Heartbeat: Dry January: Alcohol team demonstrate how to cut down your intake

February 12, 2020

As you settle into the New Year you’ll undoubtedly hear lots of talk about forming healthy new habits. You’ll most likely be familiar with Dry January, a national campaign that encourages participants to take a whole month off from indulging in alcohol. After the excesses of Christmas this helps you reconsider your relationship with alcohol.

In a bid to showcase the benefits of Dry January, the alcohol team took their drinks trolley on a whirlwind tour of the Trust. This was, however, a drinks trolley with a difference. Packed full of delicious drinks they all had one thing in common – they were all alcohol-free. They had rum, flavoured gins, mulled wine, pale ale and mixers all available to try.

Colleagues queued up eagerly to sample the drinks and were all pleasantly surprised with their chosen tipple and more so when they learnt that the drinks contained no alcohol at all. Finance Apprentice, Tarragan Stewart-McCann commented: “I tried a rum and coke. It had a hint of rum and smelt the same. I honestly wouldn’t have known the difference.”

The alcohol team were keen to share the positive health and financial benefits associated with reducing your alcohol intake. Samantha Morgan, Alcohol Specialist Nurse, commented: “There are lots of alternatives to the alcoholic drinks that don’t have any harmful effects on your body. Alcohol is a toxic substance and it’s hard for your body to process. It also impacts your mood and can affect your mental health.”

When speaking of the importance of raising awareness around alcohol consumption and alternatives, Samantha commented: “As professional health care providers we must understand how our drinking may impact the patient care we provide. It’s also important to recognise that we have our own relationship with alcohol and taking some time out from regular drinking brings many associated health benefits. These include reducing blood pressure, the risk of developing diabetes and improved sleep.”