carry three loonies in your pocket and every time you have a drink, move one of those loonies from one pocket to the other and that way you can keep track of how many you’re having so you can try to stay within that limit.
pacing strategies also help reduce overconsumption because there’s a difference between downing a drink and sipping it. it takes the liver one hour to break down one standard alcoholic beverage, regardless of when it was consumed.
for example, if you have one drink an hour, you give your liver the chance to do its job, but if you drink three, you’ll overload your liver, and it will still take three hours for all of those drinks to exit your system.
“alcohol is very, very permeable. it goes easily through every single cell in our bodies, including our brain,” said dr. spivak. “so, if you pace your drinking, you’re likely to kind of be ahead of the game. you can be in better control of how much you’re drinking.”
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she also notes that eating beforehand can help this process, because drinking alcohol on an empty stomach allows the alcohol to break down and go into the body faster.
look at your beverage of choice differently
according to dr. cho-souza, it’s not always about having an alcoholic beverage in hand. it’s just about having something to sip on, whatever it may be.
“just having something in your hand can be a helpful thing, and depending on what strategies you use, you can say i already have something (when offered an alcoholic beverage),” she said.
dr. spivak notes that even if you want to indulge a little, you can still stay within the low-risk area by being strategic about how you consume them throughout the night.
“you can have an alcoholic drink, you’re sipping it, but your next drink doesn’t have to necessarily be an alcoholic drink,” she said. “so, you’re allowing that first drink to basically work its way through your system, allowing the liver to break it down so that by the time you’re ready or want that second drink, you’re still in much more control.”
when it comes to attending family or friends’ homes where it’s harder to control what will be available, dr. spivak notes that bringing your own non-alcoholic wine or beer is another great option that allows you to still partake in the act of drinking without the adverse effects of alcohol.
you can also have sparkling water, mocktails, or watered-down alcoholic beverages, so you can still have alcohol-based drinks but with much less alcohol.
set clean boundaries by having a plan
if you know there will be alcohol at the party or gathering you plan to attend, and you won’t be partaking, it’s essential to prepare yourself for any questions that you’ll get from people about not drinking. this is especially helpful for people who would normally consume more alcohol but are trying to cut back.
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“if people are offering you more drinks, you might say to them, ‘i’m really sorry. i have an early morning, so i have to watch how much i drink. i’m on medication, i can’t mix the two too much,” she said. “you can have a ready excuse on hand.”
according to dr. cho-d’souza, “having firm boundaries” and being able to adhere to them will help you achieve your goals regarding holiday drinking.
“setting a daily or weekly max … either two or less in a sitting or night, or no more than three to six in a week, having that set out is important,” she said.
for some people who feel as though they cannot turn down a beverage at a gathering that revolves around alcohol, it may be a good idea to count yourself out altogether for your overall health, or request that particular parties or get-togethers be alcohol free.
understand why you’re drinking alcohol
lastly, knowing why you want to overindulge on alcohol is an excellent way to figure out if you’re willing to take on the health risks. for example, if you’re someone who uses alcohol to cope with the bad things in your life, you may want to rethink alcohol as a coping mechanism.
dr. spivak notes that she would encourage someone who’s been dealing with high levels of stress to find other ways to manage those feelings before attending holiday parties so that they don’t manifest into wanting to drink more alcohol than what is safe.
she notes that people can do deep breathing, go for a brisk walk, or even have a nice warm shower to let that excess stress melt away, which would foster more control over decisions and choices when it comes to drinking.
seeking out more formal ways of dealing with stressors, such as finding self-help outlets or resources, or reaching out to mental health professionals to avoid the desire to escape the pressures of life with alcohol, can also be beneficial.
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“when we want to escape, that means we’re avoiding something,” said dr. spivak. “and if we’re stronger in ourselves, then we have more control over the things around us.”
if your why revolves around the people you generally spend the holidays with, as they tend to drink in excess and push for you to do it, too, saying no can become difficult. in these instances, people can either avoid spending time with these friend groups or call back to their boundaries.
you can even fake it by pouring a drink that looks like wine, beer, or a cocktail into a glass so that no one asks any questions.
as both dr. cho-d’souza and dr. spivak note, people are more accepting of those who choose not to consume alcohol in today’s age compared to even a decade ago because many are also concerned about their own health, too—which may make it that much easier to avoid overindulging in alcohol this holiday season when you stay firm in your boundaries and stick to the plan you set out for yourself.
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