Download Topic 9 - Salt and Alcohol

Some tips to enjoy alcohol sensibly are:
Think positive - if you have lots to drink
and eat, try to think of it as a ‘one off’.
Try to get back to a sensible eating plan
the next day and you should continue
to lose weight. One ‘bad’ day doesn’t
make you regain all the weight you have
already lost.
Calorie content of alcoholic drinks
230 kcals
57 kcals
182 kcals
74 kcals
240 kcals
97 kcals
170 kcals
86 kcals
83-118 kcals (dry-sweet)
89 kcals
95 kcals
48-52 kcals (37.5-40%)
~ 200 kcals
58-68 kcals (dry-sweet)
175 kcals
60-70kcals
Salt and Alcohol
A pint of lager
A pint of low alcohol lager
A pint of beer/ bitter
A pint of low alcohol beer/ bitter
A pint of cider
A pint of low alcohol cider
A pint of stout/ Guinness
A 125ml glass of red wine
A 125ml glass of white wine
A 125ml glass of rose wine
A 125ml glass of champagne
A measure of sprits (25ml)
An alcopop
A 50ml glass of fortified wine
A 50ml glass of cream liqueur (Irish cream)
A 25 ml measure of liqueur
Calorie content of mixers
A 250ml glass of tonic water
A 250ml glass of Cola
A 250ml glass of diet Cola
A 250ml glass of lemonade
A 250ml glass of diet lemonade
A 200ml glass of unsweetened orange juice
A 25ml shot of cordial
83 kcals
105 kcals
1 kcal
53 kcals
3 kcals
72 kcals
28 kcals
Come along to our free weight loss class
to become more active, healthier and slimmer.
To book your place, contact your local leisure centre
or book online at www.sllcbooking.co.uk
*NB calories in alcohol depends on the percentage of alcohol in the drink therefore values are an
average estimate*
The ‘drinkaware’ cup used in the group work can be purchased from the drinkaware website at
www.drinkaware.co.uk
Scottish Charity No. SCO37439
Week 9
Try to use diet mixers e.g. diet cola, slim line tonic, soda water.
Try to avoid sweet wines and sherries/liqueurs/alcopops that are higher in calories.
An alternative to an alcopop is a shot of spirit with a low calorie mixer which is about a quarter
of the calories.
Always try to have two - three alcohol free days per week.
Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol is absorbed quickly on an empty stomach. Eating a
proper meal or substantial snack before drinking will slow the rate at which alcohol is absorbed
into your bloodstream.
If you are at a party/wedding/night out try to alternate your alcoholic drinks with an alcohol free
one e.g. diet drink. Soft drinks or water will help alleviate some of the effects of dehydration
caused by alcohol.
If you are drinking spirits try a taller glass with more diet mixer – this should last you longer.
You could also do this with wine and soda.
If you are drinking spirits try a taller glass with more diet mixer – this should last you longer.
You could also do this with wine and soda.
Try using smaller wine glasses (125ml = 1 unit) instead of larger ones which can contain 3 units
or more yet you feel as if you’ve only had ‘one glass’.
Don’t be tempted to skip meals to allow for drinks, alcohol won’t satisfy your hunger. In fact
alcohol can lower blood sugar levels sending signals to the brain that you are hungry. Then
willpower goes out the window!
If snacking after a night out try a baked potato/pasta instead of chips/pakora etc.
If snacking whilst drinking try to have lots of raw vegetables e.g. carrot sticks, strips of cucumber,
celery and peppers with low fat dips.
Get up and dance it out to expend more energy.
Weigh to go!
Week 9
Salt and your health
Research shows that eating too much salt can contribute to high blood pressure. Having high blood
pressure increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke.
The recommended daily intake is no more than 6g salt per day (about one teaspoonful) however in
Scotland, the average intake is around 10g per day (about two teaspoonfuls).
Babies and children should have less salt than adults as their kidneys are smaller and cannot cope
with too much salt.
The recommended daily maximum intake for children depends on their age as follows:
Less than one year – less than 1g salt per day
1 to 3 years – 2g salt per day
4 to 6 years – 3g salt per day
7 to 10 years – 5g salt per day
11 years and over – 6g salt per day
When we think of salt in our diet, we
think of adding it onto the food on our
plate or into cooking. However, 75% of
the salt in our diet is already in the food,
particularly processed foods.
Foods that can be high in salt are:
salty meats such as ham (particularly if cured), bacon, sausages and pate.
tinned, packet and instant soups
ready meals, pizzas, packet sandwiches, fast food and takeaways
smoked meat and fish
soy sauce, stock cubes, yeast extract, gravy powder and other salted flavourings
baked beans
some breakfast cereals
some bread products such as ciabatta, bagels and crumpets
crisps, salted nuts and salted popcorn
jar and packet sauces
hard cheeses
olives and pickles
Understanding labels
Labels on food can mention both salt and sodium. If sodium is listed then multiplying the
amount by 2.5 will give you the amount of salt in grams that is in the food.
Salt = sodium x 2.5
For example, a food containing 1.2g sodium per 100g contains 3g salt (1.2 x 2.5 = 3)
Sometimes sodium is listed as milligrams or mg. There are 1000 milligrams in 1 gram so 600mg
sodium = 0.6g sodium.
Alcohol: The facts
Alcohol is high in calories (1g alcohol=around 7 kcal) therefore a high intake of alcohol could lead
to weight gain. The long term risks of drinking more than the recommended number of units on a
regular basis can increase your risk of certain cancers, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, stomach
ulcers, memory loss and dementia. It has also been linked to skin problems and premature ageing.
The recommended ‘sensible’ units per week are:
A guide when looking at the label is:
More than 1.5g salt per 100g (0.6g sodium) = HIGH IN SALT
0.3g salt or less per 100g (0.1g sodium) = LOW IN SALT
Ways to cut down on salt
Try not to add salt to your food. Taste it first then decide whether you really need to add salt.
If you must add salt, use a little in cooking. A large percentage is drained away in the water.
Cut down on salty processed foods and ready meals. Use fresh produce as much as possible.
Compare food labels and choose the lower salt option
If buying tinned vegetables, pulses or baked beans, choose no added salt or reduced salt
alternatives.
Snack on fruit, plain popcorn or unsalted nuts and seeds instead of crisps or salted snacks.
In cooking, try adding fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, spices, lemon juice, chilli, lime, black pepper or
mustard for flavour instead of salt.
Marinade meat and fish to add more flavour
Make your own stock and gravy instead of using cubes or granules or look out for reduced salt
varieties.
Squeeze lemon juice onto fish or seafood
Try using different types of onion such as brown, red, white, spring onions or shallots to add
flavour to food
Try to make your own sauces instead of using jars or packets. Make in bulk and freeze.
Cutting down on salt can reduce blood pressure, whether it was high to start with or not. This will
then lower your risk of developing heart disease and strokes.
If you are used to foods high in salt or usually add a lot of salt to your food, you may find you
miss the taste at first as your taste buds get used to high levels of salt. Taste buds however adapt
very quickly and within a few weeks you will find you can taste flavours in food much better and
therefore enjoy your food more.
Which can only be a good thing!
Men
Women
21 units
14 units
The Department of Health advises that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units per day
and no more than 2-3 units per day for women. Pregnant women are advised not to drink at all
throughout their pregnancy however if they choose to drink they should not drink more than 1-2
units once or twice a week.
Remember home measures tend to be more generous therefore will be higher in both
alcohol content and calories*
What is a unit?
1 unit of alcohol is 10ml of pure alcohol. This is the equivalent to
A pint of ordinary strength lager (Carling Black Label, Fosters) - 2 units
A pint of strong lager (Stella Artois, Carlsberg Export, Grolsh, Kronenbourg 1664) - 3 units
A pint of super strength lager (Tennants Super, Special Brew) - 5+ units
A pint of ordinary bitter (John Smith’s, Guinness, Boddingtons) - 2 units
A pint of best bitter (Fuller’s ESB, Young’s Special) - 3 units
A pint of cider (Strongbow, Woodpecker) - 2-3 units
A pint of strong cider (Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow) - 3+ units
A 125ml glass red/white or rose wine (11-14%) - 1-1.5 units
A 175ml glass red/white or rose wine (11-14%) - 2-2.5 units
A large (250ml) glass of red/white or rose wine (11-14%) - 2.8-3.5 units
A bottle (750ml) of red/white or rose wine - 8.3-10.5 units
A measure (25ml) of spirits (vodka, gin, whisky, bacardi) - 1 unit
An alcopop (Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Reef) - around 1.5 units
A shot (tequila, sambuca) - 1 unit
A 50ml glass of fortified wine (sherry, port) or liqueur - 1 unit
(Department of Health, 2006)