DR MAX PEMBERTON: My tried and tested tips for a ‘dry-ish’ January

Now I like one drink as much as the next person. Especially if the next person really likes a drink. I’m not one to get drunk blindly, but I certainly enjoy a drink on a regular basis.

What’s not to like about a gin and tonic on a warm summer evening or a crisp white wine with dinner? You never have to ask me twice if we should buy another bottle. Why end a meal with coffee when you can have an espresso martini?

But, in recent years, I have made a concerted effort to reduce my alcohol consumption. Now that I am 40 years old, I feel the effects much more than before. While I love a night out, I’m not a fan of spending the morning relieving a headache. Also, since the pandemic, I have noticed how much more expensive things are, especially the drink.

But there is another reason why I have reduced. For the last two years I have been working in the elderly services, counseling people with memory problems.

I have been horrified by the number of people who have memory and cognition problems as a result of years of heavy drinking. I see it weekly. These people were not necessarily physically dependent on alcohol, but have been drinking regularly and to excess for many years.

I realized that decades of drinking can easily come back to haunt you. I now go weeks without drinking, and even when I do go out, I often avoid alcohol.

The afternoons are nicer, there are no hangovers and I sleep better.

It took willpower at first, and I made a concerted effort to avoid having ‘just one more’. He helped my partner and some friends not drink. But after a while, I realized that there is a law of diminishing returns when it comes to alcohol: the first one or two drinks are actually more enjoyable than the fifth or sixth. My tolerance also dropped very quickly so that I quickly found myself unable to drink what I used to drink.

Dry January gives people a chance to see what life is like without alcohol, and I often advise my patients to give it a try. It helps people really understand the role alcohol plays in their lives.

However, for many people, the dark evenings and gloomy weather mean that January is not the right time to give up alcohol completely. Instead, why not just try cutting back, like I’ve done?

Cutting back without giving up completely is gaining popularity, even having its own social media hashtag #damplifestyle.

I’ve learned that simply telling yourself that you will reduce your expenses without planning ahead is doomed to fail. You need to think about how your consumption will be reduced for you. So here are some tips to get you started. Good luck!

WAIT 20

Don’t pour drink after drink. Wait 20 minutes in between. This not only helps you keep up, but you may also find that during this time your desire for another drink lessens.

FIND A SUBSTITUTE

I have found that I adore tonic water, so I will often alternate between this and a G&T. When you decide not to drink, it’s easier if you have an alternative that you know you enjoy.

KEEP A JOURNAL

After a few weeks, consciously reflect and think about the positive aspects that you have noticed. Cheaper nights out, a clearer mind in the morning, more meaningful conversations with friends, etc. This will help motivate you to continue.

LIMIT OPPORTUNITIES

If you’re trying to cut back, limit your drinking to certain situations. So if you were only going to drink when you went out to eat with friends, that would mean no alcohol at the theater or just at home.

NO DRINK DAY

Many people find it helpful to limit how much they drink, and many patients who have been successful in cutting back say they stopped drinking or greatly reduced their alcohol intake during the day.

BRING SUPPLIES

If you’re going somewhere and don’t want to drink, it’s sometimes helpful to point this out carefully to the host and bring your own alternative. There are some very good non-alcoholic wines. Try Seedlip instead of gin. And I often carry a bottle of Jukes Cordialities, which can be added to sparkling water.

BE FIRM WITH FRIENDS

Some friends will be curious, but others will try to pressure you to drink more than you want. They have a problem, not you. Be aware of these people and be firm with them, or stay away altogether.

DRINK TO CELEBRATE

Avoid drinking when you are stressed or bored. Alcohol does not reduce stress levels and sets up a useless notion in people’s minds that they need alcohol to cope or feel rewarded. Instead, only use alcohol to celebrate, whether it’s a win at work, a toast at a family gathering, or a friend’s birthday.

COMPANION

It’s much easier to cut if someone else does it with you. There is also a lot of support on social media, if you can’t find someone else in your family and friend group to join you.

THERE IS HELP

If you’ve tried to narrow it down but found it harder than you expected, this could mean you’re more dependent than you thought. Talk to your GP or search for support services at drinkaware.co.uk.

I was blown away by the way host Sarah Beeny was open about her hair loss as a result of chemotherapy for breast cancer and the way it made her feel. I’m sure the fact that she was so candid will have helped many others through the same thing.

Gwyneth looks great, but don’t go comparing!

I admit that Gwyneth Paltrow looks amazing. In the photo on the beach in Barbados, she certainly doesn’t look 50 years old. I’m sure many looked on with a mixture of admiration and surprise at how someone her age could look so good. But we mortals shouldn’t make such comparisons and shouldn’t berate ourselves for not measuring up to the A-listers. Whatever these celebrities want to tell us about their strenuous routines and peculiar diets, remember that much of it is down to genetics. And of course having a lot of money to spend on personal trainers, plus plenty of time to work out, helps too.

• The NHS seems to be in a mess with sky-high waiting times, difficulty getting appointments, and spiraling costs and waste. And now news from the British Medical Association that four in ten young doctors are thinking of resigning. Although I take these surveys with a grain of salt, I have noticed that many young physicians are struggling with the pressures of the job. There are many reasons for this, but what strikes me is that there seems to be little sense of duty. I wonder if this is partly due to the introduction of tuition fees? Some may feel that if they have paid for a title, it is theirs to do as they please. But what about loyalty to the public that helped pay for the training? There are other factors too. The elimination of messes, where doctors used to gather to eat, groan and discuss complex cases, has had an impact. The implementation of the working time directives has also meant that doctors now work on rotating patterns, meaning they ‘float’ to where they are needed. The result? They are not advised or supported in the same way. All this together means that young doctors feel undervalued, alone and fed up. And that’s not good for any of us.

DR MAX RECIPE…

THE JAB OF THE FLU

Have you had a cold? There is a lurgy hanging around who is particularly unpleasant. Several colleagues were shot for over a week with him. I got it, but I managed to get rid of it in a few days. A doctor friend said that he had noticed that those most affected had not received the flu vaccine, and suspects that it is the flu that we have all had. I am now convinced that my speedy recovery was thanks to my jab. If you haven’t been vaccinated, get a vaccine as soon as you can.

READ MORE:

Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, poses for a cheeky photo in a skimpy black bikini as she celebrates New Year’s Eve with daughter Apple, 18, son Moses, 16, and mother Blythe Danner, 79.

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