Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink. Current guidelines recommend no more than two standard drinks a day if you are a woman, or four standard drinks a day if you are a man. Aim to have at least two alcohol-free days a week. If you need to lose weight, you should limit your alcohol intake to one standard drink a day for women and two standard drinks a day for men. It is also best to drink alcohol with a meal or some carbohydrate containing food.
One standard drink is equal to:
- 100 mL wine
- 285 mL regular beer
- 30 mL spirits
- 60 mL fortified wine
- 375 mL low-alcohol beer (less than 3% alcohol)
It is important to remember:
- All alcoholic drinks are high in kilojoules and can contribute to weight gain
- Too much alcohol can increase the risk of developing complications by putting on weight and increasing blood pressure
- Drinking a lot of alcohol can cause hypoglycaemia if you are taking insulin or certain diabetes tablets
- Low alcohol or ‘lite’ beers are a better choice than regular or diet beers because they are lower in alcohol
- When mixing drinks use low joule/diet mixers such as diet cola, diet ginger ale, diet tonic water
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